Restore open folders at startup

Around the time IE6 was released, Microsoft fixed the bug where any Explorer folders you had open when logging out from (or shutting down, or restarting) Windows would be re-opened automatically at the next login.

"What bug", you say? "That wasn't a bug, it was a feature!"

Whether it was a bug or not may be a matter of perspective, but you would certainly not be alone in thinking the previous functionality was useful. If you prefer that Explorer remembers and preserves open directory windows, there is a way to restore the old behaviour.

Using your favourite registry editor, locate the following key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Under this key, create a REG_DWORD value PersistBrowsers and set it to 1.

An even easier way is to download explorer-persistance.reg and run it to import the value into your registry. If you want to go back to the default folder-forgetting desktop, simply remove the value or set it to zero. I know this hack to work for Windows 2000 and XP but haven't tried it with earlier and later Windows versions.

Update: Verified in Windows 2003, and you don't need to modify the registry manually because there's an Explorer setting for it: Tools|Folder Options...|View|Restore previous folder windows at logon. Presumably it's considered a feature now.

6 December, 2004