How can I make Windows remember to "view details" when I open a rather
large Android DCIM/Camera directory plugged in over USB or Wi-Fi?

Windows always defaults to showing icons, which is fine, except that Camera
folders tend to contain a large number of large files so it's slow.

Also, while I'm asking about the particulars of viewing Android folders on
Windows, why if I copy (or move) from Android to Windows using the Windows
File Explorer does the copy (or move) instantly die if I close the window?

In cases NOT Android to Windows, if it's a long copy process, I often close
the source window to get it out of teh way as it's no longer needed once
the set of files to copy command is selected and the copy process started.

What I do for non-Android windows in Windows' file explorer is this:
a. First I open the source folder & select the files & rightclick copy
b. Then I close the source folder (as I don't need it anymore)
c. Then I open the destination folder and rightclick paste

This works for the non-Android windows, but not for Android windows.
Premature death also occurs if _after_ a copy started, I close the window.
A. First I open the source folder & select the files & rightclick copy
B. Then I open the destination folder and rightclick paste
C. In the long copy process, I close the source folder (as it's not needed)

Both work just fine with non-Android windows in Windows File Explorer.
Both fail instantly the instant you close the Android source window.

Do you know why this happens?
Is there a way to change the behavior to work like you want it to work?

On 1/22/2023 2:52 PM, Andy Burnelli wrote:
> How can I make Windows remember to "view details" when I open a rather
> large Android DCIM/Camera directory plugged in over USB or Wi-Fi?
>
> Windows always defaults to showing icons, which is fine, except that Camera
> folders tend to contain a large number of large files so it's slow.
>
> Also, while I'm asking about the particulars of viewing Android folders on
> Windows, why if I copy (or move) from Android to Windows using the Windows
> File Explorer does the copy (or move) instantly die if I close the window?
>
> In cases NOT Android to Windows, if it's a long copy process, I often close
> the source window to get it out of teh way as it's no longer needed once
> the set of files to copy command is selected and the copy process started.
>
> What I do for non-Android windows in Windows' file explorer is this:
> a. First I open the source folder & select the files & rightclick copy
> b. Then I close the source folder (as I don't need it anymore)
> c. Then I open the destination folder and rightclick paste
>
> This works for the non-Android windows, but not for Android windows.
> Premature death also occurs if _after_ a copy started, I close the window.
> A. First I open the source folder & select the files & rightclick copy
> B. Then I open the destination folder and rightclick paste
> C. In the long copy process, I close the source folder (as it's not needed)
>
> Both work just fine with non-Android windows in Windows File Explorer.
> Both fail instantly the instant you close the Android source window.
>
> Do you know why this happens?
> Is there a way to change the behavior to work like you want it to work?

There is a difference between how Windows and Linux handle MTP.

Windows does not "mount" an MTP device. The interface is file by file.
It was Google, who added some extension features, to handle files
as fractional parts (perhaps to make large file transport work better,
and prevent the interface from becoming too clunky).

Linux has MTPFS, which means the file system is mounted and
certain of the UI features will be persistent. Windows has not
chosen to use an IFS (Installable File System, for foreign file
systems) method of access. Windows should easily be able to do
what Linux has done -- but they're just headstrong. They want
MTP to be supported like PTP, forever and a day. Whatever design
mistakes they made, they want to continue them.

On Windows, a third party did EXT2IFS, as a way of making an
early version of EXT, visible on Windows like it was FAT32.
And when Windows XP needed ExFAT added, it's quite possible the
Microsoft staff wrote that as an IFS module.

The other method is Dokany, for foreign file systems.

Paul