Change Folder Template in Windows 10  

Page 1 of 8 123 ... LastLast
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10

    How to Change the Template of a Drive, Folder, or Library in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Customization
    13 Apr 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Change the Template of a Drive, Folder, or Library in Windows 10

    Windows 10 includes five built-in templates that you can select to optimize the view of your drives, folders, and libraries for General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music, or Videos.

    When you use a template, you will still be able to further customize the view to how you like.

    This tutorial will show you how to optimize a drive, folder, or library template for General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music, or Videos for your account in Windows 10.


    Contents




    EXAMPLE: Templates in Details view
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-general_items_folder_template.png
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-documents_folder_template.png
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-pictures_folder_template.png
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-music_folder_template.png
    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-videos_folder_template.png






    OPTION ONE

    To Change Template of a Drive or Folder


    1 Open File Explorer (Win+E), and do step 2 or step 3 below for how you would like to open the properties page of the drive or folder.

    2 Right click or press and hold on a drive (except Windows drive) or folder that you want to change the template for, click/tap on Properties, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-properties.png

    3 Open a drive (except Windows drive) or folder that you want to change the template for, right click or press and hold on an empty area of it's main window, click/tap on Customize this folder, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-customize_this_folder.png

    4 Click/tap on the Customize tab, select a template in the Optimize this folder for drop down menu, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshots below)

    You can also check the Also apply this template to all subfolders box if you wanted to quickly apply the selected template to all subfolders as well.


    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-windows_10_folder_template-1.png






    OPTION TWO

    To Change Template of a Library


    All added folders in a library share the same view settings, so when you change the template of a library, it is applied to all the folders in the library.


    1 Open File Explorer (Win+E), and do step 2 or step 3 below for how you would like to change the template of a library.


     2. To Change Library Template in Ribbon

    A) Select or open a library (ex: Pictures) that you want to change the template for, click/tap on the Library Tools Manage tab, and select a template in the Optimize library for drop down menu on the ribbon. (see screenshot below)

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-library_tools_manage.png


     3. To Change Library Template in Library Properties

    A) Right click or press and hold on a library (ex: Pictures) that you want to change the template for, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-library_properties.png

    B) Select a template in the Optimize this library for drop down menu, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

    Change Folder Template in Windows 10-library_properties-2.png






    OPTION THREE

    To Change Template of All Folders using a BAT file


    Setting a folder template for all folders will also disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery. You will still always be able to manually change the template and view of any folder to what you like though.

    Automatic Folder Type Discovery is when Windows will automatically change the template of a folder to match the file type of the last file added or saved in the folder. For example, if your folder contains music files and you add a picture file, then Windows may change the folder template and view to the "Picture" template to match the new picture file.

    The Downloads folder in the "Quick access", "This PC", and "C:\Users\<username>" locations is not affected when setting a default template to all folders using this option.


    This does not get applied to libraries.


    1 Do step 2 (default), step 3 (General items), step 4 (Documents), step 5 (Pictures), step 6 (Music), or step 7 (Videos) below for what you would like to do.


     2. To Restore Default Templates for All Folders

    This is the default setting.

    This will reset the template and views of all folders back to default, and enable Automatic Folder Type Discovery.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    Reset_Folder_View_Settings_of_All_Folders_to_Default.bat

    Download


     3. To Set General items Template as Default for All Folders

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    All_Folders_Use_General_Items_Folder_Template.bat

    Download


     4. To Set Documents Template as Default for All Folders

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    All_Folders_Use_Documents_Folder_Template.bat

    Download


     5. Set Pictures Template as Default for All Folders

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    All_Folders_Use_Pictures_Folder_Template.bat

    Download


     6. Set Music Template as Default for All Folders

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    All_Folders_Use_Music_Folder_Template.bat

    Download


     7. Set Videos Template as Default for All Folders

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below, and go to step 8 below.

    All_Folders_Use_Videos_Folder_Template.bat

    Download


    8 Save the .bat file to your desktop, and run the .bat file.

    9 Unblock the .bat file, and run the .bat file.

    10 You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt quickly open and close as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.

    11 When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn


    Related Tutorials



  1. Windows 11 Tutorials



  2. Michael
    Posts : 75
    21H1 (19043.1415)
       New #1

    No more bat files to set the default for all folders? Does this not work in 10?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  4. Brink
    Posts : 72,123
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Hello Michael, :)

    Yes, it will still work in Windows 10 as well.

    I had originally planned for this to be a per folder, but I'll get it added as an option to this tutorial today.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  5. Brink
    Posts : 72,123
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #3

    @Michael,

    Tutorial has been updated to add that as OPTION THREE now. :)
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  6. vignesh247
    Posts : 4
    Windows 10 Pro
       New #4

    Thanks Shawn. It was irritating that Downloads folder and few other folders were taking so much time to open even though I have a decent config laptop. Option 3 worked like a charm.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. Brink
    Posts : 72,123
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #5

    You're most welcome vignesh. I'm glad it could help. :)
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  8. sflesch
    Posts : 15
    10, 7, Server 2012, ...
       New #6

    Excluding the bat files, since I don't want to do all my folders, any idea how to do this when browsing an Android device via USB??
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  9. Brink
    Posts : 72,123
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Hello sflesch, and welcome to Ten Forums.

    I don't think you can set a folder view on an Android device with this, or at least they won't be saved since it's a removable device.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  10. sflesch
    Posts : 15
    10, 7, Server 2012, ...
       New #8

    Brink said:
    Hello sflesch, and welcome to Ten Forums.

    I don't think you can set a folder view on an Android device with this, or at least they won't be saved since it's a removable device.
    Thanks. It's the DCIM camera folder and comes up like a music folder (the details columns are music related). At least it did on my phone and then I changed the items showing under detail view, plugged in my wife's, which came up the same. I plugged mine back in and it stayed. Weird. Will check hers later.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  12. Brink
    Posts : 72,123
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #9

    It'll be interesting to hear your results.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

 

Tutorial Categories

Change Folder Template in Windows 10 Tutorial Index Network & Sharing Instalation and Upgrade Browsers and Email General Tips Gaming Customization Apps and Features Virtualization BSOD System Security User Accounts Hardware and Drivers Updates and Activation Backup and Restore Performance and Maintenance Mixed Reality Phone


  Related Discussions
When you copy a file or folder to the same location, a copy of that file or folder will be created with the - Copy extension at the end of the filename by default. This tutorial will show you how to change the Copy name extension template to...
When I create a new folder on desktop or elsewhere (no files in it yet) it chooses as template "video" or sometimes "music" but not "general items". When I copy nested folders with files, which all have the template "general items", to a new...
How to Change Default New Folder Name Template in Windows A folder is a location where you can store your files. You can create any number of folders and even store folders inside other folders (subfolders). When you create a new folder, it...
Folder Template Problem.
in General Support

My default folder template in program files and program files(x86) suddenly change to Pictures type template. I don't want to change it manually 1 by 1. And whenever I install a program, the newly created folder template is always Pictures type...
How to Change Default Shortcut Name Extension Template in Windows 7, 8, and 10 A shortcut is a link to an item (such as a file, folder, or app) on your PC. When you right click or press and hold on a file, folder, or drive and click tap on...
Our Sites
Site Links
About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation. "Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.

 © Designer Media Ltd
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:59.
Find Us




Windows 10 Forums