Disable group by in Downloads folder (Windows 10 1903)

Anonymous

Hi, since I updated to the new Windows 1903 version the files in some folders like "Downloads" are always grouped by the date. I was able to disable this in the File Explorer itself by choosing "Group by = none". But in all kind of "Save as" dialogs from any application the group by date still appears and in those special explorer windows there is no option to disable file grouping in them. So how can I disable this globally?

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Anonymous

Hi Chap Sistine,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

The Group by option in normal folders and in Save as window are different, so if you change the Group by to type in Downloads folder, it will not change in Save as window. Then, if you change the Group by in Save as window, it will not change in normal folders.

You can refer the below example.

Change the Group by as size in Downloads folder - Change the Group by as size in Save as window.

Change the Group by as type in Downloads folder - (Check) Group by as size in Save as window (it will not change until you right-click in Save as window and change it to type or anything else).

Also, the Group by option is specific to folders and once you change Group by for a particular folder, the changes will not be applied to all the folders. You need to change the Group by for every folder by opening that particular folder > Press the Alt and V > Click on G > Select the Group by settings or click on Choose columns for more options.

So, once you change the Group by in Save as window, it will remain the same regardless of whichever application you open the Save as window from.

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Anonymous

2020-01-11T14:44:52+00:00

What I did and solved the continuously grouping by date of "Downloads" folder.

In windows explorer left pane

Right click on the "Downloads" Folder

Select "Properties"

Click "Customize"

Change Drop Down Menu to anything other then "General Items"

Change again back to "General Items"

"Apply" button appears

Click "Apply"

Click "OK"

I hope it solves your ms problems to.
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Anonymous

2020-01-15T10:41:26+00:00

Every time I open the downloads folder, all the files are grouped.

I know how to un-group them, but it's a pain in the **** doing that EVERY time I want to look at my downloads.

How do I PERMANENTLY disable this useless (for me) bug?

I was going to group all the words in this message to demonstrate how useless grouping can be, but you get the idea.

Here's the first sentence in Microsoft grouped format:

A:

all

are

D:

downloads

E:

Every

F:

files

folder

G:

grouped

I:

I

O:

open

T:

the

the

time
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Anonymous

2020-01-15T11:26:15+00:00

Thanks for the explanation and the solution.

Nonetheless, I think grouping as a default is a very stupid thing as it obfuscates things for almost everybody who has used the pc for more than a few weeks.

In the days of XP Microsoft put much effort into usability but the latest revisions of windows went far away from it.

Why is there no setting to set ALL folder views the same in one swoop?

Why is the start menu so stupidly organized?

Who the heck decided that are 5 different folder types (general items, documents, music, pictures, videos) which everybody must have?

And there is much much more.
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Anonymous

2020-01-16T16:53:47+00:00

amen @matt_768. This is the most annoying change to Windows in years. I'd rather have the lack of a start menu like Windows 8 vs what this thing is doing to my downloads folder. Despise it.
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