1903 update - all folders set back to default and can't customize them

Hi,

I recently updated to Windows 10 1903 and after I did, I can no longer customize my folders. All my folders are stuck on “General Items.” I right click on a folder > Properties > Customize > choose anything on the “Optimize this folder” drop down box and click Apply then OK. Nothing happens. The column titles inside the folder never change, always staying at the default “Name, Date Modified, Size, Type.”

It does not matter if I right click on the folder and go to properties or open up the folder, right click on an empty space and choose “customize this folder,” my change never takes affect. I also cannot apply a custom icon. I can do all the steps hit apply and nothing happens.

If I go into Advance Security, my local admin account (the one Windows is logged into on start up) is the owner of the folder.

After a little trial and error, I discovered that if I create a brand new folder I can change it to whatever I want (Music, documents etc) with no trouble, but any folder created before I updated to 1903 I cannot change any customize options.

I use a local admin account, not a Microsoft account. I should be able to do simple things like this without a problem. “Should” being the keyword.

I am very frustrated and have spent several hours searching for solutions. The closest I got was this:
Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery in Windows 10

I have not tried it. I’m hesitant to try this because I’m not sure this solution is the solution for my problem. I’m also hesitant because this guide only mentions shell/bag under HKEY_CURRENT_USER and no mention of the one under HKEY_USERS.

I’m reasonably sure it is a permissions issue. That is why I can change customize options for brand new folders but none made before I updated. I have no idea how to fix this. Any help is appreciated.

Thank You.

Welcome to the forum. Can you check in folder security advanced does the folder inherit from above?

Samuria said:

Welcome to the forum. Can you check in folder security advanced does the folder inherit from above?

They are inherited from above. Thanks so much for the reply.

Try3 said:

I had the same problem recently. Many of my music, documents, ... folders were set to general items and Windows just would not allow me to change them back to what they should have been.

I solved it using the fix in Reset Folder View Settings to Default - TenForumsTutorials

Once I had run that fix to reset the current [faulty] view settings I was once again able to set my folders as I wished.

Denis

THIS WORKED!!!!!. You can't see it right now but I am dancing. Dancing the Happy dance of happy. Thank you so much.

Try3 said:

I had the same problem recently. Many of my music, documents, ... folders were set to general items and Windows just would not allow me to change them back to what they should have been.

I solved it using the fix in Reset Folder View Settings to Default - TenForumsTutorials

Once I had run that fix to reset the current [faulty] view settings I was once again able to set my folders as I wished.

Your description differs from my experience in one respect - my problem applied to many new folders as well.
- In one example the folder type of a new folder was correctly set as a Music folder at first but its columns were those of a General folder and, when I checked the folder type again later, it had also reverted to General.
- I think I also found examples of new folders that behaved correctly and carried on behaving correctly but my notes are not clear about this particular aspect of the symptoms.

Denis

Thanks so much for this. It was driving me crazy and I stumbled across your solution.
Thanks again.

Try3 , the issue started immediately after installing the 1903 update.

This morning I upgraded my laptop, my neighbor's PC and her laptop to #1903
All three machines exhibited this issue.