Tried that and it doesn't work.  A folder (chosen at random) will still open
in the smaller, i.e. less than full screen size, window rather than one that
was set to the full size and chosen to "apply to all folders".

Are the dimensions of the smaller window hidden away in the Registry
somewhere - and capable of being altered?

To my mind, this sort of restriction  really shows up just how great some of
the shortcomings in Windows really are.  I can't be the only kid on the
block who wants to open my correspondence folder and view the contents i.e.
the files, in a full sized window so as to show the maximum number per page
and I want these to appear in "list" or "detail" format.  What use any other
way of  referring to your Word files?  Surely that's an obvious and
fundamental need.  There's no point in only being able to access less than
the maximum possible number in one operation.  On the other hand if I'm
going to check my digital photographs (without opening a graphics app) I
want to go to the partition where my graphics are stored, again see a full
page showing a  list in "detail" view of the folders containing the image
files but I need each file to open in thumbnail view; they are graphic
images after all and it's pointless being restricted to the name of the file
.

This is  imitating a real life filing system and desk when you think about
it and I don't see why it wasn't obvious to Microsoft early on during the
development of Windows that the ability for the user to choose different
default settings for such basic options as window sizes and the way
different types of file should be displayed was a pretty fundamental need.
It seems a great shame that Microsoft has provided so many features of
little if any practical use to most users but has still not catered for
this.

Ominously I haven't found any third party solutions yet.  But does the
Registry hold the answer?

Regards,
RoS