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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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Hi Dan, like some others who have posted on this thread, I think that you misunderstood the original post. This is not about anything on the Desktop. Also, Windows XP was the last version of Windows that allowed users to list files in any order. However, some very clever users found registry hack to allow files in any order. Microsoft closed other hacks, I believe. In any event there is still no way to list files in any order.
Well Sir ........... XP was not the last version to allow you to turn off auto arrange.
I am upgrading from windows 7 has I said before and it is allowed in Win 7 as well as it was in Windows 8. I have dual boot PC setup with Win 7 and Win 10. I have been using Win 10 for programs that will no longer run in Win 7, like TurboTax.
And YES I understand you can jump through hoops, and cumbersome work around only to kind of make it work that is already in the program. I start out on IBM 360 computers and punch cards.
Your suggestion is kind of like "Hold my beer, I've some Duck Tape around here some where."
Win 10 have ability to do this they have the function on the main screen option to disable auto-arrange.
WHY re-imagin and reinvent from everything from scratch? Learn from History or Repeat the same mistakes.
Computers and Windows are older than 2005.
Thanks you very much for your response, But your age is a handicap, somethings were around before you and I guess guess since you do not experience them they just didn't exist.
Dan OKC
Hi Dan, yes. But I do not think that Microsoft has any intention of allowing users to go back to the last time you could list files in any order, that is Windows XP. The thing is that Microsoft has not changed the way folders could be arranged in any order, OTHER than making it impossible to unclick>Name>Very deliberately!
I know that you are aware but for anyone who does not realise you can number the files in any order you can use the date as of today type> 2025-02-20, this will keep the files in date order.
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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.
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.
