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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
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.

Was this answer helpful?

60+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

214 additional answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2020-10-04T04:55:21+00:00

    This is a developer error.  There is no Group by option available in the Downloads folder.  Users cannot fix this.  Microsoft needs to better educate their developers and not allow those who have not been educated to do any development work.  This response is a total waste of time!

    Unfortunately, the reply marked as 'Answer' in this thread is not wrong, just incomplete.

    Though only FIle Explorer views have the Ribbon and View tab available, both Explorer and the Common Dialogs, Open, Save, and SaveAs, have the background context menu available by rightr-clicking in the background of the Content Pane:

    The crucial step missing from the accepted answer is to turn off grouping in a Explorer view and then use Apply to Folders to set the ungrouped view as your custom default. That will then be used by all folders that haven't already saved a view.

    While Apply to Folders deletes previously saved Explorerviews for the given template ( so the new view is applied the next time they are viewed), it doesn't do the same for the Common Dialogs, so they may retain a grouped view. That can be deleted so they also use the new template by copying & pasitng the following bit of code into a PowerShell window:

    $Bags = 'HKCU:\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags'

    $DLID = '{885A186E-A440-4ADA-812B-DB871B942259}'

    (Get-ChildItem $bags -recurse | ? PSChildName -like $DLID ) | Remove-Item

    gps explorer | spps

    This ensures that any folders or dialogs using the Downloads FolderType will use your customized default the next time they are viewed.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-10-04T18:08:32+00:00

    Unfortunately, Keith A. Miller, you are wrong.  I am not doing a Save As.  Apparently, the developer screwed things up more than I realized.  I have learned through experimentation this morning that going to the Downloads folder forces a Save As mode.  Of course, that means I am right.  Users cannot fix this.  Microsoft developers will have to fix this.  There are millions of users with this problem now.  Get to work, Microsoft!  It would have been nice if you had tested this change before delivering it to the world untested!  We are not getting paid to test!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Deleted

    This answer has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The answer was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

    Comments have been turned off. Learn more

  4. Anonymous
    2020-10-04T19:44:25+00:00

    Unfortunately, Keith A. Miller, you are wrong.  I am not doing a Save As.  Apparently, the developer screwed things up more than I realized.  I have learned through experimentation this morning that going to the Downloads folder forces a Save As mode.  Of course, that means I am right.  User cannot fix this.  Microsoft developers will have to fix this.  There are millions of users with this problem now.  Get to work, Microsoft!  It would have been nice if you had tested this change before delivering it to the world untested!  We are not getting paid to test!

    There is not a coherent sentence in your entire reply.

    "...going to the Downloads folder forces a Save As mode...."

    Could you rephrase that in English, please.

    Keith, I am not doing a "Save As" but the File Explorer screen is displaying the" Save As" words in the upper left corner of the File Explorer window.  Additionally, it is displaying lists of folders and files in groups of descending time periods.  There are many subfolders in my Downloads folder.  It makes selecting where I want to save my document impossible.  This is a new file that will most likely save with today's date.  It is beyond me why it is displaying the Downloads root folder and its contents in descending date order.  If I press enter, the file will save it there in C:\Downloads folder and I will have to move it manually to the folder I want later.  I do not want to save it there.  I do not know when the folder I want to save it in last had a file saved to it.  If the folders were in alphabetical order, I would be able to find the folder I want very easily.  This weird group by date sort makes no logical sense at all, not even if I was wanting to do a "Save As" process.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments