Solved how can I specifiy the order in which the file types are sorted?

[pianophile]

how can I specify the order in which the file types are sorted when I sort a folder content by "type"?
I want for example all files *.flac to appear always after all other files.

 

[Brink]

Hello Pianophile, and welcome to Seven Forums.

By default, all files will be sorted in alphabetical order in either ascending or descending order by what you specified with "Sort by".

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3952-file-folder-arrangement-group-sort-arrange.html
​

One way around this would sort it by something else to give you the desired results.

Another way would be to disable auto arrange, to be able to arrange the files in any random order you like.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/92758-windows-explorer-auto-arrange-disable.html
​

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[pianophile]

thank you Shawn for your prompt reply, I will take a close look to the links.

 

[pianophile]

Finally I could not find the answer in the link above. My question is following: when I sort by type and by name, I get the following sorting:
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
Now how can I get the following sorting?
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
Note that in my Win7 version I have not access to the "Customize tab" in the folder properties.

 

[cosmin2007]

Finally I could not find the answer in the link above. My question is following: when I sort by type and by name, I get the following sorting:
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
Now how can I get the following sorting?
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
Note that in my Win7 version I have not access to the "Customize tab" in the folder properties.

Hello,

Basically, if I get this right, you need to sort the files alphabetically by name and in reverse alphabetical order for the extension. Is that correct ?
I think this is possible. First you need to click on the Type column to revert the extension alphabetical order and after that you need to click the Name column once. This should provide you with the desired result, but the folders are at the bottom: http://puu.sh/38sq9.png (that is not an issue, I asume). Previous, initial view was : http://puu.sh/38s1N.png

 

[pianophile]

Hello,

Basically, if I get this right, you need to sort the files alphabetically by name and in reverse alphabetical order for the extension. Is that correct ?
I think this is possible. First you need to click on the Type column to revert the extension alphabetical order and after that you need to click the Name column once. This should provide you with the desired result, but the folders are at the bottom: http://puu.sh/38sq9.png (that is not an issue, I asume). Previous, initial view was : http://puu.sh/38s1N.png

Yes, you are right. But when I do what you suggest, the folders move down to the bottom, and the point is precisely that I want to have them at the top (because I have many *.a files).

 

[lehnerus2000]

Two Windows?

The only thing I can think of at the moment is:

• Open the same folder in 2 windows
• Use "Sort by" and "Group by" in one of the windows
• Use the Search function in the other one to isolate those files (e.g. flac)

You may have to use "Group by Folder path" in the Search window.

 

[pianophile]

The only thing I can think of at the moment is:

• Open the same folder in 2 windows
• Use "Sort by" and "Group by" in one of the windows
• Use the Search function in the other one to isolate those files (e.g. flac)

You may have to use "Group by Folder path" in the Search window.

Thank you lehnerus, but I would like to have this by default for all my folders all the time.

 

[Brink]

You could use the method in the tutorial below to apply a folder view to all folders.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/41198-folder-view-set-default-all-folders.html

 

[pianophile]

You could use the method in the tutorial below to apply a folder view to all folders.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/41198-folder-view-set-default-all-folders.html

I looked at the tutorial, but it does not tell how to build a template that specifies the ordering of the file extensions (while keeping the folder at the top).

I could turn my question with other words: is there a place in win7 where one can specify how the file extensions are used for the ordering?

 

[Brink]

You could use the method in the tutorial below to apply a folder view to all folders.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/41198-folder-view-set-default-all-folders.html

I looked at the tutorial, but it does not tell how to build a template that specifies the ordering of the file extensions (while keeping the folder at the top).

I could turn my question with other words: is there a place in win7 where one can specify how the file extensions are used for the ordering?

That's correct. It's only to help show you how to set the folder view (once you figure out how to get it sorted the way you wanted) to all folders afterwards.

Have you already tested with auto arrange disabled to be able to arrange them in any order and position you like to see if that may work?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/92758-windows-explorer-auto-arrange-disable.html

 

[pianophile]

That's correct. It's only to help show you how to set the folder view (once you figure out how to get it sorted the way you wanted) to all folders afterwards.

Have you already tested with auto arrange disabled to be able to arrange them in any order and position you like to see if that may work?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/92758-windows-explorer-auto-arrange-disable.html

Thank you Brink. If I follow your suggestion I will have to download and run a .bat file (which as I can see is recommended in several tutorials) which I would prefer to avoid. My preference would be to find a configuration path within win7 itself. Sorry for being picky, I'm starting to realize that there is no easy way to achieve the ordering I wanted.

 

[Brink]

I don't blame you, but there's not a simpler way to disable auto arrange. The file is 100% safe, and you can always use OPTION TWO to enable auto arrange (default) again if you decide you didn't like it later.

Since you are basically wanting to arrange a item out of the default alphabetical order, I can't think of any way to accomplish this other than disabling auto arrange to be able to manually arrange the files in any order you like.

 

[pianophile]

I don't blame you, but there's not a simpler way to disable auto arrange. The file is 100% safe, and you can always use OPTION TWO to enable auto arrange (default) again if you decide you didn't like it later.

Since you are basically wanting to arrange a item out of the default alphabetical order, I can't think of any way to accomplish this other than disabling auto arrange to be able to manually arrange the files in any order you like.

I understand your point, but it won't help me to disable Autoarange for sorting any given folder with its specific order, because what I want is to have the specified order being automatic for all folders, old ones as well as newly created ones.

Thank you all for your answers, I appreciated to have these many responses, and after all, if I understand correctly, there is no way to specifiy the files order after their extension in a simple way via the standard configuration tools. Hence I have the answer to my question and can mark it as solved.

 

[lehnerus2000]

Alternative File Manager?

It may be possible to do what you want, if you use a different file manager.
Unfortunately I can't tell you the names of any that may do that.

I use FreeCommander for some management tasks (e.g. mass renaming) but I don't think you can configure it to do what you require.

 

[pianophile]

Back again to tell about a very strange workaround I found by accident. In the example above that I write again for convenience, having:
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
I want to have:
FOLDER1
FOLDER2
FOLDER3
file1.b
file2.b
file3.b
file1.a
file2.a
file3.a
It happened that I changed the default application that opens the *.b files (actually changed from matlab to notepad++) and then, when sorting again by type, I got the wanted order. Isn't that weird?: the order is determined by the opening application! The weirdest being that the application that opens the *.a files is soundforge, so the alphabetic order of the applications has not been changed

 

[lehnerus2000]

Interesting.
It makes sense, but I wouldn't have thought of trying it.

Thanks for the update.

 

[pianophile]

You're welcome Nice forum here.