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

 

[venomofdatruth]

I disabled UAC couple of weeks ago. The weird thing is I can see the list if I follow the path but when I add the User's Files on the desktop, It's not working. All files are working but what makes User's File special? It seems like I have to create a fake User's special and give up the real one.
And my second question is if I use "Tiles", Is there no option for second column? Do I have to use just a column as you showed on that picture?

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. This is in the "User Files" desktop icon. I thought you meant from the actual "C:\Users\(user-name)" folder instead.

Yep, you are not able to arrange the items in that desktop icon location for some reason.

If you like, you could create a shortcut of the actual "C:\Users\(user-name)" folder on your desktop to use instead, and it will let you arrange all you like in it.

Unfortunately, it's actually "Extended Tiles" even though it says "Tiles" in the ribbon. This is why it's only one column. There's nothing I know that will change this other than using a different view.

 

[venomofdatruth]

Thanks for everything. Microsoft makes unreasonable moves all the time. I run into this question in Microsoft forums and all they said is if you send a post, maybe they take care of this problem blah... blah... blah... If they hired valuable staff like you, there wouldn't be these kind of ridicilous problems and they could offer a real help instead of telling their users to send a message. Anyway, Thanks again.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome venomofdatruth. Glad I could help.

 

[venomofdatruth]

I guess I found a bug of this program. I hope you can help about it. Let me explain the issue:

yxxxxx
xxxxxz

If you put "z" file in front of "y" then you double click the file, system direct you inside of the "y" file. I mean it still act like "Y" file's location didn't change. I hope I could explain.

 

[Brink]

Hello Venomofdatruth,

I'm not sure what you mean. If you double click on only the "z" file, it should open the "z" file regardless of what order or position you have it arranged.

Could you post a screenshot showing this to see if it may help more?

 

[venomofdatruth]

Arrow 1 shows the location you carried the file and then you double clicked the file you carried. During this time Arrow 2 shows that File Z goes left after you carry the file Y. These are all normal behaviors. Here is the problem. You carry the file Y and double clicked to see the content of the file Y but it's different content. When you go back it shows as if you chose File Z then when you double clicked the file you change the location there is no problem. But this happening when you carry the file and double clicked, it show the conten of the file which replace moved file.

 

[Brink]

Actually, when you move "File Y" to position 1 between those folders, "File Z" should stay where it's at, and only "File Y" gets moved like below.

When you click on "File Y" to open it after being moved, it should still open the "File Y" folder with "File Y" contents.

Could you post some before and after screenshots with the address bar included of each step of what you are seeing?

 

[venomofdatruth]

But auto arrange is active. Could it be a problem? Otherwise I'm gonna send you the screenshots.

 

[venomofdatruth]

I uploaded and named in order. Shot 1: I chose addins file, Shot 2: I moved the file before the fonts, Shot 3: when I doube clicked the addins file it shows me the content of AppCombat, Shot 4: When I go back it shows as if I clicked AppCombat.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. Now I understand what you mean.

You disabled auto arrange using Option One, but have "Auto arrange" checked in the folder's "View" context menu when this happens.

It appears to be some sort of refresh or focus (selected file) issue. About all you can do is to change the focus by selecting another file first, then open the moved folder.

 

[venomofdatruth]

It's not a big deal actually but when you do this you could be suprised to see different content. I just wondered there is a solution to prevent this or not. Thanks again.

 

[Brink]

None that I'm aware of.

 

[boohbah]

thanks shawn , love this tut

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Jerry. Thank you.

 

[pauljayd]

Does any of the filetypes effect the change to the Desktop?
I can't even move any of the icons, let alone have them stay where I put them.

 

[Brink]

Hello Paul, and welcome to Eight Forums.

You have separate settings on the desktop.

• Right click or press and hold on an empty area of your desktop.
• Click/tap on View.
• Click/tap to uncheck Auto arrange icons and Align icons to grid.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Harbl]

Thank you so much for this!

Having files jump around so that they can't easily be found during routine copying, pasting, and renaming was driving me crazy. I can understand why MS would want this always on for the average user to stay organized, but for a power user with a lot of things to catalog it is intensely maddening to be unable to shut off auto-arrange.

Do you think it would be possible in the future to be able to shut off auto-arrange in all view modes? Also, it would be helpful to have the option for pasted files to show up as highlighted/selected. These are minor concerns though in comparison to having auto-arrange always moving files away from where I am working or where they can be easily located, so again thank you for unbreaking this aspect of Windows 8.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Harbl, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Unfortunately disabling auto arrange is still not available in a library, content view, list view so far.

Anything you paste in an opened folder should remain highlighted by default already until you click on something else.

 

[delicate]

Allow tweaking autoarrange & disable full row select

Hi those registry tweaks only worked for win7, since I upgraded to win8, applying them,
will bring both options to "any folder's context menu" (align to grid / auto arrange icons)
in windows 8, "greyed out" & "unusable", and those 2 context menus options disappear
on next reboot if I apply the patches made for win7 below .. .

disableautoarrange.reg

& this disables auto arrange, but doesn't offer a choice for different folders,
the 2 context menu settings are still greyed out:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/4299-windows-explorer-auto-arrange-disable-windows-8-a.html