How do I get Windows Explorer to display details by default?

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Summary: Windows Explorer defaults to a simple view of the files on your machine. You can change that default to include all details by following a few steps.

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Windows Explorer defaults to showing files as icons, and even to hiding some files from you. Personally, when it comes to my computer I'm a control freak - I want all the files and details by default. There are several options including viewing file details that you can manipulate, and it's fairly easy to make them the default. In fact it's one of my standard customization steps whenever I install or get a new copy of Windows.

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It's easiest to think of this as a two step process. First we'll set an instance of Windows Explorer to look the way we want, and then we'll make it permanent.

• Fire up Windows Explorer. You can right-click on "My Computer" and select Explore or if you have the windows key press it and "e" at the same time.
• Select the View menu and then click on the view type you want. As I mentioned I'm partial to viewing file details so that's what I choose.

• Select the Tools menu.
• Select the Folder Options item.
• Make any changes on the General tab that you wish.
• Click on the View tab.
• In the Advanced Settings box make any changes you wish. I typically select Show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide extensions for known file types. Your choices may differ of course.
• Press OK.

Now verify that Explorer is showing you things the way you want to see them. If not go back and adjust whatever needs to be adjusted. When you are done:

• Go back to Tools, Folder Options, and click on the View tab.
• Press the Apply to All Folders button. You'll get a reminder message that the new settings will apply the next time you start Windows Explorer.

That really all there is to it. Next time you start Windows Explorer, it should come up with the settings you've selected here.

As you might have guessed the two step process I've outlined above can be combined by not leaving the Folder Options dialog box before pressing Apply to All Folders. The only caveat is that you should press the Apply button at the bottom of the dialog before doing so to ensure that any changes you've made to appearance options have actually taken effect.

This video shows the steps to change the default behavior to show details instead of icons:

Related:

• Where is Windows Explorer? Windows Explorer is everywhere - yet finding Windows Explorer on the Start Menu is actually fairly difficult. We look at where Windows Explorer is, and some of the many other ways you can get to it.

• How can I get Windows Explorer to default to open on a directory of my choosing? You can create a shortcut to open Windows Explorer on the directory of your choice.

• Why does Windows Explorer take so long to display sometimes? Windows Explorer can often take an unexpectedly long time to display its initial screen. There are several common causes of Windows Explorer's delay.

Article C1865 - November 24, 2003