Windows Vista often shows the following problems with folder types and views:

• Vista tries to determine folder types automatically from their content. However, when the content changes, the folder type is not changed as well.
• Vista falsely recognizes documents and executable files as music files and thus sets the wrong folder view.
• This is even worse for the system drive root folder and some special folders, such as Windows and system32, because users cannot customize these.
• New folders are assigned an undesirable type.
• The folder type suddenly changes, even though its content did not change.
• The "Apply to Folders" button in Folder and Search Options does not work for multiple folders.
• Changing the view type of one folder changes the view type of another, unrelated folder.
• "Reset Folder" in Folder Options does not work on all folders.
• "Remember each folder's view settings" and "Launch folders in a separate process" in "Folder Options" do not prevent these problems.
• When a folder is set to display pictures, the selected pictures show in other folders' icons.

The following solution is valid for both the 32 and 64 bit versions of Vista. Note that the automatic folder type detection is disabled by this solution. If you don't want that or want to inspect the registry changes before you apply them, right-click on the reg file link in point 1 below, save the registry file to your hard disk, and open it in a text editor. You can then edit the file or perform the desired changes by hand, using regedit.

If you want to apply the solution as is, proceed as follows.

1. Click on: vista_reset_folder_views.reg
2. Approve all warning dialogs, i.e.
   
   1. In the "File Download - Security Warning" click on the button: [Run]
   2. In the UAC (User Access Control) prompt click on the button: [Continue]
   3. In the "Confirmation" prompt click on the button: [Yes]
   4. Finally in the "Success" prompt click on the button: [OK]
3. Log off and log on again to apply and activate the change.
4. Open Windows Explorer.
5. Click on: Tools
6. Click on: Folder Options
7. Click on the tab: View
8. Locate the option, "Remember each folder's view settings", and set it to your liking. If you want Vista to ignore custom view settings for each folder and always use the default settings, make sure this setting is not selected. If you do want Vista to remember the view settings for each folder, make sure it is selected.
9. Finalize the Folder Options, View settings:
   
   1. If you made a change, click on the button: [OK]
   2. If you didn't make a change or don't want your change applied, click on: [Cancel]