Vista and Windows 7 do not treat folders the same as previous versions of Windows do.
Right Click on Documents -> Properties -> Customize
Vista/Windows 7 lists these types of folder templates:
"All Items" (generic folder, old style)
"Documents" - Small icons, detail view. Name, Date modified, Type, Size, Tags.
"Pictures and Videos" - Large icons / thumbnail view. Name, Date taken, Tags, Size, Rating
"Music Details" - Small icons, detail view. Name, Artists, Album, Track #, Genre, Rating (stars).
"Music Icons" - Large icons / thumbnail view. Name, Artists, Album, Track #, Genre, Rating (stars).
In previous versions of Windows, if you set a folder view to "Details", then clicked "Apply to All Folders", Windows would reset the view of all folders to have the Details view.
In Windows Vista and Windows 7, if you set a folder up as how you like it (such as the "Details" view), and then click on "Apply to Folders", Vista/Win7 will only apply that view to folders of that *type*.
If the folder you were just in had a lot of Music files, and you gave it a Details view, even though you clicked "Apply to Folders", you may open a folder containing a lot of images or videos and find that it opens with a Large icon / Thumbnail view instead of the Details view.
This is because Vista/Win7 will have applied the Details view to all "Music" type of folders, and not change the folder view default for any other type of folders.