Fences not preserving view settings, and options for behaviour when clicking on fenced items

I am having the same issue.  I installed Fences because I love Stardock software and I'm looking for a better way to organize my asset folders for work.  Everytime I create a Folder Portal, and navigate the file system, the view defaults to a cluttered icon view instead of the Detail view I have chosen.  It isn't retaining per-folder view settings, or view settings for the entire Folder Portal.

I have to believe this is a bug.  It doesn't make sense otherwise.

Same problem here. Ever since the last update or so, it has stopped memorizing the view settings for the different fences I have in my desktop. I first noticed it on version 3.03. I have since updated to 3.04.12 beta, with the same issue.

For instance, I like to view program shortcuts and documents as a list in one fence, and as classic icons on another fence. But at every reboot, Fences reverts all fences to the standard medium icon view, forcing me to reconfigure the view settings every time.

I've checked every configuration screen. Seems like a very annoying bug.

I made an account to report that I have the same issue, and it's completely ruined the software for me.

I have many fences that need list view, but they keep reverting to some huge icons settings.

I will, however,  bring it to the dev team as it seems to be something that people want.

Same problem here, view settings are not sticking. How does one get the beta? When I go to download Fences again it is asking me to pay again....

I only see Fences 2 on your account. This thread is related to Fences 3.

Upgrade discounts can be found here: https://www.stardock.com/products/fences/download

HI

Yes, this feature would be greatly apprecited! Something small that creates a lot of frustration.

Has there been any progress on this?  This is so frustrating.  I create a folder portal and set the view to details view.  I want to retain this view when I navigate to subfolders within the folder portal, but it reverts to icon view for each subfolder (and subsequent subfolders).  Is there still not a way to set the details view to be persistent?

Hello

Would you Please try this PURGE: https://forums.stardock.com/486084/fences-support-faq#reinstalling

Reboot and ReInstall the latest version 3.0.9.11

AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

That did not resolve the issue.  I followed the directions exactly and folder portals still default to icons regardless of whether I choose details view or not.  As I navigate within them, every subfolder comes up as icon view.

Hello,

I have forwarded your report to the Stardock support team for their review and recommendations.

Please keep an eye on this thread for any updates.

We really do appreciate your feedback, thanks.

AzDude
Stardock Community Assistant

That is actually working as designed but it is being considered as a feature.

Please allow me then to say that this design is dumb, frustrating, counter-intuitive, and entirely the reason I can't use folder portal navigation.  If I set details view at the parent level, it's because that's the view that is the most intuitive for the type of content I want to navigate.  If I have to click the dropdown and re-select details view for each sub-folder, I might as well just use windows explorer, as it doesn't behave like this.  I'm not sure who's benefiting from being forced into using icon view, so much so that that's the design, but given these forum posts are over a year old I'm guessing you're not taking this issue very seriously and I shouldn't hold my breath for this "new feature".

I'm having the same issue.  I set the view on a folder portal to list, and it reverts to icon.  I am using Fences 2, and would definitely upgrade to 3 if i had any confidence that the issue had been resolved.  From the post history above, it sounds like this issue has never been addressed in any version of Fences.  Can someone please give me an update, and let me know if there has been a fix?

Thanks,

YES, omgosh, so helpful, thank you!   

How we can set the default view for ALL portals?

This issue is 7 years old . Very disappointing. LOL

Whole-heartedly agree sashagrossman. I've been off and on using the software for many years and the reason I always migrate to off is because it can't maintain some freaking settings on a folder portal. It's absolutely maddening and unfathomable that Stardock can't fix this garbage after what, a decade? I just don't understand what's so hard about maintaining a simple setting across restarts of the software. Unbelievable.

PS - I'm using Fences 2 and have the folder that the portal is pointing at set to "Details" view. The portal always starts in "Medium Icons" regardless of how it was set previously. I'm not going to disable functionality of being able to navigate to resolve a dumb bug the dev hasn't been able to fix in countless years across 3 versions of the software. 

