Disable group by in Downloads folder (Windows 10 1903)

Anonymous
2019-06-18T09:01:17+00:00

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?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2019-06-19T03:25:57+00:00

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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  1. Anonymous
    2019-07-25T06:00:13+00:00

    Hi Jeremie,

    Thanks much, after trying all the other suggestions (none of which worked), I followed your link and now everything is working as it did before Version 1903 upgrade.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-07-27T12:21:01+00:00

    My Windows 10 Pro was just updated to version 1903 - and Microsoft changed my Downloads folder group option to Group By Date Modified.

    At first, I though I'd lost the subfolders. Then I became increasingly annoyed when I couldn't find any mention of this change in the What's New  or What's Changed information, or how to make it just show all in alphabetical order. I had to spend significant time to research the problem and how to fix it.

    Microsoft - as a general rule, I would prefer that your updates make no change my user interface. Especially when you're changing a user preference option rather than introducing some global improvement.

    But if you feel you must change my user interface, PLEASE HAVE THE COURTESY TO PLAINLY STATE YOUR CHANGES IN AN OBVIOUS AND EASILY ACCESSED AREA.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-08-06T23:08:40+00:00

    Regards;

    I am having all these troubles also with the unexpected download folder changes to a date default instead of let the user choose whatever option he wants. I use different 3rd party software (like Qdir) which gave me more options to work on my everyday file system instead of MS File Explorer and this change mess it up likewise with other 3rd party software that had been affected.

    This might seem like a dumb idea but I will try to create another folder for my downloads (since I also changed the folder to my E: hard disk) and since my browsers will download them wherever the folder I configured I think that it might work.

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-08-09T20:09:28+00:00

    This does not seem completely true for Version 1903 (OS Build 18362.100005). The Group by option seems to randomly reset itself whenever it wants to. It seems to default to Date Modified. One sure fire way to get it to reset is to go into the Folder Options and change something, say Show hidden file, folders, and drives. Then click on the Apply to Folders to apply the change to all folders. The Group by annoyingly reset to default for all folders. There needs to be a way to apply the Group by options for both folder options and save by window to all files, folders, and drives. It also needs to stay the way it is set. I also feel like there needs to be a way to disable it (in other word Group by none) completely for people like me the don't like it at all. There usually is a way even if it take a registry edit to accomplish. If there is a way to disable it I haven't found it and would be grateful to anyone that can tell me how to do it.

    Thanks to anyone that can help.

    Mark.

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