How Windows Stores View Preferences (171002)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 95
  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
This article was previously published under Q171002

SUMMARY

This article describes how Windows stores View preferences for the desktop and windows that you open. View preferences include icon size, position, layout, and so on.

MORE INFORMATION

Windows stores up to 28 entries containing View preferences for the desktop and windows that you open in a most-recently-used (MRU) list. When you close a window, the View preferences are written to subkeys with the names 0, 1, 2, and so on, located in the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Streams

The MRUList in the following registry key defines the order of the 28 entries:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\StreamMRU

When the desktop or one of the window is no longer included in the MRU list, the desktop or window uses the default settings the next time the desktop or window is redrawn or refreshed.

When you make a change to the desktop or a window, the View preferences for the desktop or window are moved to the top of the MRU list. That item remains on the MRU list until it reaches the 28th spot. When an item reaches the 28th spot and another window is closed, the 28th item is removed from the MRU list.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:12/16/2004
Keywords:kbui KB171002
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.