Windows Explorer Auto Arrange - Disable

How to Disable Auto Arrange in Windows 7 Explorer to have Free Sorting​

   Information

In Windows 7, auto arrange is enabled by default so that all file and folder names in Windows Explorer are sorted alphabetically no matter what folder view you used.

This is basically like having how you can arrange icons how you like on your desktop in every folder in Windows Explorer now.

This will show you how to disable Auto Arrange in Windows 7 to be able to sort your files and folders in any random order and position you like in each opened folder in Windows Explorer and in the Pin to Start Menu area at the top of the Start Menu without it having to be sorted alphabetically by name. Windows 7 will also remember these random folder sortings (order and position), and open as how they were when the folder window was last closed.

   Note

When You Disable Auto Arrange:

• While using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder views, you can arrange files/folders in any random order and position.
• While using Details folder view, you can only arrange files/folders in any order and not in any random position.
• While using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder views, you can click on View (Menu bar) and check Auto arrange to have the black indicator line back inbetween files/folders when arranging files/folders in any order. This turns off the ability to arrange files/folders by random positions though.
• While using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder views, you can click on View (Menu bar) and uncheck Auto arrange to be able to arrange files/folders in any order and random positions.
• The Auto arrange and Align to grid options can be turned on and off at will in the View (Menu bar and right click context menu) when available (not grayed out) while using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, or Extended Tiles folder views.
• If you have items arranged by random positions and switch from a Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder view to a List, Details, Extended Tiles, or Content folder view, the random positions will be reset but still placed in a order of arrangement instead.
• If you unzip a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder, it will refresh and auto arrange the files in that specific folder only after each time you do this. Auto arrange is still disabled for that folder, but you will need to arrange the files back to whatever non-auto arranged order you like again after unzipping a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder.

   Warning

DO NOT USE this tutorial in any other OS than Windows 7.

• While this tutorial will allow you to disable auto arrange in the main Libraries folder itself, it will not disable auto arrange in any of the other library folders (ex: Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos).
• Free sorting is not available if you use "Group by" folder views instead of only "Sort by" folder views.
• Free sorting is not available in the List and Content folder views.
• When you disable Auto Arrange, you will have Extend Tiles folder view instead of Tiles available in all folders except the Computer windows.

EXAMPLE: Auto Arrange Enabled and Disabled
NOTE: Notice in the screenshot with Auto Arrange disabled, the files can be dragged around the Windows Explorer window to sort how you like without having to be in alphabetical order.

OPTION ONE

To Disable Auto Arrange in Windows 7 Windows Explorer

   Warning

It is also recommended to create a restore point before doing this option in case you would like to undo any unwanted unknown side affects that OPTION TWO may not undo. This way, you could also do a system restore with this restore point to undo this option completely.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the BAT file below.
Disable_Windows_7_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat

Download


2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Close everything that you have running first, then run the downloaded .bat file.

4. If prompted, click on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt open as the explorer process is restarted.

6. Let the command prompt count down to finish on it's own without pressing a key.

7. When it's finished, you will see the Computer window open.

8. Auto arrange in Windows Explorer is now disabled.

OPTION TWO

To Enable Auto Arrange in Windows 7 Windows Explorer

NOTE: This is the default setting.
1. Click on the Download button below to download the BAT file below.
Enable_Windows_7_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat

Download


2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Close all opened explorer windows first, then run the downloaded .bat file.

4. If prompted, click on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt open as the explorer process is restarted.

6. When it's finished, you will see the Computer window open.

7. Auto arrange in Windows Explorer is now enabled again.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Back Up and Restore Your Folder View Settings in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Disable Auto Arrange in Vista Windows Explorer to have Free Sorting
• Make Windows 7 Start Menu User Folder Buttons Open to Users Instead of Libraries Location
• How to Enable or Disable Numerical Sorting in Windows Explorer
• How to Reset All Folder View Settings to Default in Windows 7
• How to Reset the Folder View Settings for All Folders with Same Folder Template in Windows 7
• "Apply to Folders" a Specific Folder View to All Folders with Same Folder Template in Windows 7
• How to Change a Folder Template in Windows 7
• How to Set a Default Folder Template for All Folders in Windows 7
• How to Change the File and Folder View Arrangement in Windows 7 Explorer
• How to Change the Icon Size in a Windows 7 Explorer Window
• How to Change the Group by, Sort by, and Arrange by Folder View in Windows 7 Explorer
• How to Set a Default Folder View for All Folders in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove Windows Explorer Columns
• How to Change the Width of Columns in Windows Explorer
• How to Enable or Disable Start Menu Auto Arrange by Name in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Arrange Folders Included in a Library in Any Order in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[blueyellow]

After 'option 1': On my C-drive, the autosort is correctly disabled when renaming a file. However, on my external drive the autosort is _still_ in effect when renaming a file! How come? How to fix?

From 'option 1' I skipped to taskkill (as I don't want to reset my explorer settings) and I did only the 'General Items' registry section (as I don't use (at all) the default specialized folders such as 'My pictures' and so on).

 

[Brink]

Hello blueyellow, and welcome to Seven Forums.

That would be correct when renaming a file. Please see the blue note box at the top of the tutorial for more details about this.

If you don't let option 1 do all of what's in the .bat file, then it will not work properly. The taskkill part will only kill and restart explorer to apply the changes made to disable auto arrange.

 

[blueyellow]

welcome to Seven Forums.

Thx.

