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I just want to "disable" confounding Auto Arrange files within folders in Windows 10. I can't understand that when you leave file/folder icons in the position and order that you want and then Windows decides to mix them up. I'm continually wasting time trying to find lost data. It's ridiculous. Does anyone know or can create something that just allows you to arrange or sort files within folders, and Leave them alone, without the OS messing them up?
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No The order is not saved unless you rename the files. But as I have previously written, it is about establishing a specific order and then renaming the files so that they are subsequently still in the correct order in relation to the new names.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/64ezgo3crz8hz5g/Sort%20-%20Rename%20files.mp4?dl=0
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FYI, I just tested the feature and it still works, just not if a folder is formatted for 'images'.
Please define "still works".
As per this tutorial (and my own verification) the position of freely arranged icons in folders are NOT saved (as of Windows 10 1703 and above). For most people, temporary arranging of icons is not very useful.
As for image folders (folder type "Pictures"), I saw no difference in behavior. That is, after applying the registry change, and disabling auto-arrange, I can freely move icons around in Picture folders, just as I can in Documents or other folder types, but the icon positions are NOT saved.
I always make a backup of the registry before I change anything, so you can always go back to an earlier version.
Run regedit, File in the top menu, then 'Export', save the file in a place on the hard drive you can remember. If problems occur, you do exactly the same, you just choose import instead of export. :-) Save registry backup
Most valuable information. I will have to try to figure out how to "undo" the registry program if there is a problem that occurs. I don't know how to do that yet.
Thanks so much! If I get the thing to work and I figure out the images issue you are having I'll certainly share it with you. Can't stop being astonished that Windows makes is so hard to get a fundamental function back to work again, after it already had it!
Windows 10 Home, Version 22H2, Build 19045.2130, Windows Feature Experience pack 120.2212.4180.0
It works for Folders (old, and newly created) on the desktop, and anywhere else in the folder structure, some times I have to change the folder type from one setting to another to get I to work, but only once per. folder. Folders set to images, oddly enough sometimes it works but other times it doesn't.