Setting the default folder view for all folders

To configure all folders to display the files the same way:

Use Windows Explorer to browse to a folder, and configure how the folder should appear (Set the wanted View - Details/List/Tiles/Thumbnails, Select columns, Change column order, Resize column width etc.).
In the Windows Explorer click the Tools-menu and select "Folder Options..."
Change to the "View"-fan and press "Reset Folders" and then press the "Apply to all folders"-button

More Info MSDN - New Windows XP Shell Features
More Info MS KB812003

Changing the Folder Type template for a folder

Even after having configured all folder to look the same way, then some folders may still display differently, because the Folder type has been configured. To configure the Folder Type of a folder:

Right click on the folder and select "Properties"
Select the "Customize"-fan and here can you configure "What kind of folder do you want?" by changing what Folder Type to use as template.

The different templates have different columns pre-configured and options available:
- Pictures(best for many files) - Introduces a Filmstrip mode in the Windows Explorer View-menu.

Note Windows XP will automatically cache folder customization, so changes made to a single folder will be remembered when the folder is visited again.

Configure the default Folder Type template for all users

If having dynamic / roaming users and want and want to configure the default Folder view for all users through the registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \ShellNoRoam \Bags \AllFolders \Shell]
WFlags = 0
Mode = 4
vid = "{137E7700-3573-11CF-AE69-08002B2E1262}"

Note the following table can be used to configure the above values (WFlags should always be 0)

View	Mode	vid
Icons	1	{0057D0E0-3573-11CF-AE69-08002B2E1262}
List	3	{0E1FA5E0-3573-11CF-AE69-08002B2E1262}
Details	4	{137E7700-3573-11CF-AE69-08002B2E1262}
Thumbnail	5	{8BEBB290-52D0-11D0-B7F4-00C04FD706EC}
Tiles	6	{65F125E5-7BE1-4810-BA9D-D271C8432CE3}
Filmstrip	7	{8EEFA624-D1E9-445B-94B7-74FBCE2EA11A}

Note if not wanting to show the status-bar in the default folder view:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \ShellNoRoam \Bags \AllFolders \Shell]
Status = 0

Maurice Rich says:

15 September 2008 at 0:02

I'm unable to locate the above registry key ?
Can some one please indicate the correct key ?

Snakefoot says:

15 September 2008 at 20:52

Maurice Rich wrote:
I’m unable to locate the above registry key ?

The registry keys doesn't exist by default. You have to create them yourself.

Shin Ring says:

8 October 2008 at 13:23

Create a .reg file (text file) and paste this into it and then double click on it to make creating this key easy:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags\AllFolders]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"vid"="{137E7700-3573-11CF-AE69-08002B2E1262}"
"WFlags"=dword:00000000
"Mode"=dword:00000004

Simon Chan says:

22 April 2009 at 17:17

I have followed the steps as listed above in an attempt to change and apply the Folder View in Details for all other folders for all users. However, it did not take any effect.

David Thomas says:

24 June 2009 at 0:29

Hi,

The keys mentioned here are correct. For more information check the following post.
I wrote it after having problems with explorer views.

http://www.thinworld.net/blog/2009/06/explanation-of-shellnoroam-registry.html

Paul Gailey says:

21 September 2009 at 17:01

I´m trying to force the default view of the attach a document view/dialog box to be the same, which by default is list view and not details view. What reg setting do i need to achieve this?

Nikolaos says:

25 January 2010 at 1:06

I want to replace a folder's icon with an icon from an ".ico" file, but the folder is at the local network, shared through SMB.

Windows xp allows customization for the thumbnail of such a folder from an image, but there's nothing to do for its icon.

I guessed that the customization information should be kept in the registry, and I really found the string value named "Logo" in one of the registry keys under [HKLM \Software \Microsoft \Windows \ShellNoRoam \Bags], assigned to the image file's path.

My question is, whether there is some other string value name in the same key that controls the specific folder. So that I would assign an .ico file to change its appearance in icon view.

25 January 2010 at 22:29

Nikolaos wrote:
I want to replace a folder’s icon with an icon from an “.ico” file, but the folder is at the local network, shared through SMB.

You can customize folders using Desktop.ini

More Info Set custom icon using desktop.ini

Cheng says:

4 October 2011 at 16:06

I think it is HKEY_CURRENT_USER

ddn says:

27 August 2015 at 4:09

everything here is false

the path is
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders

there you have valid changes
this is for NT 6 btw

«G~Lí†ch» says:

23 July 2018 at 15:56

ColInfo REG_BINARY:
[$0028—$0037] — System.ItemNameDisplay={B725F130-47EF-101A-A5F1-02608C9EEBAC}, and [$0038] – its propID=0Ah (10d)
[$003C–$003F]: this column WIDTH
[$0040—$004F]: System.ItemDate={F7DB74B4-4287-4103-AFBA-F1B13DCD75CF},
and [$0050] – its propID=64h (100h)
[$0054–$0057]: this column WIDTH
and etc...
How to place to desktop.ini all these parameters (including Sort)?