If you use Web View for your folders, you probably know that every time you open the Windows folder, you're treated to an obnoxious warning about how risky it is to modify its contents and then you have to click Show Files before you see anything beyond the handiwork of Microsoft's graphic artists.

The admonition reappears when you navigate to the System folder in the Windows folder. How can you banish this annoying augury for good? The easy way is to choose View-as Web Page, thereby turning off Web View.

But if you want to have your Web View without the warning, do this: first choose View-Folder Options, click the View tab and uncheck Hide file extensions for known file types. While you're there, look under the Hidden files section and make sure that the Show all files option is selected. Click OK. Go to the Windows folder and click Show Files. Locate and select the file named Folder.htt; this is an HTML template that determines the appearance of the folder in Web View. Press <F2> to rename it, type something like folder.bak and press <Enter>. Next, open the same file in the System folder and rename it folder.bak, too. Then navigate to the Web folder in the Windows folder. Select the Folder.htt file and choose Edit-Copy. Press <Backspace> to return to the Windows folder and then choose Edit-Paste to copy the file to the Windows folder. Next, open the System folder and choose Edit-Paste again to copy it to this folder as well.

Caption: Stop Windows' disappearing act by changing
the default Web View template

The next time you open either of these folders, you won't trigger the tedious warning. If you don't get the Web View to which you're accustomed, you may need to choose View-as Web page again.