Windows Explorer Auto Arrange - Disable in Windows 8

How to Disable Auto Arrange in File Explorer to have Free Sorting in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

In Windows 8, auto arrange is enabled by default so that all file and folder names in File Explorer are sorted alphabetically no matter what folder view you used.

This is basically like having how you can arrange icons how you like on your desktop in every folder in Files Explorer now.

This will show you how to disable Auto Arrange to be able to sort your files and folders in any random order you like in File Explorer without it having to be sorted alphabetically by name in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1. Windows 8 will also remember these random folder sortings, and open as how they were when the window was last closed.

   Note

• When auto arrange is disabled, you can arrange items in any order and position using Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Extended Tiles folder views.

• When auto arrange is disabled, and you are using Details folder view, you can only arrange items in any order and not in any position.

• When auto arrange is disabled and you switch from a Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Tiles folder view to Details folder view, it will reset auto arrange to list all items in the folder in the order that you had them arranged in instead of any position. You will have to rearrange the positions how you like again afterwards.

• When you disable auto arrange, and either unzip a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder, it will refresh and auto arrange the files in that specific folder only after each time you do this. Auto arrange is still disabled for that folder, but you will need to arrange the files back to whatever non-auto arranged order you like again after unzipping a file in a folder, move a folder, or rename a folder.

• The Auto arrange and Align to grid options, when you right click or press and hold on an empty area in the folder and click on View, are only available (not grayed out) while using the Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons, and Tiles folder view.

• To enable or disable auto arrange for a specific folder, you can right click or press and hold on an empty area in the folder, click/tap on View, then click/tap on Auto arrange to uncheck (disable) or check (enable) it for that specific folder.

• If you use Apply to Folders, it will reset auto arrange to list all items in the folders in the order that you had them arranged in instead of any position. Using Apply to Folders will also have View -> Auto arrange checked (enabled) afterwards for all these folders. You will need to uncheck Auto Arrange in each folder affected by "Apply to Folders" to be able to arrange in any position in these folders again.

   Warning

DO NOT USE this tutorial in any other OS than Windows 8.

• While this tutorial will allow you to disable auto arrange in the Libraries folder itself, it will not disable auto arrange inside any of the other library folders (ex: Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos).
• Free sorting is not available if you use "Group by" views instead of only "Sort by" views.
• Free sorting is not available in the List and Content folder views.

EXAMPLE: Auto Arrange Enabled and Disabled
NOTE: Notice in the screenshot with Auto Arrange disabled, the files can be dragged around the File Explorer window to sort how you like without having to be in alphabetical order.

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OPTION ONE

To Disable Auto Arrange in Windows 8 File Explorer

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   Warning

It is also recommended to create a restore point before doing this option in case you would like to undo any unwanted unknown side affects that OPTION TWO may not undo. This way, you could also do a system restore with this restore point to undo this option completely.

   Warning

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1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below.​

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Disable_Windows_8_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat​

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2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.​

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3. Close everything that you have running first, then run the downloaded .bat file.​

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4. If prompted, click/tap on Run. ​

NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​

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5. You will now notice your screen flicker and a command prompt open as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.​

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6. Let the command prompt count down to finish on it's own without pressing a key.​

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7. When it's finished, you will see the This PC window open.​

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8. Auto arrange in File Explorer is now disabled.​

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OPTION TWO

To Enable Auto Arrange in Windows 8 File Explorer

NOTE: This is the default setting. This option will also reset all folder views back to default.

