Topic: What in the ...? (Vista related)

[scottws]

Today I experienced an issue where I tried to save a file in My Documents.  I received an error saying that I didn't have permission to save in that folder, and did I want to save it in my personal folder instead?  Of course, this did not work when I tried.  I was able to save it to my desktop.

Obviously, this is weird.  I tried right-clicking in My Documents to create a blank TXT file, something I do all the time to test write permissions.  The only option I had was to create a new folder, and even that had the security shield on it, meaning UAC was going to (and did) prompt me for administrator credentials to create the new folder.

I had recently accessed one of my Windows test servers via the admin share (\\server\c$), which required me to provide administrator credentials.  So I thought that was somehow hosing up my permissions.

I logged out and back in but I was still having the same problem.  I ended up forcing the permissions from my parent User folder to propagate through all the files and subfolders, which seemed to solve the issue.

[Pugnate]

See this is what happens when you go 64 bit.

(click to show/hide)

JOKING

[Xessive]

UAC is just aweful. I understand and appreciate the need for security but if it's going to molest me at every minor action there's no point in keeping it active. Not to mention that the majority of patches, updates, and other third-party software require me to disable it everytime.

I'm still trying to successfully and permanently solve the problem where folders randomly change their own view settings. I wish I could just make a hidden .cfg file that stores an individual folder's settings.

I think TweakGuides has a workaround by editting the registry.. But, if I recall correctly, all that does is set all folders to one view setting for good.

[Cobra951]

That's not a new Vista feature.  Folders randomly change view settings in XP too.  I hope at least the default folder view makes sense usually in Vista, unlike XP.

[Xessive]

That's not a new Vista feature.  Folders randomly change view settings in XP too.  I hope at least the default folder view makes sense usually in Vista, unlike XP.

I had a better handle on them in XP, especially with tools like TweakXP or even TuneUp Utilities for XP. Once I set the folder settings storage limit from 400 folders to 9000 I never had to alter the view for my folders unless I created a new folder, and even then it would just be for that new one. That was almost a year and a half ago, right up until I formatted and installed Vista.

The only thing I'm grateful for in Vista is the absence of that annoying filmstrip view.

Vista seems to change folder view and selected columns on a daily basis with what seem to be illogical choices. For example, if I have a folder with 16 MP3s and 1 JPEG it considers it a photo/video folder. Go figure.

If I have a folder full of video files only the automatically selected columns are "Name" "Date Taken" "Tags" "Size" and "Rating" three of which are completely useless to me (Date Taken, Tags, and Rating). It always reverts my detail view to those columns.. The columns that are useful to me in a video folder are Name, Size, Date Modified, and FRame Height.

Here's another inconsistency in Vista: on the desktop you can select "Classic" as the view, which basically makes the desktop icons 32x32 as per all previous versions of Windows default setting. That option is not available in any folder view at all. The only way to get icons at 32x32 is by holding ctrl and zooming out till they're at that size, and even then the icons are tiled with the label on the right rather than the classic style.

Sometimes I like the 32x32 icons size, sometimes I like 48x48, why can't I have the choice?

Anyway, I guess we can all agree that Vista is really a flop and a heck of a learning experience for Microsoft. Frankly I hope they offer free Win7 upgrades for anyone who purchased Vista.

EDIT:
Here is the TweakGuides solution to the everchanging folder views. It's been updated and should work. I've just followed the instructions and will let ou know if it indeed the settings stick.

[Cobra951]

The only thing I'm grateful for in Vista is the absence of that annoying filmstrip view.

Vista seems to change folder view and selected columns on a daily basis with what seem to be illogical choices. For example, if I have a folder with 16 MP3s and 1 JPEG it considers it a photo/video folder. Go figure.

. . .

Anyway, I guess we can all agree that Vista is really a flop and a heck of a learning experience for Microsoft. Frankly I hope they offer free Win7 upgrades for anyone who purchased Vista.

The filmstrip view needed to die a painful death.  At least they got that right.

It's hard to know for sure, but I've often been annoyed with exactly that sort of puzzling choice in XP for folder type based on, say, a few JPEGs in a folder full of MP3s or document files.  It will be set as a pictures folder, or worse, a filmstrip view.  When it's a change back to that dumb default after you've specifically set that folder for a different view, it's especially annoying.

I'm hoping Windows 7 really is a step up.  Because even if it isn't, by then we'll be practically forced to give up XP.  Windows versions 2 gens back have yet to be supported enough to remain mainstream, though I must say that 2K SP4 is even now viable.

[scottws]

UAC is just aweful. I understand and appreciate the need for security but if it's going to molest me at every minor action there's no point in keeping it active. Not to mention that the majority of patches, updates, and other third-party software require me to disable it everytime.

UAC in a lot of ways is similar to the way Linux works; Linux prompts you the same way.  The difference is that too many programs made for Windows seem to require Administrator rights for no good reason and you see the prompt a lot more often than you do in Linux.

I'm still trying to successfully and permanently solve the problem where folders randomly change their own view settings. I wish I could just make a hidden .cfg file that stores an individual folder's settings.

I've had this problem under XP as well, and now under Vista.  It reared its head only recently.  I cannot stand it because it seems to always default to Extra Large Icons.  So I'll open up My Computer and I'm presented with a huge picture of a hard drive icon, indicating my C: drive.  I also have a D:, E:, F:, G:, X:, Y:, and Z: (and maybe one or two others if I have a USB device plugged in).

This will even happen within 5 minutes of me fixing it.  I'll change it back to Tile, set Group By to Type, and then later close it.  Next time I open it, it will be back and I have to keep resetting it.  Sometimes I can't even set Group By to Type because Name is the only selection.  I end up having to add the field first, and then select it.

I've tried editing a registry setting that lets you increase the number of folders that Windows saves your preferences to (to like 20,000), but this had no effect on fixing my issue.

It's a really annoying bug and I wish they would fix it already.  It seems really common.

[Pugnate]

hahaha Xessive that XP folder view setting used to tick us off so much.

[Xessive]

hahaha Xessive that XP folder view setting used to tick us off so much.

Haha I remember when we first setup XP back in 2002 (I think) with Trevor and Peter. Good times

Scott, I tried out the TweakGuides registry fix for the folder view problem, and it seems to work so far! You may need to to do the second part of it (the create a "BagMRU Size" key part). So far so good.

Going through the registry I realized that Vista has only 5 folder types: All Items (Not Specified), Documents, Pictures & Videos, Music Details, and Music Icons. Which is pretty limited and you can't create your own. Why the frick are Pictures & Videos listed as one type?? I want one folder type for Videos and one for Pictures.

Anyway the TweakGuides fix covers a brief explanation of how you can choose to set everything up. Was quite handy. Just remember to set a folder type for the first folder you do and then do the "Apply to Folders" procedure so that the setting sticks. Otherwise it'll just treat everything as whatever you set the default folder type to be.