How can I change sort order for "Search Programs and files" results?

[ship691]

How can I change sort order for "Search Programs and files" results?

Hi

How do I get the search box "search programs and files" (i.e. the one above the Start button) to sort the results within each section by DATE, rather than by name?

Note I do NOT mean the search top right in Windows Explorer, which fwiw, is already working nicely in date order!

Clue:
I have installed Classic Shell but I read a thread saying that it wont have touched this.

J


EDIT: I am told that the files listed are ranked partly by frequency of use. And I am now wondering is this is data which my CCleaner utility is deleting. Either way the sort order have become VERY much less useful in the last couple of weeks. Any thoughts?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hiyya ship mate I just went to Start > right clicked on it > Properties > Customise > there is a drop down list in there I don't know if that is of any help??

 

[ship691]

Er no because I have Classic Shell installed I get a different Start button. If I right click on it one of the options is "Settings"... and then the options are very different from your screenshots.

Either way, to get clear, what I'm trying to do is simply to make the windows dynamic search sort things within their sections by date modified, not by name!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hmm I have Classic Shell on my desktop 8 machine and I could find what I did now I have just clicked on Start > Programs > right click on it > Properties there was some thing about listings or some thing in there.
Sorry but have to dash - eye surgery today won't be able to answer before tomorrow as I will only have my 8 laptop with me ans it has Stardock but could be something in there. .

Oh O opted for the 7 Start up in the click on the Start button too.

 

[ship691]

It now seems that installing Classic Shell does nasty things to the order of results that result from using the Search box (i.e. the one just above the Start Button).

Specifically within the "Documents" section, the results seem to be sorted purely by name, rather than Date Modified. Bl**dy irritating. And almost enough to make me uninstall Classic Shell completely.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Ship I don't quite get what you mean I get this on my 8 machine sorry poor quality as I had to use camera.
Damn it the attachment upload is not working I will send when i find the problem but essentially I go Start > Documents > right click on any area of that screen > sort or name by > pick the one you want or you can go to More > and it gives you a large drop down list of options

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Trying again from my tester machine.

 

[ship691]

Hi ICit2lol

I think what you describe changes the sort order from within Windows Explorer. My sort is from when you
1. Install Classic Shell (like anyone sensible will!)
2. Left click the start button (bottom left)
3. Start typing !

Does that make sense?

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hum don't know as I only have the Classic Shell on my 8 desktop the other I have Stardock8 and hey just give me a just about what 7 is set up.
Your setting I don't recognise to be honest

 

[andrew129260]

Try rebuilding the search index.

See here:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/17880-index-rebuild.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/36599-search-windows-7-a.html

 

[ship691]

Indexes rebuilt. But sort order it still in filename order. And this is irritating almost every time I use Search !

 

[ship691]

For now I am forced to abandon MS Search and use X1 Search (not free, and rather resource heavy but IMHO, pretty powerful). With X1 Search, my click/actions are:

1. Click on X1 Quicklaunch icon (to open X1 search)
2. Type in "accounts"
3. Double-click to open.

And note:
- Search results are sorted by date (not filename) order
- Highly customizable - unlike MS Search! (e.g. I can v easily change the sort order if required)
- You get a preview of the file on the right before you open it (occasionally useful)

Conclusion
For simple searching I would still rather use the Microsoft Search - mainly because it opens & searches so fast. But for now it is almost unusable. >:^[


Anyhow fwiw, here is a visual of what I'd do in X1 Search.
...

 

[4wd]

For simple searching I would still rather use the Microsoft Search - mainly because it opens & searches so fast. But for now it is almost unusable

You got my understanding, same here.

X1 looks good. Am using Agent Ransack (FileLocator Pro) here for any important search (and windows search to find the calc and snip tool lol)

 

[ship691]

Yes I tried Agent Ransack too but didn't get on with it - I cant remember why exactly. In fact I solemnly tried them all (i.e. about 8 of them) and I hated them all. But that was a couple of years ago. Strangely enough Google used to do a very good one but it stopped working so well for some reason. PLUS I suddenly realised that should the state (or anyone Evil) take control of Google they would know far, far, FAR too much about all of us so I stopped using them.

