File explorer - how to change sizing and ordering?

[tallon]

Although I use it mainly in desktop mode, I have had few issues with W8.1 except for file explorer - it seems they've adopted the Apple approach of 'You must have it the way we want you to have it' rather than letting users configure it themselves...

Specifically,
1. I can't find how to force it to create new explorer windows at the size I want - they are always too small so I have to change each one - is there a way to do this?
2. I've managed to get it to display on opening: file/date modified/type/size in the 'details' view which is my prefered opening view, but I then have to click 'date modified' column to bring the latest up to the top - is there any way to force it to do that on opening?
3. In the 'save' box Windows now focuses on 'This PC' rather than 'Favourites', so I invariably have to scroll up to the top to see my Favourites, which includes 'Recent places' which is something I use probably 90% of the time - most of my saves and file openings are sometime I was recently working on. Is their any way to change this?

Can anyone help?

 

[David Bailey]

1. I can't find how to force it to create new explorer windows at the size I want - they are always too small so I have to change each one - is there a way to do this?

Open one & either click the maximize button or drag it bigger & close it.
This sets the size for new windows.

The new size should apply to all newly opened windows.
It does on my computer.

 

[topgundcp]

1. David's already told you. If it does not work then you might want to open Folder Options and reset it to default
2. From Windows Explorer, in addition to view->Sort by date, you also need to set by Ascending Order
3. Same as you, I often use "Favorites". The only way around it is to remove items under This PC such as Libraries, Documents, My Pictures, My Music etc... so the list will be shorten and "Favorites" will be displayed. Here's my screen
   which I only have All the HD's under This PC, nothing else.