I want to rip up the photo album!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dancin' Fool
  • Start date Start date
D

Dancin' Fool

Can I disable the automatic selection of a folder with any graphical content
in it as a "Photo Album"? This is driving me mad - folders with icons,
folders with clip art, folders with graphical work-in-progress - they are
all made as photo albums, with that damned extra Thumbs.db file.

I never want to see a photo album, not even in "My Pictures." Is there a
registry fix to rip the photo album feature out for good?
 
Can I disable the automatic selection of a folder with any graphical content
in it as a "Photo Album"? This is driving me mad - folders with icons,
folders with clip art, folders with graphical work-in-progress - they are
all made as photo albums, with that damned extra Thumbs.db file.

I never want to see a photo album, not even in "My Pictures." Is there a
registry fix to rip the photo album feature out for good?
Click to expand...

Don't know of a way to rip out one of the built in view options but you
could use

View> Details
and then
Folder Options> View> do not cache thumbnails.
Delete any existing thumbs.db files.
 
Can I disable the automatic selection of a folder with any graphical content
in it as a "Photo Album"? This is driving me mad - folders with icons,
folders with clip art, folders with graphical work-in-progress - they are
all made as photo albums, with that damned extra Thumbs.db file.

I never want to see a photo album, not even in "My Pictures." Is there a
registry fix to rip the photo album feature out for good?
Click to expand...

PS: If the folder is customizable, change it to the Documents type.
 
Sharon F said:
PS: If the folder is customizable, change it to the Documents type.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies, Sharon.

As I understand it, the "Do not cache Thumbnails" switch doesn't stop the
folder being _viewed_ as a Photo Album, just the Thumbs.db file appearing
within. I already select each folder, once I know it has graphical content,
as a "documents" folder. But short of putting a master folder on the HDD
(with everything else in it) designated as a "documents" folder and applying
that template to all sub-folders, I haven't found a way to deal with the
Photo Album except on a folder-by-folder basis.
 
Thanks for the replies, Sharon.

As I understand it, the "Do not cache Thumbnails" switch doesn't stop the
folder being _viewed_ as a Photo Album, just the Thumbs.db file appearing
within. I already select each folder, once I know it has graphical content,
as a "documents" folder. But short of putting a master folder on the HDD
(with everything else in it) designated as a "documents" folder and applying
that template to all sub-folders, I haven't found a way to deal with the
Photo Album except on a folder-by-folder basis.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct. The "do not cache thumbnails" setting only blocks the
creation of the thumbs.db file. You are also correct on your plan for
removing the customization in one fell swoop.

Personally, I leave the photo customization in place with my image folders
but typically view them using "Details." There are times when I do want to
see the thumbnails or use one of the image options in the Common Tasks
pane. A simple switch in views allows me to do that.

Also "Remember each folder's view settings" is enabled to retain the folder
view that I used last and I've increased the number of folders that XP will
record preferences for using the registry tweak described under "Folder
Views - Keep Settings" on this page:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_f.htm
 
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