How to reorder items in Quick access (File explorer, Windows 11)

Anonymous
2022-12-14T15:33:05+00:00

I think my File Explorer (Windows 11) is possessed by an evil creature that enjoys rattling me. Every once in a while it decides to substitute my pinned folders with some random and mostly useless ones.

Today I decided to retry and re-organize that section of File explorer.

I am not able to sort the items I put in Quick Access. Folders are in a completely random order, not alphabetical, not based on usage. It is random.

When I try and move a folder, File Explorer put it back where it was.

This is an incredibly bad application. I fail in understanding how Microsoft is not able to provide a simple and functional File Explorer. I use also a Mac OS system and cannot belive how much better their simple Finder is. At least it enables users to organize their pinned locations as they like.

Is there anyone with a suggestion?

By the way. Besides the name, what do you think the difference between "Quick access" and "Favorites" is?

For the experts: reinstalling Windows is not an option.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | 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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-03-02T14:14:57+00:00

    Hi, Anita. Surprisingly, your advice works 😊, sometimes 😲

    Sometimes it doesn't 😒:

    Image

    On the screenshot above I am trying to move the “t” folder higher, but Explorer refuses the move (note ∅ mark).

    I clicked here and there for a while, and … — wow, Explorer admitted the very same move and “t” folder got reordered!

    I didn't notice this possibility earlier, because it works not always.

    I was unable to find out, what sequence of clicks makes Explorer benevolent to QA reordering.

    Nevertheless, your finding is a big relief for me and, maybe, others.

    The task has been made at least doable, maybe with obstacles.

    Thank you very much for your advice ❤️, and especially for the demonstration of the solution with a screenshot. Without screenshot your advice, likely, would be not reproducible.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-03-02T14:52:03+00:00

    I asked my wife, a Mac devotee, if Finder keeps changing. She looked at me like I had lost my mind.

    It does seem like the new file explorer is very gradually improving, and perhaps in a few years we will have all the Win 7 functionality back. Praying for the ability to rename quick access items. Meanwhile I have to be careful that no two sub-folders can have the same name. Imagine asking Linux users to do that, with all the /etc and /bin directories.

    Thank you Anita C for the helpful image showing where you can re-arrange and where you can't. I made the same discovery but was too mortified to post it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-03-07T12:48:18+00:00

    This was a pain in the neck for me and frustrating. This solution worked for me. Thank you.

    Same problem frustrated me as well, but I found somewhere a hint which I tried, and within seconds had solved the issue.
    Open Folder options in File Explorer, go to Tab "View", scroll down to object group "Navigation pane".
    There: uncheck the box "Show all folders"
    That's all it takes, now I am fully able to arrange/rearrange/order my Qick Access objects. Still haven't found any negative bi-effects of it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-03-07T14:06:59+00:00

    I've tried all the suggestions since I first posted this, but none have worked. I feel like giving up trying!! Microsoft have spilt file explorer in many ways such as this and not being able to drag and drop or work on the address line.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-03-19T19:06:14+00:00

    Trying to follow these instructions caused 6,175 items to be copied to a folder where I will have to delete them.

    Does no one have a solution for how to reorder the items in quick access?

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