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. Anonymous
    2020-03-31T15:41:09+00:00

    There is a bug.

    The setting reverts to default after leaving and returning to the folder.

    Not on a properly funcdtioning system.

    There are a lot of "half answers" out there --- what have you tried? Are you interesting in some step-by-step troubleshooting? (some jjust come here to vent).

    Keith

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-03-31T09:56:21+00:00

    There is a bug.

    The setting reverts to default after leaving and returning to the folder.

    This cannot be a design pattern.

    So Microsoft Please fix that the changes do not revert.

    It is hard to find duplicates in this way in the Downloads folder.

    This makes a mess, ... you cannot just easily arrange files by name, date, size, - you have to fix this grouping every time.

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  3. Anonymous
    2020-03-27T15:27:34+00:00

    my goodness.  I hate this group by thing.  I really appreciate like really your lengthy explanation and how to fix but why was this questionable design change implemented?  ugh I hate it.  Thanks again!

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  4. Anonymous
    2020-03-25T21:25:13+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)'

    It fixed my issue.

    Thanks for your help.

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