Is there some file I can remove or something I can do to globally ensure that windows visa/xp/etc doesn't do annoying things?

Annoying things:

1) Hide the file extension

2) All these "meta" columns I could care less about in "details" view (rating, album, date taken, Assistant's name, Artist, 35mm focal length, City, Other City, etc...). All I want are Name, size, date created, date modified, and file extension. MAYBE file chmod settings.

3) That garbage in the left pane known as "favorite links." (Documents, desktop, photos, music, etc...)

4) Switching between detail view, large icon view, thumbnail view, list view, and tiles when I goto differnt folders, all I want is detail view, with the same columns every time. That's it.

I shouldn't have to get third party software to make my file system browseable, but if I need to so be it... Why are all these settings buried away? It feels like I have to apply them onto each folder every time.