Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer

**karusho** · 07-15-2008, 12:50 AM

Title states my problem. There's nothing on Google except a solution that doesn't work. For a long time, it disappeared, but now, it's popping up in random places again, and I'd like to kill it once and for all.

Thanks in advance,
karusho

**jcgriff2** · 07-15-2008, 05:08 AM

Hi karusho. . .

Welcome back to TSF.

Well, you can't find it on Google and I am wondering what exactly it is that I would put in Google to do so!

Sorry, but I don't quite understand this issue. Can you describe in more detail what is happening? How about a screen shot? Are you sure this is not viral in nature? Thanks.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.

**karusho** · 07-15-2008, 10:52 AM

What do you mean welcome back? I've been here the whole time... in the Offline section!

If I wasn't clear... My issues is that in Vista they have that new 'Grouping' feature in Explorer, and I would like to disable it.

That is what I mean by Grouping.

I set all folders to use the Details layout, but sometimes, it pops out as Medium icons with groupings, and I have to reset it, but more and more often now, it's going back to the icons+groupings layout.

On Google, they provide the 'solution' of setting one folder, then applying it to all folders. It does not work.

**jcgriff2** · 07-17-2008, 03:02 PM

Hi. . .

Did any of the fixes that you tried involve modifications to the registry?

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.

**karusho** · 07-18-2008, 01:24 AM

No, there was nothing about the registry, why?

**jcgriff2** · 07-20-2008, 03:29 AM

Hi. . .

I should have asked you what the fixes were that you tried instead of a mysterious question.

There are two registry changes below - I don't know if either of these will work 100%. I do know that I had a great deal of frustration with this same issue and tried many things - these two were among them. It is worth a try, as you can back up the registry key(s) first, implement the changes and see if it works. If not, simply restore the registry key with the backup that you made. Then try the other.

Please note that I do not take any credit for authoring either one, as I found them in some form on the Internet and at the time served its purpose.

To show you a grouping in action, here is a screen shot of one area of the registry that the code below will change:

.

I don't know how familiar your are with the Vista NT Registry, so here we go from the beginning:

First - open regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows and export it - saving it as a .reg file.

Open a Notepad and copy/paste everything inside the code box to the Notepad, then save it as a .reg file. The double-click on it and it will merge with the registry. Then test.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Delete shell bags 
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

; add key for <= 20,000 folder settings and no folder type 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
"BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"

If that does not work, restore the registry keys (double-click on each saved reg file) and try this one:

Backup (export) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell, then copy/paste the following in a Notepad, saving it as a .reg file:

Code:

 Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Delete saved folder customizations and settings.
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags]

; Turn off Vista auto folder type template discovery. 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell]
"FolderType"="NotSpecified"

; add key for <= 20,000 folder settings
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell]
"BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20

I will confess that I have not used either in a while, as I now have a Windows Explorer stand-in that I use daily.

Any ? - please let me know - and of course how you make out.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

.

07-15-2008, 12:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
karusho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,213 OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1, Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer Title states my problem. There's nothing on Google except a solution that doesn't work. For a long time, it disappeared, but now, it's popping up in random places again, and I'd like to kill it once and for all. Thanks in advance, karusho __________________ Laptop Specs: Sony VAIO VGN-NR160E dual-booting Vista Ultimate SP1 and Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron"

07-15-2008, 05:08 AM	#2 (permalink)
jcgriff2 Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 4,652 OS: Vista SP1 x64, x86 / XP SP3 Pro, Media, Home, / Win 95 / DOS / IBM 390 TSO/ISPF My System	Re: Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer Hi karusho. . . Welcome back to TSF. Well, you can't find it on Google and I am wondering what exactly it is that I would put in Google to do so! Sorry, but I don't quite understand this issue. Can you describe in more detail what is happening? How about a screen shot? Are you sure this is not viral in nature? Thanks. Regards. . . jcgriff2 . __________________ SysInternals Suite • BSOD Bugchecks • Media Fire • Belarc Advisor • MS TechNet • MS NTDE/CPR MSDN Err Cds • Everest Home v2.20 • CCleaner • Memtest86+ • MS Help & Support Live SysInternals AutoRuns • Auslogics Defrag • McAfee RT • Norton RT • Kaspersky RT • MS One Care RT If you were expecting a reply from me and I have not yet done so, please send me a PM with a link to your thread.