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1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the BAT file below.​

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Enable_Windows_8_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat​

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2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.​

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3. Close everything that you have running first, then run the downloaded .bat file.​

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4. If prompted, click/tap on Run. ​

NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​

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5. You will now notice your screen flicker as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.​

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6. Auto arrange in File Explorer is now enabled again.​

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7. You can delete the downloaded .bat file if you like.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Back Up and Restore Your Folder View Settings in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Change Icon Size and Layout Folder View in Windows 8 File Explorer
• How to Change the Template of a Folder or Drive in Windows 8
• How to Set a Default Folder Template for All Folders in Windows 8
• How to Set a Default Folder View for All Folders in Windows 8
• "Apply to Folders" a Custom View to All Folders with Same Template in Windows 8
• How to Reset Folder View Settings Back to Default in Windows 8
• How to Change the Width of Columns in Windows 8 File Explorer
• How to Change the Order of Columns in Windows 8 File Explorer
• How to Add or Remove Columns in Windows 8 File Explorer
• How to Sort, Group, and Arrange Items by a Column in Windows 8 File Explorer
• How to Arrange Folders Included in a Library in Any Order in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Enable or Disable Numerical Sorting in File Explorer

 

[c627627]

Thank you.


Edit: But I still have to test it

 

[Brink]

You're welcome. Odd little quirk isn't it.

 

[c627627]

Shawn,

Having a partition image of Windows 8 before applying this patch allowed me to test it three times to confirm that Auto-arrange is indeed disabled globally after applying the patch.

Now the triple tested downsides, which made me want to not apply the patch to my permanent Win8 image:


1. If you want to set folder views globally, and not have to set folder views in every single folder you go to, as soon as you set folder views globally to match the folder you are in and you:

View > Options > View TAB > Apply to Folders > Yes > OK

Now all the folders will have the same View, however Auto arrange now has to be applied individually to every folder. It is no longer applied globally. This is a huge problem. I am willing to test this again if I did not understand correctly how to go about this.


2. Before patching the system, go to folder containing music files only, and take a screen shot of Content View, like I did earlier.

After patching the system that same view will have distracting additional information under music files. I was not able to confirm that this workaround works: "Change the view in this order: Tiles > Content being careful not to hover over any other view option to have it change to it. If you go from one of the other views and directly to Content, it doesn't display the same."

Again, screen shots can confirm/deny this problem. I posted them a couple of posts ago to illustrate it.


The first problem kills the usability of the patch. I tested this problem when the original Windows 7 patch first came out as well and this was the reason why I never used the Win7 Auto-arrange disabling patch and had to spend more than 50% of time using WinXP partition instead of Win7 (to this day).



Of course, the patch is great for people who don't care about this or for temporarily applying it before reimaging the system back, my OS partition is small enough for me to reboot into Windows XP and reimage Windows 8 in a couple of minutes - less time than it takes for a short bathroom break. But if people don't image their system, they'll find out about this the hard way.


Or have I not tested these issues correctly?

 

[Brink]

c627627,

It looks like you tested it good to me.

Q1) Unfortunately, when using "Apply to Folders" it does turn off auto arrange by default for the affected folders. There's not a way around it so far other than unchecking auto arrange again per affected folder. I added a note about this in the tutorial to make sure everyone knows about it.

Q2) It does have a different "Content" view with more info in it, but using "Change the view going in this order: Tiles -> Content being careful not to hover over any other view option to have it change to it. If you go from one of the other views and directly to Content, it doesn't display the same." has worked for me each time. I'm not sure why it hasn't for you.

 

[c627627]

Thank you. If it's not too much trouble, using a system on which the patch was applied and on which
View > Options > View TAB > Apply to Folders > Yes > OK
was run,
would you post a small screen shot of Content view of a folder with only music files in it?

 

[Brink]

No problem.

Here's the screenshots after using "Apply to Folders" for "Music" folders using "Tiles" then "Content" view.

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Here's "Content" view after using the Enable_Windows_8_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat.

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[c627627]

Thank you for doing that. So now to get to the bottom of this, to first define correct vs incorrect (as I see it):

Correct display, the way things should be is your screenshot labeled "after using the Enable_Windows_8_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat"

Incorrect display is the one above that.


The source of confusion is this: If you both use View > Options > View TAB > Apply to Folders > Yes > OK

*and*

apply the patch - then you are stuck with the incorrect screenshot - and that's the problem because it messes up your music folder display by permanently displaying it incorrectly as defined by your screenshot 1.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, it adds a few more details to the "Content" view using "Apply to Folders" and the "Disable Auto Arrange" .bat file.

