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Windows 7 Folders - can you disable icons in the FOLDER icon

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2012 4:56 am
by simonmlewis
Hi

I have a folder that shows a preview of the images in the folder icon (looks like 'pages' of the images).
For this particular folder I want to disable that in Windows 7, and to put a security password on the folder.

I'm sure W7 is really good at security, but I can't see how to lock it, or how to stop people seeing what is in that folder. With preview icon, even if it is locked, they can still see what's in there.

I think you can disable it globally, but can you do it on individual folders?? And if you can - how?

Re: Windows 7 Folders - can you disable icons in the FOLDER

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:53 pm
by social_experiment
Control Panel > Folder Options > View tab > Under "Files & Folders" heading check "Always show icons, never thumbnails"

Re: Windows 7 Folders - can you disable icons in the FOLDER

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 3:58 pm
by simonmlewis
Won't that do it "globally" tho? I assume you cannot switch it off for individual folders?

Actually, won't that stop all photos being used as thumbnails as the actual files?
So if you were looking for a particular photo, how would you find it?

(I guess that was be some bit of Windows script to enable that!)
What about security part of part question? Locking it.

Re: Windows 7 Folders - can you disable icons in the FOLDER

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 4:10 pm
by social_experiment
simonmlewis wrote:Actually, won't that stop all photos being used as thumbnails as the actual files?
So if you were looking for a particular photo, how would you find it?
Yeah; stops it completely; It only shows selected files, i don't know if there is a way to control it so even if it the feature is turned off, you have no control over what images are displayed; I'd suggest keeping track of the photos by keeping them in relevant folders (or some form of organizing): If i take photos today i name the folder 16022012 which makes finding what i want a bit easier.
simonmlewis wrote:What about security part of part question? Locking it.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/230946/h ... ows_7.html
Seems as if you would have to get 3rd party software

Re: Windows 7 Folders - can you disable icons in the FOLDER

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 4:16 pm
by simonmlewis
I can sort of see how individually disabling icons would be a problem, but "hidden files" in folders would do it, I would have thought. Windows 7 is meant to be better for security. Yet it clearly allows you to show icons of images in the folder when you want them, but not to restrict individual ones.

And you can't lock a folder with a password automatically in the Security tab??
I know you can set permissions so that only the logged in user can access it. That's fine. But sometimes you may be showing someone a folder and there be documents or images that are private or sensitive that you do not want the person to see - so it just shows the 'folder' icon.

To not allow that is a bit poor. Will look at that password PC world thing.