Fix File Explorer Folder View Resets to Default Every Time

Quick fix: In File Explorer, click the three-dot menu → Options → View tab. Click Apply to Folders. This sets your current folder’s view (Details, Large icons, etc.) as the default for all folders of the same template type.

You like Details view for your work folder. You change it. Open the folder again later — back to Large icons. Or you set Details everywhere; one folder still shows tiles. File Explorer remembers view settings per-folder, but the memory is limited (only a few hundred folders) and falls back to template defaults for the rest. The Apply to Folders button sets your current view as the universal default.

What causes this

Windows uses “folder view templates” that determine the default appearance of each folder type: General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos. Each template has a default view. When you change a folder’s view, Windows saves your choice per-folder in the registry under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags. But this storage caps out — Windows keeps only the most recent 5,000 or so folders. Older entries fall back to template defaults.

Method 1: Apply your current view to all folders of this type

The standard universal setting.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to a folder you want as the “model.” Set its view to your preference: View menu → Details (or Large icons, etc.).
3. Click the three-dot menu in the toolbar → Options. The Folder Options dialog opens.
4. Switch to the View tab.
5. Click Apply to Folders.
6. Confirm the prompt: “Do you want all folders of this type to match this folder’s view settings?” Click Yes.
7. Click Apply → OK.
8. Every folder of the same template (e.g., General Items, if you applied from a generic folder) now uses your preferred view.

To set defaults for multiple folder types, repeat for one folder of each type — one in a Pictures folder, one in a Music folder, etc.

Method 2: Clear the bags cache to force re-templating

Use when individual folder view memory is stale and conflicts with your template default.

1. Open Terminal (Admin).
2. Delete the folder bag cache:

   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "HKCU:\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

3. Restart File Explorer:

   Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force; Start-Process explorer

4. All folders now use template defaults. Apply your preferred view via Method 1 to set the new universal default.

This clears any stale per-folder state that was overriding your template default.

Method 3: Force one view template for all folder types

For users who want every folder to look the same regardless of content type.

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer.
3. Create a DWORD named ShellState if it doesn’t exist (might not be applicable; the more common approach is below).
4. Easier method: open the registry, navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\Shell and check folder type definitions.
5. For the most reliable per-template setting:
   • Open a Pictures folder, set to Details view, Apply to Folders.
   • Open a Documents folder, set to Details view, Apply to Folders.
   • Open a Music folder, set to Details view, Apply to Folders.
   • Each template now has Details as its default.
6. To disable Windows’ auto-template-detection that changes view based on folder content: open a folder’s Properties → Customize tab → Optimize this folder for → choose General Items. Tick Also apply this template to all subfolders. Now every subfolder uses General Items template.

The Optimize-this-folder setting prevents Pictures or Music folders from auto-switching to icon-heavy views.

How to verify the fix worked

• Open a folder of the same type as your “model” folder. View is correct.
• Close File Explorer entirely. Reopen. Folders still show your preferred view.
• Open a folder you’ve never visited before. The default template view (your set view) applies.

If none of these work

If folders still revert despite Apply to Folders, bag cache clear, and template fix, three causes apply. OneDrive auto-templating: OneDrive folders sometimes have their own view persistence. Check if the affected folders are under OneDrive. Group Policy override: corporate-managed PCs may enforce specific view templates. Folder content auto-detection: even with template set, Windows detects content (lots of images = Pictures template) and may override. Force the template via the folder’s Customize tab as in Method 3.

Bottom line: File Explorer view persistence is per-folder but limited — Apply to Folders sets a universal default for the template type. Clear bags cache and re-apply if stale state interferes.