Vista Folder Icons: Reverting to the XP Variety?

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

I've put up with them for a couple of months now, but they are driving me mad.

As we know, in the good old days, XP Folder icons sat there squarely on the screen, displaying the last four items enclosed, or one overall customised. It was ideal for large collections of folders containing photographs (or whatever), giving a neat easy to use presentation.

Now we are lumbered with these ghastly half open, on end, Vista icons with the (not very clear) contents partially spilling out. Whole pages of them look a complete mess and any quick recognition by content has gone.

I've searched for software that might facilitate the use of XP icons in Vista, but to no avail. Google seems full of people trying to make their XP look like Vista for some unknown reason. It just seems like change for changes sake sometimes; I wouldn't mind if there were the two options.

Is this annoying anyone else; or is it just me? More to the point, has anyone come across any software/fix to resolve this; surely it has got to come soon?

Thanks as always.

[Parapunter]

Click on views until you are happy.

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Sorry, you've lost me.

Endless clicking of Views in Vista is never going to get me back to the XP folder preference mentioned (as below). Far superior for quick recognition of content over large pages of folders containing images; either as 'last four added' (image 1) or singly (image 2).

[Parapunter]

First of all, if this is the thing that is really bugging you, then life must be going quite well. Secondly, there is the views tab which will change the look of your folders, but more than that, there is a slider that will give you further changes until the folders look just like they do in XP. The particular option you require is removed, but providing you speakadaeeenglish, then you should be able to naviagte without too much trouble.

If that fails to satisfy, then seek out your nearest park, go for a walk, play on the swings, eat a burrito, enjoy the sunshine No need to thank me, the advice is free of charge.

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

"...No need to thank me, the advice is free of charge..."

That's good; I see it's conflicting:

"...will give you further changes until the folders look just like they do in XP"

"...The particular option you require is removed..."

Bit "sarc'y" all round with the rest of it P'p, but I'll put that down to the early hour.

I agree, on the surface, it probably looks like the ramblings of someone who hasn't got anything else better to worry about, but actually there was a deeper valid relevance (unlikely to be of interest to anyone else) than just keeping an eye on the family snaps. Usually guaranteed an intelligent reply here.

Anyway, as you (correctly) infer, lifes too short.....

[twiggs]

Here
is a video explaining how to make Vista look like XP

[gizmocat]

Nice find twiggs

BSY, you could try copying your XP "%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll" to somewhere else on your your Vista machine, (NOT System32) then right click the folder, select "Properties" then select the "Customise" tab, select "Change Icon", then browse to your old "shell32.dll"

Not tried this, (won't have time until the weekend), but it might work.