How do I manually arrange file orders?

[Asliuf]

I'm looking to manually arrange the order files and/or folders appear in My Computer. I don't wan't alphabetical, or by date, or any of the options available. The ideal solution would be if I could just drag them to the correct order. Another (annoying) solution would be if I could input an order value in the file's information to tell it where to sit. I know I could just preface each item with a number and put it on alphabetical but that would be a pain and would look unclean. Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello Asliuf, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you like, you could use the tutorial below to disabled auto arrange to be able to arrange files in any order and position in Windows Explorer.

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

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Asliuf]

Thanks for your quick response Shawn. It looks like this will disable auto-arrange across windows explorer. Is there a way to do so just for one folder? Thanks,
Asliuf

 

[Brink]

Not by default when you disable auto arrange using the tutorial, but you can manually turning on auto-arrange per folder.

You will have the option to turn auto arrange back on for any folder when your are using an icons view and right click on the main window of the folder and click on View -> Auto Arrange (to check).

A quick way to auto arrange a folder on the fly while leaving auto arrange disabled for all would be to change the folder's view from say an icons view to "Details" and back.

 

[Asliuf]

I followed the instructions but not not get the intended results... all that happened was my desktop icons were rearranged, and I had to mess with some settings to be able to place them as I liked again. Auto Arrange is still in effect in windows explorer, and there doesn't seem to be a way to toggle it off. This is the sort of thing that should be a really easy fix but isn't in windows.

 

[Brink]

Did you close all explorer windows before running the .bat file to disable auto arrange?

This will not disable auto arrange in a library if that's what you have open.

While in Windows Explorer, switch to an icon view. Are you able to arrange icons in any order and position you like in the example screenshots in the tutorial?

If not, the please post some screenshot showing what you see instead to see if it may help ID the issue.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[Asliuf]

I did have all windows closed. I am unable to arrange items in either list view or icon view. I'd prefer it to be in list view. Here are screenshots of both.

 

[Brink]

The issue is that you are in a library (ex: Music library). Auto arrange cannot be disabled in libraries.

Instead you must be in the actual folder location. For example:

C:\Users\(user-name)\My Music\Compositions

 

[Asliuf]

I fail to see why that should make a difference, but very well. So there's no way to do this? These things can be so infuriating.

 

[Asliuf]

under "sort by" i see an option "#". Can I alter this in each folder's info somehow?

 

[Brink]

As per the warning at the top of the tutorial, it just doesn't work in libraries. All included folders in a library share the same folder view. They cannot have separate folder views.

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

Only in the actual folder location are you able to.