Please bring back the ability to freely arrange icons within folders "DISABLE AUTO ARRANGE"!

Hi Europa. I 'm I'm Greg, 10 years awarded Windows MVP, here to help you.

I'm not sure what disable auto-arrange is except for the desktop icons. The order of files in your folders always has been controlled by the Sort by and Group by choices on Explorer View tab.

This is explained here in the best articles about customizing folder view in Explorer:

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/16694/customize...

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/34895-chang...

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/34946-chang...

If this is not exactly what you need, please explain a bit more so I can help you better. Otherwise feel free to ask back questions and keep me posted on your progress as I will be here to help until this is resolved.

______________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

Hi Greg I'm Mark. Thank you so much for trying to help! The articles you linked to all do not do stop Windows from forced ordering.

  All I'm trying to do, which just seems common sense to me, is sort or arrange my files within folders in File explorer with large icon view the way I want them to. 

Windows forces their arrangement which makes no sense to me at all. When I got my computer a couple years ago Windows 10 DID show right click sort Auto Arrange with a disable/enable toggle. I always had this disabled on the whole computer. I do not want ANY auto arrange. My entire computer file/folder system is now completely messed up and I don't see those options to go back anywhere now.

An example is when I put many files or folders or apps into a folder, (I have them in Large icon view for convenience and best viewing), I sort or arrange them in my importance and how I use them and need them. I know exactly the order of and where they are within the folder window.    Now when I close the window and open it up again, or refresh the window, the files and folders are Completely in a different order, and position within the window!!  I have to look at every file name to find it again! With a large number of files in a window, as soon as I add a file it's lost, it moves somewhere else in a forced order and will not remain in place.

 I believe a Windows 10 update awhile ago messed the registry up to cause this.   Can you find or create a solution? Again, with fear of repeating myself, simply let you place the position and order of icons of any data in a window and LEAVE IT ALONE. When you go back to get the data it's Exactly the same.

I appreciate whatever you can suggest to allow a user to not have to constantly lose the data somewhere where you did not leave it. I'm about to give up on this crazy Windows forced behavior, losing to much time trying to find things. (what if you left your car keys on the kitchen table, left the room, then came back to the kitchen and the house put them in the bedroom, because it wanted to. )

I will do anything you ask to try to get this to work right. Thanks for being there! I'll keep up hope.

I found this 2021 method to disable auto-arrange in folders in WIndows 10:
https://windowsreport.com/disable-auto-arrange-...
(Avoid ad links which intrude into editorial copy, especially avoid Restoro, PC Repair Tool and Reimage ads)

Let me know if it still works. An earlier 2015 tutorial I had found when I first read your post by the best tutorial writer MVP Shawn Brink here: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/14856-enabl... says that it no longer works after Creators Update.

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

______________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

No, doesn't work anymore. I tried it and it truly did work initially, exactly what was needed, then the darn current Creator's Update nullified it. Really frustrated MS broke it, again. It is/was a registry change patch so if someone out there knows how to work with that maybe they can get it to function again. Need a newer version of sorts.

Please keep trying to look. I am so grateful to have an experienced set of eyes helping. I won't give up if you don't!

Mark -

You can try these latest guides purporting to remove Auto Arrange for folders in File Explorer:

https://www.softwareok.com/?seite=faq-Q-DIR&amp...

https://techcult.com/disable-auto-arrange-in-fo...

https://www.techsupportall.com/how-to-manually-...

https://technastic.com/disable-auto-refresh-aut...

https://windowsreport.com/disable-auto-arrange-...

(Avoid ad links which intrude into editorial copy, especially avoid Restoro, PC Repair Tool and Reimage ads)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxyWtHqmMuI

If none of those work you can also sample these alternatives to File Explorer which might work better:

https://geekflare.com/windows-file-managers/

https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/best-windows-file...

https://www.maketecheasier.com/best-windows-fil...

https://rigorousthemes.com/blog/best-windows-fi...

Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back I may have other suggestions if necessary.

______________________________________________

Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.