[renderNut]

I registered so I could thank you wonderful people for your research and tips in this thread. Johanna, I'm much obliged to you for your link to kellys-korner-xp.com. I deleted the 2 registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags

and my problem with folders maintaining their views has been solved. I never had this problem before, it had me baffled. After I installed a program to a subfolder in my D drive and customized that new program folder (and some of its subfolders), My Computer wouldn't maintain its folder setting. But when I changed My Computer back to "Arrange Icons by Type" and "Show in Groups", the folder containing the new program folder also changed to "Show in Groups"! I reset that program folder back to "Arrange icons by type" and "Auto Arrange", and then My Computer took on that setting as well! This happened back and forth, after a couple reboots.

Can't thank you enough for saving my sanity.