07-15-2008, 10:52 AM	#3 (permalink)
karusho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,213 OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1, Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer What do you mean welcome back? I've been here the whole time... in the Offline section! If I wasn't clear... My issues is that in Vista they have that new 'Grouping' feature in Explorer, and I would like to disable it. That is what I mean by Grouping. I set all folders to use the Details layout, but sometimes, it pops out as Medium icons with groupings, and I have to reset it, but more and more often now, it's going back to the icons+groupings layout. On Google, they provide the 'solution' of setting one folder, then applying it to all folders. It does not work. __________________ Laptop Specs: Sony VAIO VGN-NR160E dual-booting Vista Ultimate SP1 and Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron"

07-17-2008, 03:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
jcgriff2 Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 4,652 OS: Vista SP1 x64, x86 / XP SP3 Pro, Media, Home, / Win 95 / DOS / IBM 390 TSO/ISPF My System	Re: Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer Hi. . . Did any of the fixes that you tried involve modifications to the registry? Regards. . . jcgriff2 . __________________ SysInternals Suite • BSOD Bugchecks • Media Fire • Belarc Advisor • MS TechNet • MS NTDE/CPR MSDN Err Cds • Everest Home v2.20 • CCleaner • Memtest86+ • MS Help & Support Live SysInternals AutoRuns • Auslogics Defrag • McAfee RT • Norton RT • Kaspersky RT • MS One Care RT If you were expecting a reply from me and I have not yet done so, please send me a PM with a link to your thread.

07-18-2008, 01:24 AM	#5 (permalink)
karusho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,213 OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1, Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer No, there was nothing about the registry, why? __________________ Laptop Specs: Sony VAIO VGN-NR160E dual-booting Vista Ultimate SP1 and Ubuntu 8.04 "Hardy Heron"

07-20-2008, 03:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
jcgriff2 Moderator, Microsoft Support Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 4,652 OS: Vista SP1 x64, x86 / XP SP3 Pro, Media, Home, / Win 95 / DOS / IBM 390 TSO/ISPF My System	Re: Permanently kill/disable grouping 'feature' in Explorer Hi. . . I should have asked you what the fixes were that you tried instead of a mysterious question. There are two registry changes below - I don't know if either of these will work 100%. I do know that I had a great deal of frustration with this same issue and tried many things - these two were among them. It is worth a try, as you can back up the registry key(s) first, implement the changes and see if it works. If not, simply restore the registry key with the backup that you made. Then try the other. Please note that I do not take any credit for authoring either one, as I found them in some form on the Internet and at the time served its purpose. To show you a grouping in action, here is a screen shot of one area of the registry that the code below will change: . I don't know how familiar your are with the Vista NT Registry, so here we go from the beginning: First - open regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows and export it - saving it as a .reg file. Open a Notepad and copy/paste everything inside the code box to the Notepad, then save it as a .reg file. The double-click on it and it will merge with the registry. Then test. Code: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 ; Delete shell bags [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags] ; add key for <= 20,000 folder settings and no folder type [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell] "BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell] "FolderType"="NotSpecified" If that does not work, restore the registry keys (double-click on each saved reg file) and try this one: Backup (export) [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell, then copy/paste the following in a Notepad, saving it as a .reg file: Code: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 ; Delete saved folder customizations and settings. [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU] [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags] ; Turn off Vista auto folder type template discovery. [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell] "FolderType"="NotSpecified" ; add key for <= 20,000 folder settings [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell] "BagMRU Size"=dword:00004e20 I will confess that I have not used either in a while, as I now have a Windows Explorer stand-in that I use daily. Any ? - please let me know - and of course how you make out. Regards. . . jcgriff2 . __________________ SysInternals Suite • BSOD Bugchecks • Media Fire • Belarc Advisor • MS TechNet • MS NTDE/CPR MSDN Err Cds • Everest Home v2.20 • CCleaner • Memtest86+ • MS Help & Support Live SysInternals AutoRuns • Auslogics Defrag • McAfee RT • Norton RT • Kaspersky RT • MS One Care RT If you were expecting a reply from me and I have not yet done so, please send me a PM with a link to your thread.