Windows XP and programs do not save settings on exit

[icekin]

I've got a PC problem for a while, don't know the cause but these are the symtoms.

1. In Windows Explorer, I set my default view to details, but it always reverts back to Large Icons upon reboot. The problem started after I installed Autopatcher and particularly TweakXP UI.

2) Some of my programs don't save their settings. I am using Opera and have set my default search engine, but each time I close and reopen Opera, the search engine I select is no longer listed as the default.

Now, I have installed XP Smoker, but I do not use the setting that auto-closes services and programs after a few seconds of inactivity. I believe its called low-level hook timeout, program timeout and service timeout. Hence, my programs have all the time they need to save their settings before exiting.

[Curt]

Can it be because XP Smoker (to my understanding) not yet has been updated for SP3 ?
- or did the xp smoking started after the problems had begun?

[4wd]

I've got a PC problem for a while, don't know the cause but these are the symtoms.

1. In Windows Explorer, I set my default view to details, but it always reverts back to Large Icons upon reboot. The problem started after I installed Autopatcher and particularly TweakXP UI.

Try Kelly's Korner, search for 'Save'.

Now, I have installed XP Smoker, but I do not use the setting that auto-closes services and programs after a few seconds of inactivity. I believe its called low-level hook timeout, program timeout and service timeout. Hence, my programs have all the time they need to save their settings before exiting.

A silly question but why do you need or even think you need all these tweaking programs?

The only time I looked at AutoPatcher, it was so ambiguous about what it was doing that I removed it 10 minutes later.  eg. It didn't make it clear what the current state of the machine was before doing anything.
I know it's only supposed to update XP with all the latest hotfixes but that's not how it presented itself.
I've long since decided not to update XP beyond a service pack release unless I specifically have a problem that is fixed by a hotfix.  I've had more problems after installing hotfixes than by not installing them.  Microsoft seem to put far less testing into a hotfix than a service pack.
My machine is at SP3 and there it will stay until the next SP is released, (which means, most likely it'll be at SP3 until I change OS).

TweakXP didn't do anything I couldn't do myself after searching the net for the limited number of options I wanted.

XP Smoker didn't do anything AFAICT.

Nowadays I apply any tweaks at install using nlite or after install using registry entries, batch files, etc, (after I make sure I know damn well what they're doing..........or at least think I do  ).

If you're interested in tweaking then a couple of sites I'd recommend are:
Black Viper for all things service related;
Bold Fortune for slimming down XP without using any other programs.

[nosh]

Explorer has always been quirky about saving settings, in my experience - but then I've always had TweakUI installed. Shouldn't be a problem if you use a good replacement.

Do you shut your system down the normal way without any intercepting utilities (i.e: start button -> turn off computer) and do you see the Windows screen that tells you it's saving your settings when you shutdown?

[icekin]

I have XP Smoker installed, but not for its tweaking ability. I use it for adding file cache boost to startup, installing IE-Spy Ads and its maintanence feature, which deletes unused application patchs and fixes invalid dlls. Although, I've never had any invalid dlls at all.

I have also activated large system cache and disabled paging of kernel (I have 2 GB RAM).

But, I don't know how any of those settings would cause a problem to saving my explorer settings.

[Cynic]

In regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and change NoSaveSettings to 00 00 00 00, then reboot.

It worked for me when explorer was not remembering its settings, though I didn't experience any similar problems with Opera or other programs.

[icekin]

In regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer and change NoSaveSettings to 00 00 00 00, then reboot.

It worked for me when explorer was not remembering its settings, though I didn't experience any similar problems with Opera or other programs.

NoSaveSettings was already set to 0 . I am thinking of another solution, to create a script or batch file that I can run at startup that will perform these operations for me everytime. I'm not too good with writing batch files, does anyone recommend a good site that has tutorials?