How to Reset File Explorer’s Folder View in Windows 10

Windows 10 lets you customize how you see the contents of your folders by adding or removing the preview/details pane, viewing layout of icons, grouping and sorting, and more. If you want to get rid of customizations you’ve made, you can reset the folder view to its default.

One thing to keep in mind when doing this is that Windows has five different templates for which you can customize folder views. These templates include folders for general items, documents, pictures, music, and videos. When you reset a particular folder view, you’re only resetting the view for the template attached to the folder you’re currently viewing. So, for example, if you reset a folder using a music template, all music folders on your system get reset, but folders using other templates are untouched.

RELATED: How to Customize Folder Views with Windows' Five Templates

Start by firing up File Explorer and navigating to a folder that uses the template you want to reset.

Switch over to the “View” tab and then click the “Options” button.

In the Folder Options window that opens, switch to the “View” tab and then click the “Reset Folders” button. In the confirmation window, click the “Yes” button.

Finally, click “OK” and all the folder view customizations you’ve made to that particular template will be reset to the Windows default.

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Now that you’re back to a fresh start, you can continue to customize folder views and while you’re at it, configure folder options to get even more out of File Explorer and all of its neat little tweaks you may not have known about.

RELATED: How to Configure Folder Options in Windows 10