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
    2021-04-23T03:25:52+00:00

    And most people's awareness of FolderTypes is limited to those available from the Customize tab in a folder's Properties dialog. But the Downloads type is reserved for the designated Downloads folder that normally appears under This PC.

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  2. 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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  3. Anonymous
    2021-04-22T19:37:57+00:00

    I think giving Downloads its own FolderType makes sense. Before, it was tied to Generic, which also governs the Desktop folder under This PC, along with all other folders outrside of the user hierarchy.

    The important thing is: you can override the new machine-wide default by using Apply to Folders from the View tab of the Folder Options dialog.

    I've posted more detail previously, please search for it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2021-04-22T18:39:29+00:00

    I'm going to guess it was to make it easier to virtualize, or as I like to call this, make it recursive. 

    That way MS can make things like One Drive, and "Recent" folders access and reside in your existing folders, while pretending to have done something that makes them more convenient. While actually only making a more convoluted path to get to where you already were. PIA.

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