Window position/size not storing...sigh

[Sobek]

Well, i'm fairly sure pretty much everyone here knows what an absolute pain the ass it is when Windows downright forgets to remember folder sizes and/or positions. Just to get this off straight away, practically the first thing I do upon installing Windows is fire up Tweak UI and go through the usual routine of removing Shared Documents from my computer, and so on..including setting my limit for folder sizes to remember to 8000.

Just the other day, everything was dandy, Windows was happily remembering everything I wanted it to, maximised, windowed, smaller sized windows..you name it. At one stage I cut a folder to another hdd, and created a new one in it's place to continue storing files in (different name on the new folder). I opened this folder, and proceeded to maximize the window and set it to thumbnail view. I closed it, opened it..and to my chock discovered that Windows no longer wanted to store it's size and view mode. I double checked that I definitely had the Folders to remember setting to 8000, and I sure did, but no dice. I checked that Windows was indeed creating new settings for each folder I made, and it still is. If I create a new folder, it adds a new entry, if I change the view mode of the folder from Tiles to List, the entries in the registry change accordingly, but the folder never remembers how it should be.

I've just been dealing with this for a few days, hoping that it would just clear up, sadly it hasn't. I tried deleting all of the previous entries for folder settings in Shell and ShellnoRoam, but this just caused every single window I ever open to totally forget anything I do to it. Even after restoring those registry entries (always make backups), it STILL won't even go back to how it was. So now i'm royally pissed off and have no idea what to do with it, i'm sure as hell not reinstalling Windows, as i've taen a good deal of time to get it just how I want it and I want it to stay that way...

Can anyone suggest anything that might be the culprit? This is driving me insane having to maximize EVERY window I open.

 

[nutball]

I have the opposite problem. My Windows install has decided that my Control Panel, when opened, should stretch across the whole screen horizontally. Not vertically, that's the same size it should be, just horizontally. I resize it, but it insists on remembering the old size! This is a new install of Windows too, it's not like it's got the excuse of three years of bit-rot.

 

[Sobek]

Heh, gotta love that. Strange thing for me is, the ONLY window that will happily remember its sizing is INTERNET EXPLORER. Firefox? No, My Computer? No. Give me a break

I re-entered all of my backed up info into the registry and restarted, and that's restored a few little things...such as the small panels in the 'common tasks' pane in explorer, but everything else is still unresponsive.

*edit*...damnit, my Administrator account still works just perfectly. Remembers everything with no hassle. I'm going to try and transplant all registry entries related to window sizes from my Admin account over to my account...i'm desperate.

*double-edit* Hmpf. If I change a window to how I want it when logged in as Administrator, export the Shell and Shellnoroam keys, then import them while logged in as myself...The changes stay applied. However if I change any of the folders from one view to another (thumbnails, tiles) everything goes back to default windowed settings and again refuses to apply anything. Seems something is wrong in the registry around Shell or Shellnoroam...but from what I can see, it should be working perfectly...you know, anyone...feel free to chip in with some ideas, seriously

*Final Edit*. Well, I backed up my profile, restarted, removed my profile via Computer Management, restarted. Deleted the trace files from Documents and Settings, and Created a new user with the same name, Restarted. Moved backup files back into new profile, restarted. And finally it's all good again. I have no idea what went wrong...but I hope to god it never does again, because that was pathetically terrible.

 

[ANova]

All my windows have never had a problem remembering sizes and views, except my documents. No matter what I tried the damn thing always reverted to default. I eventually just gave up, though I have reason to believe it has to do with the amount of files you have in the folder.

 

[Guden Oden]

The windows registry is about as stable and dependable as a house of cards. The person who thought up the idea that pretty much all config info should go into one central repository and spread out across literally thousands of (often duplicate, and/or redundant) database entries should be fed a high-speed bullet through the back of his head. Seriously. It's THAT bad a concept, and what's worse, the implementation sucks even worse.

The windows registry is without a doubt deserving of a high placement on a top-10 list over "the dumbest shit ever invented for an operating system", and that's an indisputable fact.

 

[Arwin]

I have to date not written one single bit of code that stores values in the registry. Instead, I keep a config.xml file in whatever location the application calls for (application settings go in the application folder, for instance). Couldn't be more transparent that way, and there's nothing more stable either ...

It's almost like the old .ini days, except that accessing and managing xml data is tonnes easier and more flexible.

 

[Blazkowicz]

to avoid explorer frustration I uncheck the "remember each folder's view setting" in the folder options, then I set a folder to detail view and do "apply to each folder".
then if I want to have a thumbnail view I can toggle it then toggle back, but I prefer to use external software anyway (xnview).

that way folder view is consistant when navigating in the same explorer window.. but individual folder view is still remembered if you access it directly (via shortcut, favorite or run box). illogical behaviour but it allows me to have control panel in list view (nice on two columns, that's the most compact and efficient form IMO)

I'm glad to have window sizes well remembered.

 

[UncleJemima]

solution:

i've had this problem in the past and it bothered me to no end, so i finally began searching some years back for the solution. and it's actually pretty simple and easy. but it does mean giving up all your current saved positions, which in your case is not necessarily a bad thing.

i'll copy and paste the article:

Windows Doesn't Remember Folder Settings

Many users are complaining that Windows doesn't seem to remember their specific folder settings. After a while, it seems that Windows switches back to the default (of large icons).

By default, Windows is designed to remember some 400 different folder settings. Windows will start to re-use these stored settings on a 'Most Recently Used' basis, once the 400 folder limit has been exceeded.

Not every user will see over 400 different folders on their system, but some users might run into this annoying limitation.

To increase the number of folder settings Windows remembers:

1. Start the Registry Editor
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Shell \
3. Right-click an empty space in the right pane and select New > DWORD Value
4. Name the new value BagMRU Size
5. Double-click the BagMRU Size value, and set the Base to Decimal
6. Now in the Value data field enter the number of folders for which Windows should remember the settings (I'd suggest 1,000 or more)
7. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ ShellNoRoam \
8. Repeat steps 3-6
9. Close the registry editor

If you prefer to remove all the settings Windows has saved so far, delete the following registry keys:

* HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Shell \ BagMRU
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Shell \ Bags
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ ShellNoRoam \ BagMRU
* HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ ShellNoRoam \ Bags

Restart Windows.


seems you went through a lot of trouble. hopefully this'll be a more permanent solution. and btw, it doesn't matter how high you set the limit (mine is 10k), it'll still reach it. i also checked the latest tweakui for xp... it doesn't have a setting for remembering folders... you must have used another tweaking program.

 

[Simon F]

I have the opposite problem. My Windows install has decided that my Control Panel, when opened, should stretch across the whole screen horizontally. Not vertically, that's the same size it should be, just horizontally. I resize it, but it insists on remembering the old size! This is a new install of Windows too, it's not like it's got the excuse of three years of bit-rot.

I find it even more annoying when it decides to open a window "off screen"

 

[_xxx_]

Delete ALL files on your machine named "desktop.ini" and if present "folder.htt". Don't mind the warnings if any appear. Then, change the settings the way you'd like them and apply to all folders. That should work.

 

[Guden Oden]

Trust microsoft to require two different files per folder and four registry keys to remember the size/settings of folders. Efficiency was never MS's middle name...