It's not lost on us why people want this but it needs to be restated that Folder Portals are, basically, a Windows Explorer window on the desktop. With that, they function exactly as Windows Explorer does. If you set a different view for a parent folder, then drill down, you have to set it for each child in Windows Explorer.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

That's not the case, though. I have views set in Explorer for the folder I have a portal to and it continues to reset back to "Medium Icons" no matter what I do. I have even set "Apply to All Folders" in Explorer. All folders in Explorer open using "Details" but the Fences Folder Portal continues to reset to "Medium Icons." I set it to "Details" and a few hours later or after a reboot, it's right back to "Medium Icons." This persists over multiple re-installations of Windows 10 and various computers running Windows 10.

So no, it does NOT work the way you say it does @sdRohan. If you read my full post you would see that I literally said "...have the folder that the portal is pointing at set to "Details" view. The portal always starts in "Medium Icons" regardless of how it was set previously."

I'm not doing any drilling down, I just have a portal set to my Screenshots folder so I can grab screenshots I take as I need them. I do not have any need or desire to drill into other folders, I just want the portal to actually maintain "Details" view when the FOLDER IS ALREADY SET THAT WAY.

Please show me, in a video, that Fences 3 does not maintain its state with a static folder portal and what conditions change to have it revert to a default you do not desire.

Thank you.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

It just does it, I'm not sitting there watching the portal every second that I'm using my computer. I can't reproduce it on demand.

On another note, I work in IT and am often forced to be customer-facing - It's really concerning that you're getting hostile and assuming the customer is doing something wrong. I'd rate this support right up there with Comcast. Being an ass to your customers is not a good way to maintain them as a customer. I understand you might be frustrated that I can't provide you more, but I'm more frustrated that your product doesn't perform the way it's supposed to and that you're being a jerk about it.

It's fine, though. Don't bother responding or try to fix what several users are complaining about. You lost this customer, I won't be purchasing any more Stardock products (that should scare you - given your already dwindling customer base).

kaliscialo  there is no 'frustration' at all, only a patent inability to resolve issues if and when there is no input provided by the person with said issues.

Support simply requested a video showing how it's not working for you, and you call Support  "a jerk".

If you are unwilling to engage in interaction with Support to resolve issues you are facing then that is your perogative, but please do not insult or belittle their efforts to assist.

Thank you.

Stardock Administrator and Community Manager.

kaliscialo,

It's always my default position that the intent and tone of any message is primarily the responsibility of the sender and less so the receivers. I can only assume that my blunt ask, and its brevity, contributed to you feeling as you do as I cannot find any content in my reply that would have you with such a negative opinion. 

Along with an apology, allow me to expound:

Then I would suspect you know the work ahead of you when you get a somewhat generic 'it doesn't work' starters from clients - that questions needed to be asked and illustrations produced. 

If you (anyone) can show me that something does not work - better if I\we can readily reproduce it - I will gladly present it to devs.  It's my responsibility, one I take personal satisfaction from truth be told, to present a vetted client issue to the devs that have them with a clear case of something not working and a possible remedy. 

What I cant do is pass on 'it doesn't work'.

You also said this:

Fences 2 has not been offered or supported for over 7 years. It's why I asked for reproduction on Fences 3. If you are indeed still using Fences 2, there is nothing I can do to help with issues using it.

What is a valid ask (and what this thread morphed into) is to somehow have a Fences feature that overrides how Windows explorer works by default - to set a view state in one folder portal and have it replicated for every navigation in said portal. This is also a common ask for Windows Explorer itself:

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/35093-apply-folder-view-all-folders-same-type-windows-10-a.html

What we cannot reproduce, and what I asked you (anyone) to show, is that once a particular folder view is set in a Fences folder portal folder (not every sub or parrent), that it fails to maintain that set state.

I hope that is a more satisfactory answer and do hope you install Fences 3 (trial if you like) and see if you can still reproduce your issue.

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager