How to Stop File Explorer Sorting by Week and Month

Anonymous
2019-07-26T21:53:02+00:00

After the recent update Windows file explorer is now grouping items by day, week and month. I do not want this. I want the old way back please. How do I get rid of this new sorting? I hope this is not going to be like what happened to media folders where they now display metadata columns instead of name, date, size, type and even if you change them the next time you open the folder it has reverted back to metadata columns.

Update: I worked out that Group By must be set to none. How do I make this default so it doesn't revert back? I'd also like to stop my media folders reverting back to the old way too so they show name, date, size, type instead of Artist, Album, Title etc

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

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Anonymous
2019-09-05T03:31:56+00:00

There is no bug.  Someone at Microsoft just managed to apply their default folder setting to everyone that installs the update.

To turn off file grouping feature:

  1. Open a folder that is Grouping by/sorting using week and month.
  2. Right Click in the folder
  3. Select 'Group by'
  4. Select '(None)'

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  1. Les Ferch 10,361 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2021-07-29T12:34:07+00:00

    Please note that you must do two more steps to turn off Group by Date for ALL Downloads views:

    Image

    If you stop after just doing the first three steps, you'll only be changing ONE view into your Downloads folder location. If you access Downloads via a different route, such as This PC, Downloads, C:\Users\UserName\Downloads, or File Open/Save within an application, each of those views is actually a different folder that points to the same Downloads location. Therefore, you must turn off Group By Date for the Downloads folder type in order for it to be off everywhere. The additional steps shown in the image above accomplish that.

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  2. Anonymous
    2021-04-28T20:53:42+00:00

    Thank You!! You managed to explain it succinctly and clearly. :)

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  3. Les Ferch 10,361 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2021-04-28T16:40:33+00:00

    Please see the entire thread. There is no bug. There was a GUID change for the Downloads folder to make it it's own FolderType in Windows 1903 and above. Set the view for Downloads as you like (e.g. set Group By to None) and be sure to go to Options, Change folder and search options, View, and click Apply to Folders to set ALL Downloads views the same.

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  4. Les Ferch 10,361 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2021-04-22T20:09:09+00:00

    Agreed. It should have been its own FolderType all along. Yup, set your Downloads folder the way you like it and be sure to click Apply to Folders. Skipping that step leads to frustration. It's too bad Apply to Folders is buried so deep (Options, Change folder and search options, View).

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