Explorer default sort order keeps resetting

[osRe]

In recent weeks I bumped again into the infamous "bad default sort order" in Explorer (including File Open/Save dialogs). Ctrl-closing Explorer windows after setting the wanted sort works for a while, but resets eventually (not sure if it can happen in the same session, maybe, but it definitely happens a few restarts afterwards).

Is the only relevant key this?

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellState

It looks fine (at least when sorting works right), with lParamSort=0 and iSortDirection=1.

[submix8c]

Which OS are you referring to? Windows ME has Restore Point functionality...

[osRe]

Should've mentioned it's Win98SE. How are restore points related?

After a restart the sort order reset back to the wrong order, which is reflected in the ShellState value. So where does it take the default from?

[eidenk]

Could you describe the problem more precisely. I am afraid I just don't understand what you speak about.

[osRe]

Windows Explorer has a default file sort order which is used for directories that have never been browsed or that lost their settings because they weren't viewed recently (as it only stores view settings for a limited number of directories). This default sort is also used for File Open/Save dialogs. Normally the sort is ascending by filename.

In recent months for me it's Z-A.

The usual solution is to set the sort order to whatever you want then press the window X button while pressing Ctrl. This works for me for a while but isn't permanent.

Another solution mentioned sometimes is to set

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellState to a certain value. The data of this is a binary structure that also include a few flags indicating the sort order. But this doesn't help any more than Ctrl-closing Explorer windows.

[eidenk]

Well I have certainly seen Z-A sort order in non-Details views but they were always due to having exited Details view with such a sort order.

If I were to open Folder Options and choose the option to view all folders as the current folder on such a folder then I guess it could become the default behaviour system-wide. Not tested, just a thought.

[osRe]

I did previously try resetting everything to be "Like Current Folder" but it didn't help more than the other options. Eventually it started displaying Z-A, as usual.

Edited July 21, 2009 by shae

[Drugwash]

There's another 'twin' key located in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer that might have to be changed at the same time.

I'm currently experiencing another issue whose cause is unknown, where Explorer's right window is completely blank (including a single column header) when I switch to Details view. Might be an XP plug-in I installed long time ago or something else, dunno; lucky me I never use Explorer or it would've been quite tough. Hints would be appreciated though.

[beats]

If you create a new account, does it have the same problem? If not, it's most likely that your profile is corrupt.

[Drugwash]

After some thought, I came to the conclusion it may be due to certain WinME upgrades. According to this article, WinME has a menu item that opens a dialog to select which columns to display in Explorer's Details view. I don't get that menu item in 98SE and I believe the corresponding registry key(s)/value(s) are missing - same as having no columns selected. If anyone knows those keys/values, please reply.

@ beats: Creating another user in 98SE might bring unwanted difficulties so I'd rather avoid that, if possible. Thanks for the idea, though.

EDIT:

Strangely, missing columns issue appears only for the drives. I can view columns (and their contents) in My Computer, Printers, Control Panel, Dial-Up Networking, Nero Scout, Scheduled Tasks, Web Folders - all of which are listed in Explorer's left window (called Folders).

Edited July 21, 2009 by Drugwash

[eidenk]

Yes this dialog is accessible through the menu which pops on right-clicking the columns headers. Those column settings are on a per folder basis and become system-wide only if using the Folder Options command "view all folders like current folder".

I think the View settings are stored at HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams and perhaps also at the sibling StreamMRU key.

Optional column items can be provided by shell extensions and are generally specified in the registry at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\ShellEx\ColumnHandlers. The default column items do not have entries there and I don't think they are specified anywhere in the registry apart eventually in the view settings stored in the above mentioned Streams and StreamMRU keys.

The text strings that appear in the default columns are supplied by Shell32.dll and are located at String Table 562 in the resource section of my version of shell32.

So I would suggest to regsvr32 shell32.dll and/or mess-up with the above settings and keys to get your columns back.