 

[c627627]

Thank you for helping me establish that this happens on every system and not just mine. There is the side effect of Content View option not being fully restored then. Some people may not think this is a big deal, but it ruins the music folder view. I have my entire CD collection transferred to PC and play songs directly from Windows folders, I can't be having additional info displayed besides song names, distracting me from quickly selecting songs I want to listen to.

The patch is still useful for a lot of people, there's no question about that, and once again, thanks for posting this.


So not being able to group files or folders on different parts of the screen will keep me booting back onto WinXP, frequently. This still remains #1 problem for me with Win7 and 8. But honestly, the way they made the GUI, even if side effects were not there, files/folders just do not move as smoothly and seamlessly as they do on Windows XP.


Quick Off Topic:

1. I have just finished my complicated Windows 8 install, and auto-arrange was the first thing I wanted to check in with you. Next is to see if they fixed the memory leak bug when error checking a large external drive. As you may know, they never fixed this under Windows 7. The system slows down after a while if you do an extended scan of your (large) external drive. Looking forward to testing that, was wondering if you knew?


2. Taking away the Search GUI is the second reason I am forced to reboot into WinXP. The only way I know a file or a folder, is or is not, present on the system is if I do a search from Windows XP using it's GUI Search:



I have caught and took screen shots of Windows 7 search missing search terms that were actually present. I was not able to reliably repeat the missed searches but they happened often enough for me to conclude that the new search engine was totally unreliable in addition to being unusable by average users looking for files containing certain words or created on certain dates or having a certain size, etc.

Windows 7/8 search engine can do that, but without GUI like in WinXP, you need to memorize a book of commands on how to do a simple search that took less than a second on WinXP because it was a simple matter of CHECKING a search box option.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome c627627.

I'm afraid I don't know about the memory leak issue.

The search issue would be something for a new thread though since it would take this one to far off topic.

 

[hotrippr]

Thank you so much for the patch. I had an annoyance where I would right click and set a pic as desktop background and then file explorer would auto jump back to the top of the folder page, it was very annoying as I would have to either press the arrow button to get me back to the general area or I would have to scroll all the way back down to where I was before setting an image as desktop background. So far so good, I was just looking for that fix but I also like being able to arrange folders again. I never had that problem with Win 7 as far as I could remember.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome hotrippr, and welcome to Eight Forums.

 

[venomofdatruth]

First of all, thank you Brink to post this article article. And my question is about User Files. When I add some files in it, I can't use this option. Auto Arrange is still active. There is no way to use this option on our files added in User Files?

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello venomofdatruth, and welcome to Eight Forums.

When you add files into a folder, those files will be auto arranged by default. You will be able to arrange them how you like after they have been added though.

 

[venomofdatruth]

Maybe I couldn't explain my problem. After I used your patch, I could disable the auto arrange and move the files. But when I sent couple of files to the User File (I mean the file exists with your user name on the desktop C:\Users\X (X, is your user name)) I can't change the order. Also I use tiles section but there is no chance to use 2 column? Do I have to use special tiles?

 

[Brink]

In "Tiles" view, it's a bit harder to arrange how you like. You would have to drag a file/folder to an empty space at the bottom to leave a gap. From there you can drag and drop others to the gap or bottom to create more gaps to move more items around. Almost like the game Tetris.

In "Tiles" view you can only arrange them in any order, but not any position like in an icons view. I find using medium or large icons view works best to arrange them how you like.

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[venomofdatruth]

As I see, you have options like Auto Arrange and Align to grid. But when I followed the same path there are no options like those. What could be the reason?

 

[Brink]

Could you post a screenshot showing the same thing as mine to see what you have to see if that may help ID the issue?

 

[venomofdatruth]

 

[Brink]

Do you have UAC set to at least the default level?

It sounds like the Disable_Windows_8_Explorer_Auto_Arrange.bat file in OPTION ONE didn't fully get applied.

Try running the .bat again to see if you are able to arrange them in any order you like afterwards. Be sure that you close all explorer windows before running it.