That would be correct when renaming a file. Please see the blue note box at the top of the tutorial for more details about this.

Are you specifically referring to 'While using Details folder view, you can only arrange files/folders in any order and not in any random position.'? (I can interprete that in multiple ways.)
If so, then why does renaming a file on the C-drive not cause an autosort trigger, but it does if I rename a file on an external drive? Do you mean this thread gives no solution to the autosort after renaming a file?

If you don't let option 1 do all of what's in the .bat file, then it will not work properly.

I'm still hesitating; I might do the explorer default settings (before the taskkill) too, depending on the answers above (if it has no use anyway for the renaming problem, then why do it...). Another reason of the hesitation is that I used other modifications like registry-settings which able ungroup similar taskbar items, classic startmenu, modifying the start-button, and other mods. It might interfere with those settings.
But I can of course create a registry backup, and restore if wanted.

The taskkill part will only kill and restart explorer to apply the changes made to disable auto arrange.

Yes, I understand that. But I don't know if all the registry (after the taskkill part) settings are needed if I never use the specialized folders and always use details view. (I don't use thumbnail view for pictures either; I only use graphics programs to show my pics. Also I don't like the creation of thumbs.db files.) If I open explorer, I see no libraries etc; I don't want to see that. I only see 'My computer' plus the drive letters. (I really hate Microsoft deciding which folder names to use. That's not something Microsoft should do. It greatly adds to people making errors and losing their files.)

 

[Brink]

I was referring to this part below in the note box.

If you unzip a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder, it will refresh and auto arrange the files in that specific folder only after each time you do this. Auto arrange is still disabled for that folder, but you will need to arrange the files back to whatever non-auto arranged order you like again after unzipping a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder.

After you run the .bat file as instructed in the steps, you will still be able to set folder views how you like.

 

[mixxmunky]

Hello Brink,

Thank you for the batch. Finally a way of arranging the pictures as I see fit. I experienced that if I arrange multiple pictures it's stays true to the grid but makes the rows much longer and I have to scroll to the right to see all pictures. Is there a way to solve this other than dragging to a different spot?

My other question is that when I dragged the pictures to a new spot, open one of those pictures with windows viewer and use the arrows keys to scroll through the pictures, the order stays like it originally was and not in the order I put them in. Is there a way to solve this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Brink]

Hello mixxmunky, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Does increasing the width of Windows Explorer's border help?

I'm not aware of a way that helps with Windows Photo Viewer.

 

[mixxmunky]

Hello Brink,

Thanks for the fast reply. Increasing the borders is not helping, but for me that's not the main problem. It takes some extra work to get it all in place, but that's okay if there is no other solution.

The main question stays that when I arranged all the pictures I can't use Windows Photo Viewer, Picture Manager or Photo Gallery to scroll through the pictures in the way I arranged them. I have to open them single handed to view the pictures in my order. I didnt understand your answer to my question. Do you mean you are not aware? Or is it the first time you heard about this problem?

 

[Brink]

Sorry. Yes, that's not aware on how to fix the Windows Photo Viewer issue. Gotta love auto correct sometimes.

 

[AceDuk]

but it does not work in any of the "Tiles" view settings????

 

[Brink]

Hello AceDuk,

Yes, but it will be called "Extended Tiles" when auto arrange is disabled.

 

[Hashim]

Hey there,

First of all, thanks for a great tutorial, I managed to follow it successfully on Windows 7 x64 and get the auto-arrange functionality back. The problem that I'm now having is that the fix also seems to modify the spacing of icons in Explorer, especially in Details view, which looks a lot like the old XP view - funnily enough, I've gotten used to Windows 7's spacing, and would much prefer it. Does anyone know how I can keep the auto-arrange option there and still use the default Windows 7 spacing for details view? If necessary, I'm happy to edit the .dll files manually, I just need to know all the values that the .reg files change.

Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello Hashim,

You can right click on the .reg file, and click on "Edit" to see all the changes it makes in the registry to help.

 

[Hashim]

Hello Hashim,

You can right click on the .reg file, and click on "Edit" to see all the changes it makes in the registry to help.

Hey Brink,

I tried that, but none of it really made sense to me, so I was hoping to get a list of all the values related to the UI that those registry files change, if that's possible. I'd really appreciate it.

 

[Brink]

To be honest, I'm not sure the spacing can be changed.

 

[Hashim]

How come? What exactly changes it in the first place, if it's not in the explicit design of the reg fies?

 

[Brink]

I'm not 100% sure what to adjust the values to for affecting the spacing like that.

 

[Hashim]

I'm not 100% sure what to adjust the values to for affecting the spacing like that.

Ah ok. Did you write it or did someone else?

 

[Brink]

I wrote it, but the values are not documented, so it'll be a guessing game to figure out the correct value data for this specific item.

 

[Hashim]

I wrote it, but the values are not documented, so it'll be a guessing game to figure out the correct value data for this specific item.

I see. :/

I'm gonna try and figure out whether it can be done - judging by a thread I've come across, it looks like the only options are to manually modify the corresponding .dll file, or to find some purported registry keys that hold the values. This is the thread, the posts I've linked to in particular talk more about the problem as it relates to this registry edit.

http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...e-list-item-height-spacing-4.html#post1141935

http://www.sevenforums.com/customiz...e-list-item-height-spacing-5.html#post1258766

Maybe those'll make more sense to you than they do me.

 

[Brink]

I'll look and see.