After you've set things up the way you want, do this: Tools, Folder Options, View (tab). Untick "Remember each folder's view settings" hit Like Current Folder, Apply. You get a message, click on Yes, then OK. That should solve your problem. ---------- Here is what I do, my personal preferences: 1. Click on C drive, make sure you can see the files 2. Click on View, Details 3. Click on Tools, Folder Options. 4. Choose Windows Classic folders (depends on windows version). 5. Click Apply 6. Click on View tab 7. Show hidden files and folders 8. Untick "Hide file extensions for known file types" 9. Untick "Remember each folder's view settings" 10. hit Apply, then hit Like Current Folder (wording is different in XP) 11. hit Apply, answer the reminder, hit OK. 12. Do a search (including hidden files and folders), for all occurences of Desktop.ini and folder.htt, and delete the lot.