Change your folder view default in Windows 98

I have something that is not really a problem but it bugs me and it would be nice if I could get it to work the way I want it to. The annoying item is the way that Windows 98 displays files and folders when I open a new window. I don’t like looking at the big icons because I can’t see as much in the window. If I change the view on the current window to the smaller icons, it changes back to the big icons when I open a new window. How do I make it stay the same in all of my windows??!!!

This question was answered on July 29, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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The answer to your prayers is quite simple Windows 98 has a million settings hidden in its nether regions and one of them is called the “Default Folder View” This default view on your computer has apparently been set to the “Large Icons” setting To change it to your desired default, do the following:

Double-click on My Computer and set the icons the way you like them Next click on the View menu at the top and select “Folder Options” This should open a Folder Options window with 3 tabs at the top Click on the View tab in the middle At the top of this option page should be the Folder Views option with two buttons: “Like Current Folder” and “Reset All Folders” Click on the “Like Current Folder” option to set your current view as the default for all folders You will get the usual Microsoft “Are you sure, Yes or No” message Click on the Yes to complete the task and set all folder views to your preference While you are in this window, you may want a change in the “Advanced settings:” section Look for the “Remember each folder’s view settings” option (the location of this entry may vary based on your exact version of Windows 98) If you keep the box checked, it specifies that when you close a folder, the settings you chose while in that folder will be retained the next time you open it If you remove the checkmark all folders will always revert to your default view setting When you have made all of your changes, click on OK to complete the task Windows 95 users will not have the above option buttons The default view is generally based on the last view that you chose for that folder in Windows 95.

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Posted by Ken Colburn of Data Doctors on July 29, 1999

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