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

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-05-10T16:02:34+00:00

    No longer works after latest 2023-05 Cumulative Update for Windows 11 Version 22H2 (KB5026372) :-(

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-12-15T11:31:35+00:00

    Nothing changes.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-05-10T17:29:04+00:00

    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
    2023-07-03T17:06:40+00:00

    On the File Explorer >> ... > Options >> View screen, I had to use the 'Restore Defaults' button before I could rearrange the Quick Access folders. After doing that, I was able to drag the folders to the right order (the Copy option remained, but if I hovered in the right location, I eventually received the horizontal line that let me drop the folder there). After I got everything reordered, I went back in and customized my View settings again (I despise some of the default settings), and the Quick Access folders stayed the way I'd reordered them.

    As a guess, there was a bug in how the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 handled customized View settings. That's why some people are seeing this a little differently than others. The 'Restore Defaults' option is likely to work in all cases, but I don't have anywhere else to try this to be sure. :-) Good luck!

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-03-31T16:30:16+00:00

    Thank you. This works.

    The sort feature is not available; but I can drag and reorder things now.

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