Folder view settings not sticking

Please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I'd like to set all of my folder views to "details" with a specific set of columns, but when I try to do this I still have directories that pop up with different views and different columns.

Here's what I do.

In the "Folder Options" window I choose my preferred settings and select "Save for all folders." When I get prompted, I select "Replace all."

That seems the obvious thing to do. Since it doesn't work, I am baffled.

First, turn off Preferences, Folders, Options, Enable Folder Content Type detection since this will change formats automatically when certain types of files are detected and is often the source of confusion.

Second, go to Preferences, Folders, Folder Formats and look through all of the formats in all of the sections (except those which are turned off/ghosted) and make sure they are set how you want them. In particular, note that some formats may specify on their last tab that columns from other matching formats should be included.

From testing due to some of the other posts about similar subjects I've also found that for some reason, any folders where I've previously saved the folder format for 'All Folders' and have selected 'Custom Only' rather than 'Replace All' - it has seemed that the folder I was in at the time I selected 'Custom Only' did NOT take the format changes I subsequently save with the 'Replace All' option. I remember having gone to the Prefs Folder Format tab and did NOT see any specific folder format present just for that particular directory. I wonder if the 'Set As Default Lister' option 'hides' some folder format settings?

Side Note- just what does that 'columns from other matching formats' option do? What criteria determines 'matching formats'?

Folder formats are checked in the order they appear in preferences, from top to bottom. When a format matches a folder, if the "include other matching formats" thing isn't checked then that's it and that format is used. But if it is checked then more formats are checked further down the list to see if they match as well, and if they do then parts of them (e.g. columns) are combined with the original matching format.

As an example, you may have a format for a specific directory that matches first, then a Content Type format matching second, then the Network Drive or maybe Custom formats matching as well.

Thanks for the replies. Worked!

There is now a FAQ entry covering this which is much more detailed.

[Folder Formats: Quick Guide)