How Windows NT Saves Window Size and Location Parameters (235994)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
This article was previously published under Q235994
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

This article describes how Windows NT saves the size and location of a window when it is closed.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Windows saves size and location information for closed windows in the following registry location:

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

Windows saves size and location information for up to 28 different windows. Each window's size and location parameters are stored in a subkey of the Streams key. The subkeys are assigned sequentially on a per-user basis. For example, when a new user logs on, the first window's parameters are stored in the subkey named 0. The second window's parameters are stored in a subkey named 1. After 28 subkeys have been created and a new window is opened, the parameters for the twenty-ninth window overwrite the parameters for one of the first 28 windows. When a window for which the parameters were overwritten is opened, the window opens with the default parameters for that window.

Windows stores the association for the Streams subkeys with a particular window in the following location:

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

For example, if the Streams key has eight subkeys (0-7), the printers folder is assigned the Streams subkey named 6, you delete all of the Streams subkeys, and you then open the Printers folder, the printer is assigned the subkey named 6 again. This occurs because Windows has an entry in StreamMRU that associates the 6 subkey with the Printers folder. However, if you had deleted all of the Streams subkeys and the values in the StreamMRU key, the Printers folder would have been assigned the next sequential Streams subkey, which would be 0.

Troubleshooting

This may be useful if StreamMRU settings become "cross linked." In some cases, multiple programs may write window size and location information to the same Streams subkey. In this case, the stored size and location for program B's window might actually be the size and location for program A's window. Deleting the StreamMRU data and Streams subkeys should resolve this situation. Also, creating a new user account resolves this issue because the Streams and StreamMRU subkeys are created when a new user opens a window.

NOTE: Do not delete the MRUList value from the StreamMRU key.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:6/11/2002
Keywords:kbenv kbinfo KB235994
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.