Display files in List rather than Details format

[jmt356]

How can I get the Word Open dialogue and all instances of Windows Explorer to display files in List format rather than in Details format by default? I am currently manually selecting List in each folder I am exploring, which takes a lot of time.

[Rudi]

Hi JMT,

I'm not sure if Word's open dialog will take it's que from Windows (File) Explorer, but to set List as the default view in Explorer, do the following:

Open Explorer
Switch to a folder containing files
Manually change the files to List View
Access the Folder Options dialog
-- hit ALT to bring up the menu Tools > Folder Options > View tab > Click "Apply to all folders"
-- or view image below for ribbon version

You may need to do this for different folder types (like general, picture, document, music, etc)
Thats' it.
I hope this change filters down into the Office open/save dialogs???

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[stuck]

...I hope this change filters down into the Office open/save dialogs???

I doubt it will as my default is to have Explorer show details for all folders but the Open dialog in Office ALWAYS defaults to icons. I've wondered for years how to change this behaviour (without resorting to VBA) but never found an answer. Mind you I've not really looked for a solution as I never use File |Open. A double click in Explorer is how I open files and as I said, I have Explorer set to show details.

Ken

[Rudi]

Playing around with this a bit more, I can confirm that it appears that Explorer has no effect on the open/save dialogs of Office. As a matter of fact, it seems as if the dialogs remember their last state. If I show large icons in Excel's open dialog (for My documents), even if I close and reopen Excel and choose file open, when i view My Documents, the Large Icons show. Change it to lists or details...and the same (last used) setting sticks.

[stuck]

...it seems as if the dialogs remember their last state...

Lucky you! it's never done that on any of the PCs in our office, nor on my home PC either.

Ken

[jmt356]

Playing around with this a bit more, I can confirm that it appears that Explorer has no effect on the open/save dialogs of Office. As a matter of fact, it seems as if the dialogs remember their last state. If I show large icons in Excel's open dialog (for My documents), even if I close and reopen Excel and choose file open, when i view My Documents, the Large Icons show. Change it to lists or details...and the same (last used) setting sticks.

Your suggestion appears to have worked for both MS Windows Explorer and MS Office Word for me.

[DaveA]

I have always had the "Details" set in Windows Explorer in all folders and that is what appears in ALL of my programs that I use. I do NOT even recall any of my Photo editing programs even using something different. It has been this way as far back as I can recall, and it is still that way on my XP machine.