How to RESET File Explorer View in Windows 11

Folder View Settings in Windows helps you control how the contents of a particular folder are displayed and organized. If you've changed these settings, but now want to reset them to the default view, it's easy to do. Read the following article to learn how to reset Folder View Settings on your Windows 11 PC.

How to reset Folder View Settings to default on Windows

There are 3 ways to reset Folder View Settings to default view. The first method is to run a batch file, the second method uses File Explorer, the third and final method involves tweaking the registry editor. Let's dive into each method.

1. Run batch file to reset Folder View Settings to default

Reset Folder View Settings with this method requires creating and running a batch file. This will reset the settings for all folders on your computer. Here's how to do it:

1. Right-click on the desktop and select New > Text Document.

2. Name it ResetFolderViewSettings and press Enter to save it.

3. Open the newly created text file in Notepad or any other text editor of your choice.

4. Now, copy and paste the following code into the file:

@echo off

:: Resets folder view settings, window size and position of all folders
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" /F

:: To reset "Apply to Folders" views to default for all folder types
REG Delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams\Defaults" /F

:: To reset size of details, navigation, preview panes to default for all folders
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\GlobalSettings\Sizer" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\NavPane" /F

:: To reset size of Save as amd Open dialogs to default for all folders
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CIDOpen" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CIDSave" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32" /F

:: To kill and restart explorer process
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

5. After adding the code, click File in the top menu, then select Save As.

6. Now, select All Files in the Save as type menu and add .bat to the end of the file name.

7. From the left pane, select Desktop as the location.

8. Then click Save and close the text editor window.

9. Finally, double click on the batch file you created and it will reset your Folder View Settings to the default view.

2. Reset Folder View Settings to default via File Explorer

If you just need to reset the view settings of all folders of the same type then this method is for you. Here's what you must do:

1. Click Start and search for File Explorer Options. To learn more, see Quantrimang.com's guide on how to open Folder Options on Windows.

2. Now, select the View tab in the top bar and click Reset Folders.

3. Click Yes when prompted to confirm your action.

4. Finally, click OK and the window will close.

This will reset your Folder View Settings to default Windows settings.

3. Reset Folder View Settings to Defaults Using Registry Editor

The final method to reset Folder View Settings involves using the Windows Registry Editor. You should only use this method if you are an experienced user and know how it works, as corrupting keys in the registry can cause serious problems. To avoid data loss, you must create a backup of the registry before proceeding.

To reset Folder View Settings using Registry Editor, do the following:

1. Press Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open Run. Type regedit in the text box and press Enter. This will open the Registry Editor window.

2. Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell

4. In the left sidebar, right-click the BagMRU folder and select Delete.