X1 Search is pretty good. But they feel like a small and poorly resourced company. Worse they are very sluggish to respond to customer requests. e.g. They are very proud of their "as fast as type" results, but even on my new computer it rather gets in the way of the typing and there is no way to turn it off. Do let me know if you try it as I'd love to know how it compares!

 

[andrew129260]

The same place where you rebuild the search indexing (indexing options) you can also add directories to indexing. Maybe that would help. For now if you feel your thread is solved, please mark it as such.

Sorry about the date not displaying the way you like.

Have a great day!

 

[ship691]

The same place where you rebuild the search indexing (indexing options) you can also add directories to indexing.

Er... in principle I would love to be able mark this as solved. The trouble is that my problem has not been solved.

I have already added "c:\docs" which is where I keep all my documents so the correct files are now being indexed, but I still however I still cant work out how to change the sort order so as to get the most recently changed files to appear first.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Now I ma just wondering why ship you have gone to such great lengths when the bog standard OS as in my pic shows how to get them up bu name?? Seems a great deal of effort for such a (to me) simple fix. I only used Classic Shell on my 8 machine to get rid of the metro crap

 

[UsernameIssues]

~~~
EDIT: I am told that the files listed are ranked partly by frequency of use. And I am now wondering is this is data which my CCleaner utility is deleting. Either way the sort order have become VERY much less useful in the last couple of weeks. Any thoughts?

In my testing, I saw no evidence of files being ranked by how often I opened them.

It now seems that installing Classic Shell does nasty things to the order of results that result from using the Search box (i.e. the one just above the Start Button).

Specifically within the "Documents" section, the results seem to be sorted purely by name, rather than Date Modified. Bl**dy irritating. And almost enough to make me uninstall Classic Shell completely.

Classic Shell does whatever it wants to the shell and there are no settings within Classic Shell (that I can see) to make it do what you want. There is nothing that you can do to W7 that is going to impact the sort order that Classic Shell forces. That is kind of the point of having a modified shell.

Classic Shell 4.0.0



The stock shell seems to sort by last file opened - not Date Modified. So getting rid of Classic Shell would not get you exactly what you mentioned... but it would probably do.




You might want to ask for a sort feature to be added to Classic Shell.

 

[UsernameIssues]

For now I am forced to abandon MS Search and use X1 Search (not free, and rather resource heavy but IMHO, pretty powerful). With X1 Search, my click/actions are:
~~~

Like ICit2lol said, the stock W7 shell does everything that you mentioned from within the Windows (file) Explorer. If you are going to give up on using the Start Menu search (due to Classic Shell), then why not just use Windows (file) Explorer?

~~~
I still cant work out how to change the sort order so as to get the most recently changed files to appear first.

You mention the Start Menu search return sort order in post #1 and something totally different in post #12 - please clarify which you sort order you are talking about.

 

[ship691]

Like ICit2lol said, the stock W7 shell does everything that you mentioned from within the Windows (file) Explorer. If you are going to give up on using the Start Menu search (due to Classic Shell), then why not just use Windows (file) Explorer?

Yes, Windows Explorer works okay, but simply put it's way too many clicks.

You mention the Start Menu search return sort order in post #1 and something totally different in post #12 - please clarify which you sort order you are talking about.

In Post 1 and Post 11 I am talking about the sort that you get when you click the Start button (bottom left) and start typing.

In Post 12, I am simply pointing out an alternative (called X1 Search) and showing how, with very few clicks you get excellent results. X1 works pretty well but it is slightly resource heavy and it is not free.

Btw, I the latest release of Classic Shell (v4.0.2) has now been fixed to show files in last modified order. It now works very much better IMO.