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

 

[Hashim]

I'll look and see.

Appreciate it, thanks.

For the sake of documentation, the issue only seems to affect List and Details - all other views seem like they normally are in Windows 7, whereas those two are as vertically close as they were in XP.

I've also checked my own ExplorerFrame.dll and the height attribute for the style resid="details" section is 22rp, which is what the thread I linked to claims is the default height for that section on Windows 7. Could indicate it's being changed by registry values... or the lack of them.

I'm surprised there haven't been more people on this thread asking about this issue tbh, I'm clearly not the only one that's had this fix cause this unintended side effect... maybe people just prefer how XP looked, haha.

 

[Brink]

LOL, yeah some like the XP tighter spacing, but I like the default wider spacing in Windows 7 as well.

It took a bit to jog my memory for this since it's been a while, but I think I have it sorted. Changing the FFLAGS DWORD decimal value date to 1092616209 (7 style) instead of 1124073476 (XP style) makes it wider.

If you like, test the .bat below with the new value. Using OPTION TWO in the tutorial will also undo it if needed.

View attachment Test_Disable_Windows_7_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat

 

[Hashim]

LOL, yeah some like the XP tighter spacing, but I like the default wider spacing in Windows 7 as well.

It took a bit to jog my memory for this since it's been a while, but I think I have it sorted. Changing the FFLAGS DWORD decimal value date to 1092616209 (7 style) instead of 1124073476 (XP style) makes it wider.

If you like, test the .bat below with the new value. Using OPTION TWO in the tutorial will also undo it if needed.

View attachment 381422

No such luck, unfortunately - it rectifies the spacing problem, but then there's no sign of the Auto Arrange options, so basically takes it back to default.

 

[Brink]

Back to the drawing board.

 

[Hashim]

Back to the drawing board.

Lol, looks that way, yeah.

 

[ididntdoit]

Just want to add a big thank you for this fix. The inability to move my files around is the one thing that had stopped me from upgrading from xp to win 7 - in fact it was stopping me from upgrading my pc at all and since finding I have now just upgraded my pc.
You have the patient of a saint, I have read all 55 pages and lost count of the time I have read "you cannot freely move them in a library"
Once again - thank you.

 

[Brink]

I'm glad it could help ididntdoit.

 

[jonnyhotchkiss]

wow - think i've found your most active thread

stumbled here after wasting a day doing an install just to see if, out-of-box experience was logical, desired sort recent by date created / modified... Looks like I was wrong again!

Wild Punt, given the quick thread-search (great site feature for 'recent' yielded zero hits in all 55pages... I guess these hacks don't allow the 'recent items' (StartMenu list)

 

[Brink]

Hello Jonny,

Yeah, it won't work for that. If you like, you could use the tutorial below to disable Start Menu auto arrange though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/216199-start-menu-auto-arrange-name-enable-disable.html

 

[ididntdoit]

Ok I am still not getting what is happening here.
I have done the hack and I am not working in a library,
I have 2 phones with holiday snaps and also some stuff from internet.
I re arrange all in one folder as I want them to appear when looked at -- so my phone shot then the wife's and then the hotel screen shot of their own photo.

Now if I just leave it like that and look again on the pc - great they are all where I left them, in the order I want.
But that is no good for writing to a stick or disk for viewing in that order on a tv for example.Because the tv or dvd player will show them in a chronological order.
In xp I could re order and then select all and rename the 1st one Disney and then they would all get named Disney (1) Disney (2) and so on. So that when they were then written to a disk the DVD player would show them in the order I chose because they are now fixed in a cronoligical order .
When I try to rename the whole lot like before in xp the numbering gos nuts with the hack. I had put two photos side by side - via drag and drop hack and then rename all but they dont stay as a side by side number --- say - 5 -6 or 7-8.
I cant work out what is going on

 

[Brink]

Hello ididntdoit,

Folder views are not remembered for removable media.

 

[ididntdoit]

Its before I even get to write to to another media that I have issues.
Different cameras taken photos at different times - I drag and drop to put in to a logical order but the order I have put them in - say number 3 gets the file name 29 or something not expected when I select all and rename the first one.
In xp if I did that I would get the renamed file "rename" and hen the next one would become rename (1) then rename (2) and so on. So they would get a new name as the order that I dragged and dropped them as.
But with the hack I position where I want ok but I cannot name them in that position.
I need to rename them so that a dvd player will show them in the correct order from 1to whatever

 

[Brink]

For something like that, it may be better to drag and drop them to your desktop for the arrangement you like, rename them, then move them to where you like.

 

[ididntdoit]

Not sure what you mean there -we are talking 400 jpegs in a folder that is on the desktop

 

[Brink]

When auto arrange is disabled, you won't be able to rename them like that in the order you want. You might be able to if you do the renaming on the desktop itself first, then arrange them how you like in the folder.

 

[ididntdoit]

I think I have worked it out (almost)
I was working on a second internal HD dragging and dropping to reorder with no issues and they stayed put. But when I tried to select all and then rename the first one, the numbers were indeed given 1 to 400 but if I had dragged the original last jpeg to position number 2 then after the rename it stayed in position number 2 but was given the name image(400) like it was remembering its original position in the list, when I was wanting it to be named number (2).

So I tryed coping the folder onto the desktop so it is now in the win 7 hd and low and behold I can now reorder -select all -rename the first one and it now works, they get named image (1) image (2) image (3) just in the position I put them.

So it does not quite fully work on a second internal HD although I can drag and drop I cannot re number them in those dropped positions, but if I put the folder on the main drive desktop then I can.
Yes when I then put back on the second drive they get mixed up again but as they now have a sequential number I can select sort by name.

I still have an issue with the first 9 images because the number is given as (1) (2) but that causes an issue when viewing on other devices because they need to be named (01) (02) but when I rename to add the (0) some strange numbering happends which I will investigate and come back with a full description

 

[ididntdoit]

Sorry that was so long I hope it makes sense and helps others

 

[Brink]

I'm glad you were able to find a workaround for now.

 

[cammac725]

I'm trying to enable the auto-arrange function so I downloaded both files, enable & disable, in order to test that I can go back and forth but only one of them runs successfully. I looked at the .bat files and it looks like the "reg delete" commands are the same for both files. Is this right?:

:: To reset all folders to default folder views
Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" /F

Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\Bags" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShellNoRoam\BagMRU" /F

Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" /F

Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\Wow6432Node\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags" /F
Reg Delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\Wow6432Node\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU" /F


I even downloaded them a second time to make sure I didn't do the same one twice.

 

[Brink]

Hello Cammac, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The .reg files are different in OPTION ONE (disable) and OPTION TWO (enable). Both delete those entries, but the disable option also adds registry entries for allowing to arrange how you like.