folders stopped opening in same window and now in separate windows, is this snobbery

[crooked windows]

Windows 7 64bit pro and without any prompting, folders started to open in separate windows which is driving me mad. Been running sweet since new.
Have read approx 6 similar cases (on a different PC that is connected to the net) but all solved answers are borderline guess work with no actual fix and I have checked the following :
under Organize the folder contents
ORGANIZE
FOLDER AND SEARCH OPTIONS
GENERAL
BROWSE FOLDERS
OPEN SAME WINDOW still ticked YARDI YARDI YAR
DOES NOT WORK

plus checked the reg, and scanned
Why does a checked little box do zit? did the IT forget to link it???
Only thing done lately has been listening to CD (off discs, not downloaded as this is not physically poss)
Any proper fixes that will do it or is another reinstall due? (WARNING, it will be Linux)
any help would be greatly appreciated
thanks

 

[mayudevil]

If you are running windows 7 check the folder options menu
In the General tab you will find a sub category named Browse folders make sure the " Open each folder in the same window" is selected if it not select it apply changes
or
check your computer by making another user account in windows and by logging in windows with that account
or
in the folder options there is a tab called view in the view tab there is a subcategory named advanced settings go down the available options in the below or bit upper from below you may find Launch folder options in a separate process if checked uncheck it and apply
or
restore computer to an earlier date

hope this helps

 

[crooked windows]

Tried the above bar the restore as there is an error with that (another problem to fix now)

So putting more entries into a folder and sorting those newly added files, seems to have gone AWOL.