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When I view Programs and Features in details mode the details are customized for music (I have seen this in other system level displays).

In Programs and Features I tried selecting Tools | Folder Options from the menu. Then click the Restore Defaults button. This did not change the columns being displayed.

I have googled for this issue but found nothing. Can anyone help me resolve this?

About my Laptop:

System Model: Hewlett-Packard HP ENVY TS 17 Notebook PC

Operating System: Windows 10 Professional (x64) Version 2009 (build 19045.3930)

Windows Specs: Version 22H2 OS Build 19045.3930

Processor: 2.40 gigahertz Intel Core i7-4700MQ, 64 kilobyte primary memory cache, 64-bit ready, Multi-core (4 total), Hyper-threaded (8 total)

Programs and Features window image

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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Clearly, the Windows OS has been damaged. As shown below, columns such as Album and Genre should not be available in that view. [To select columns, either choose View | Choose details... or right-click the column header.]

Programs and Features columns

Explorer and Programs and Features are integrated deeply into Windows, so that the first thing to try is repairing Windows.

  • Use DISM and SFC for in-place repair.
  • If that does not fix the issue, try reinstalling from ISO, but keeping files.
  • Finally, if those comparatively simpler repairs are not sufficient, the user profile might be damaged. You might need to repair the profile or create a new profile and transfer as much of the current to the new as possible. Frankly, this is a pain, and can lead to issues, so is left for last.
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  • Thank you DrMoishe Pippik. I tried DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth followed by sfc /scannow. I immediately opened Programs and Features and the detail columns were correct. I closed the window and came back about 20 minutes later and the music columns reappeared. Next I ran DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth followed by sfc /scannow again then re-booted. After the boot I opened Programs and Features and the correct columns were displayed (Name, Date Modified, Type, Size). Was a re-boot necessary for this fix to stick?
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 12 at 20:18
  • You may be seeing different views depending on the shell namespace path. Control Panel\Prograqms\Programs and Features and Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Programs and Features can have different views saved.
    – Keith Miller
    Commented Feb 12 at 21:45
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    " I immediately opened Programs and Features and the detail columns were correct. I closed the window and came back about 20 minutes later and the music columns reappeared." You've provided useful information. Now use Task Manager, Details tab, to see if there is some extra process, not part of Windows, running that could make that change. Also use Microsoft/Sysinternals Autoruns, learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autoruns, to check what processes start up on their own. Have you installed a music indexing, app, for example?
    – DrMoishe Pippik
    Commented Feb 12 at 22:00
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    Your comment on shell namespace was correct (should have figured this out myself since I was a .net programmer quite a few years ago). I have 3 ways to open Programs and Features (Control Panel, God Mode, my own shortcut). 1 Had the correct columns after the DISM & Scannow but the other 2 were both different. I open Programs and Features with the proper column display then selected Tools | Folder Options | View Tab and clicked on Apply to Folders button. Now all 3 ways to view Programs and Features look the same. BTW: I downloaded Autoruns and am in love with what I can see\do with this app.
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 14 at 18:41
  • I did not recently install a new Music App. However a few weeks ago my PC flipped out and many of the Desktop Icons rearranged themselves right in front of my eves. I immediately run a scan for viruses and malware using Norton360 (nothing was found).
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 14 at 18:42
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It's not major damage! It's just the wromg view template.

On the menu bar in Programs and Feartures, choose:

  • Tools ->Folder Options... -> View tab -> Reset Folders

enter image description here

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  • Sorry I did not have a chance to try your suggestion. The DISM.exe and sfc /scannow found the following 6 issues after which the columns in Programs and Features were displaying correctly. But not sure how these issues and my problem are related. In ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Definition Updates\Default\\ found: MpAsBase.vdm, MpAsDlta.vdm, MpAvBase.vdm, MpAvDlta.vdm,MpEngine.dll from store & AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\\OneDrive.lnk from store. Glad I ran DISM & scannow to find these issues but would have liked to have tried your suggestion first.
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 14 at 20:27
  • @mikemich: No worries -- you may get a chance someday... :) The same "trick" works to restore the custom grouping in Quick Access and the custom columns in Network, Contacts, and probably a few others I can't think of right now... :D
    – Keith Miller
    Commented Feb 16 at 8:04
  • I did in fact have a grouping issue with God Mode and Quick Access. Your approach fixed those for me, so thanks for the tip!
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 17 at 0:53
  • With all of these recent issues I have been experiencing with File Explorer I am considering running winfilefolder.DiagCab. I am going to research this more before I take the leap and plan on cloning my drive first...just in case.
    – mike mich
    Commented Feb 17 at 0:57
  • If it's all or mostly view-related, you might have maxed out saved views. Copy & paste this PowerShell snippet to check. If you've hit 5000, you've maxed out: (gp 'HKcu:\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU').Nodeslots.Count # If you have, you need to delete the BagMRU and Bags keys. You lose saved views, but not cutomized templates created with Apply to Folders. Intelligent use of that can mitigate the annoyance of resetting your preferred views.
    – Keith Miller
    Commented Feb 17 at 17:14

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