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

Sorry, I must disagree. I cannot see any reason why a user would want to drag files anywhere in the folder. All that I want to do is to be able to arrange the files in a list in any order. The 'Name' prevents this. I still have a Window XP laptop and I do not remember ever being able to drag the files anywhere. AND these kinds of discussions to NOT help the case for moving the restriction, whichever one you or think it is.

Hi Ron.

There was nothing to agree or disagree with in my reply. I was simply stating how it used to work and how it works now. I'm trying to be neutral here. While I personally have no need for manual arrangement of files within a folder, some user are very passionate about that feature.

Please clarify what you mean by "All that I want to do is to be able to arrange the files in a list in any order". Do you mean sort by other properties, such as Date modified, or do you mean drag the files manually into an order of your choosing?

If it's the latter, that's exactly what we're talking about here and the last time that worked (i.e. manually drag files into an arbitrary order in Details or Icon view), without any registry fiddling, was Windows Vista. The last time it worked, with registry fiddling, and remembering the arrangement, was Windows 10 1703.

If it's the former (i.e. sort on other properties) that should always work. If that doesn't work, I can help you fix that.

Hi, "do you mean drag the files manually into an order of your choosing" Yes. And I have just fired up my old Windows XP. And the>Arrange by is limed to>Name>Size>Type>Modified. Unless anyone can tell me how to 'manually drag the files into any order'.

It is a long time since I booted the laptop up, I was expecting to refuse to boot. It did make choose boot order etc.

PS: I think that the confusion, maybe on my part, is that With XP you can turn on 'Thumbnails' and drag them about in any order. I did not close the folder to find out if it stuck, but I expect it would have done. But that is not what I want.

PS: I think that the confusion, maybe on my part, is that With XP you can turn on 'Thumbnails' and drag them about in any order. I did not close the folder to find out if it stuck, but I expect it would have done. But that is not what I want.

In Windows XP and Windows Vista you can also drag the files into any order when in Details view. It will stick.

Currently, in Windows 10 and 11, it's possible to enable the old Windows Vista view mode (via registry settings), and then you can drag the files into any order when in Details view or Icons view, but the order will not stick.

I have read a reply on another old page from someone who apparently works for M$ that they removed the manual arrangement inside folders feature since W7 because it could cause some issues.

not sure how, because XP works flawlessly and the script for W7 does a similar job despite some minimal differences.

I don't use W10 or W11 because the stupid clowns at M$ removed this essential feature for no apparent reason.

I can't live without this function because I need to pair icons to my liking otherwise it becomes a true nightmare scrolling up and down

I have read a previous comment about switching to MAC because this feature exists there

I was seriously thinking about this move or even Linux if they don't bring this function back

lastly I don't want to break the forum rules so won't post here what I think about the '''yellow skins''' who have ruined the Windows GUI with minimalist sh*t that has nothing to do with W7 or older.