Windows Vista · How-To

HOW-TO: Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery

Kristan Kenney · · Restored archive post · Edited by Muhd Radhi Wahab
Restored from the windows-now.com archive. This guide was originally published by Kristan Kenney on 4 June 2007. It is reproduced faithfully for its historical and reference value, with the original author and date credited. A present-day editor's note follows the original text. If you are the author and would like this amended or removed, contact us.
Doing this on Windows 11?

This is the original archived post. For the current, step-by-step way on today's Windows, see our up-to-date guide: Stop Windows 11 Folder View From Resetting.

By default, Windows Explorer in Windows Vista will try to automatically detect the contents of a folder and display the correct detail settings; however, in some situations you may wish to disable this behaviour and customise the view settings manually as desired.

This article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, 32-bit and 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, 32-bit and 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Business, 32-bit and 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate, 32-bit and 64-bit
  • Microsoft Windows Vista Enterprise, 32-bit and 64-bit
Before you start — back up the registry This procedure involves editing the registry. It is always recommended to create a back-up of the registry before making any modifications. Before performing any of the actions below, please save your work and close any Windows Explorer windows, as you will need to log off for these changes to take effect properly.

Automatic method

The original post offered a downloadable command script (disable_automatic_foldertype_discovery.cmd) that reset the Windows Explorer view settings and then disabled automatic folder-content discovery in one step.

Editor's note: that download was hosted on the original site's file area, which is not part of this restored archive. The manual method below performs exactly the same steps, so nothing is lost — follow it directly.

Manual method

  1. Click on Start, and in the Start Search field type REGEDIT, then press Enter.
  2. If User Account Control prompts you, provide consent by clicking Continue or entering a password.
  3. In the left-hand pane, navigate to: 
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell
  4. Right-click on the Bags sub-key and click Delete. When asked to confirm, click Yes.
  5. Right-click on the Shell sub-key, choose New, then Key. Name it Bags (without the quotes).
  6. Right-click the new Bags key, choose New → Key, and name it AllFolders.
  7. Right-click the AllFolders key, choose New → Key, and name it Shell.
  8. Select the Shell key you just created.
  9. In the right-hand pane, right-click an empty area and choose New → String Value.
  10. Name the new REG_SZ value FolderType.
  11. Double-click FolderType and give it a value of NotSpecified (without the quotes).
  12. Close the Registry Editor.
  13. Click Start, press the arrow next to the power buttons, and select Log Off.
  14. Log back in and customise your Windows Explorer folder view settings as desired.

Resetting Explorer back to default

If you would like to reset Windows Explorer back to the way it behaves by default:

  1. Click Start, and in the Start Search field paste the following command: 
    REG DELETE "HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders" /f
  2. Press Enter to execute the command.

Folder-content auto-discovery will be re-enabled on any folders that have not previously been opened.

Editor's note — does this still apply in 2026?

The Bags and BagMRU keys that store per-folder view settings still exist in Windows 10 and Windows 11, so the general idea — deleting them to reset Explorer's memory of folder views — still works. What changed is the front-end: on modern Windows most people no longer need the manual FolderType key at all. Instead, set the view you want on one folder, then use View → Options → Change folder and search options → View → Apply to Folders to push it to every folder of that type. If Explorer keeps reverting, deleting HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags and BagMRU and signing out clears the cached templates. We have preserved the 2007 method above unchanged for accuracy.

Frequently asked

What is Automatic Folder Type Discovery in Windows?

It is a Windows Explorer feature, introduced in Windows Vista, that inspects the contents of a folder and automatically applies a matching view template — for example switching a folder to a music, pictures or documents layout based on the files inside it. It can override the column and view settings you set manually.

Does this Vista registry tweak still work on Windows 10 and 11?

The underlying Bags/BagMRU mechanism still exists in Windows 10 and 11, so deleting those keys still resets folder views, but the exact FolderType approach in this 2007 guide is written for Windows Vista. On modern Windows most people instead delete the Bags and BagMRU keys and use Folder Options to apply one view to all folders of a type, as described in the editor's note above.