Windows 11 - how do I set default view for details (other thread solutions don't work or Windows 11)

Hi Jeffrey,

I am Dave, I will help you with this.

1
Open a folder, then set the view the way you like it to be.

Click the 3 dots at the top of File Explorer and select Options

On the resulting dialog, select the View tab and click the 'Apply to Folders' button.

That will set the view on all folders of that type.

2
There are a few folder types (Documents, Pictures, Mixed Items, Videos...etc.) in Windows and if you want to set the view for any folder type, perform the steps in 1 above for one folder and that will set the view for all folders of that type.

That was really helpful. Thanks a lot!

It finally got rid of this massive annoyance that possessed me to go so far as to try to get Windows 10 back, and I'm honestly surprised that Windows 11 hasn't received any updates since its release in autumn-winter 2021 to fix this problem wherein the thing keeps annoyingly switching one's preferred file icons back to details unless they happen to know some kind of intricate, elaborate trick like the one you just demonstrated. They've released countless updates for Windows 11 since its release to fix minute problems that most probably haven't even noticed, yet they still haven't fixed this fundamental problem that, for a long time, made me wish to pull my hair out and bang my head against the wall out of frustration.

This is was great. Again, thanks a lot!

I have done this procedure MANY times and it doesn't work. Windows always reverts to their "default" view, even for the same folder.

As I mentioned above:

"Please note that many people will claim that you can set the overall defaults via Explorer's "Apply to Folders" button, but that's a half-measure. It doesn't always work and when it does work it only catches the five main folder types. There are MANY hidden folders types it doesn't catch, but most importantly, it does not update your file open/save dialog views."

Also note that views such as Libraries or Search results are different folder types, so using "Apply to Folders" to set your Documents folder, for example, does not change the view for Documents library or Documents search results.

There really is no built-in method that will let you change the folder view defaults globally. That's why I wrote a free tool to do that. It's available here:

https://lesferch.github.io/WinSetView/

THIS is the only thing that has worked for me. The official method has been broken for YEARS!!!

Glad to hear that worked for you. 🙂