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apply the current view setting to other folders - apply to folders button greyed out

Anonymous
2009-10-29T02:48:40+00:00

I am attempting to change the folders view setting so that I apply a view to all folders.  I followed this instruction: 

1.       Open a folder, click the arrow next to the Views button on the toolbar, and choose a view setting.

2.       On the toolbar, click Organize, and then click Folder and search options.

3.       In the Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab, click Apply to Folders, click Yes, and then click OK.

However, the Apply to Folders button and Reset Folders button are both greyed out.  Please advise how to view these buttons and edit the settings for folder views.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-10-30T13:17:33+00:00

    Hello SusanCoach,

    Welcome to the Microsoft Answers Community!

    From the instructions you are following it sounds like you are using Windows 7. If so check to make sure you aren’t in a folder included in a Library. Both buttons should be grayed out when inside a folder contained in a Library by design.

    You can locate the folders that are contained in your Library in your User Profile, if you would rather use that. Click the address bar of Windows Explorer and type in %userprofile%. Then you can open Documents, Picture, etc. which will allow you to edit the view settings. You can create a shortcut to the desktop for these folders as well by right clicking the folder and selecting Create Shortcut.

    Hope that helps, look forward to hearing back from you.

    Steven

    Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

    Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think

    30+ people found this answer helpful.
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  1. Anonymous
    2015-01-19T18:05:07+00:00

    Found this on another site that worked for me :)

    windows 7

    Right click on [start button]

    click on [open windows explorer]

    navigate to the [c:] and populate window with c drive contents

    go to  [organize] then click [folder and search options] then click [view]

    click on [restore defaults] so we are all on the same page (under view tab)

    now click on list choice radio button [show all hidden files, folders and drives]

    Now the [apply to all folders] and [reset] becomes active so you can OVERRIDE DEFAULT SETTINGS if need to view all folders OF THAT TYPE.

    So the greyed out buttons help control alter default settings without changing everything else

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2017-01-12T15:43:53+00:00

    Found this on another site that worked for me :)

    windows 7

    Right click on [start button]

    click on [open windows explorer]

    navigate to the [c:] and populate window with c drive contents

    go to  [organize] then click [folder and search options] then click [view]

    click on [restore defaults] so we are all on the same page (under view tab)

    now click on list choice radio button [show all hidden files, folders and drives]

    Now the [apply to all folders] and [reset] becomes active so you can OVERRIDE DEFAULT SETTINGS if need to view all folders OF THAT TYPE.

    So the greyed out buttons help control alter default settings without changing everything else

    Thank you GeoD3!

    So that greyed out button must be the most ridiculously mis-named button in Windows. Who'd have thought that clicking a button labelled "Reset Folders" actually allows you to change the folders' view. Stupid or what?

    And Steven S, why is your post marked as an answer when it clearly is not?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2017-11-08T15:30:31+00:00

    I don't really understand the "Library" notion, as opposed to the way that I dimly remember My Documents etc working in older releases.  But since it seems that MS wants to put our user-created documents under a Library, this rule doesn't make much sense to me. 

    Are there some references you can provide to the Library concept?

    after originally posting this, I just did a quick search, and found this:

    https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd861346.aspx

    It starts with:  "Before we start diving into the Windows 7 Libraries API, we need to better understand why Libraries were introduced in Windows 7 and how they improve the experiences of users to manage their content."

    SO HOW does it make sense to prevent a user from controlling the display of this file hierarchy?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2013-09-15T17:57:38+00:00

    This does not work. Every time I set the folder view to CLASSIC and DETAILS it resets to WINDOWS view and TILED folders. I think Windows Explorer is missing or not working. None of the FAQ's, ONLINE help, or searches of the Microsoft website have any information of re-installing Windows Explorer.  The only thing Microsoft seems to know how to do is tell people what they already know, how to select an option from a drop-down menu.

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