How can I kill file folder auto-arrange?

I do not mean the desktop. I'm talking about file folders, the stop auto-arrange option is missing from the drop down selection under View-Arrange icons by.... When you move a folder it snaps back into the grid and there is no way to put the folder where you want and it stays there permanently. For my work I have to group the folders and their contents by our own criteria, not order them by the usual name, size, type, etc. Please help, this is a serious problem that will make me have to go back to XP if I don't find a way around it.

 

You can't sorry I was annoyed at this too, but it's easy to get used to.

 

Yep, there was a recent thread on this and it didn't bring up a fix. I hate it too that you can't put the files and folders where you want them, especially in the My Pictures and the My Documents folder.

 

Erhm this is possible for non-library folders.. All my folders are set to detail by default, and i can customize any of them to act in a specific way

 

He's not talking about that....

He wants to move the individual files and folders around in whatever way he wants, but Win7 will automatically put them back to their original spot.

 

Oh, stupid me, yeah i get it now..

Yup i guess its just one of those microsoft things.. removing stuff people may like.... sigh

 

Assuming you are running Vista? If not correct me. I can turn Auto Arrange off and move the files to where I like...

 

Oops, sorry, I didn't realise we were in the Windows 7 forum! Oh, well, my mistake, any who, wouldnt it be similar to Vista?

 

Grouping visually is not a good thing and to be avoided, because the file system doesn't work that way. Someday, you could find your arrangement being auto-sorted again for whatever reason and no way to "undo", so keep in mind that your order may vanish at any point.

In Windows 7, Microsoft officially removed the option to turn off auto-arrange.

There may be a hack already to bring back "disable auto-arrange", but so far I have not heard of any, and for the aforementioned reasons it'd be to be avoided at all costs since it's not even an official feature anymore.

Can't you group the folders into parent folders?

If you can't sort your folders into empty folders because you'd have to put some of them into more than one folder, you could use libraries: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/windows-7-libraries-–-and-why-you-want-them/ A library basically swallows a group of folders you specify, and shows these folders' contents when opened. Libraries are automatically up-to-date all the time and will consume hardly any disk space because they are merely pointers to the folders that are its content.

Otherwise, I think the easiest way would be using some third-party software, such as an alternative file manager that supports free arrangement of files.

 

I have had auto-arrange turned off on all files in XP and the files always stay the way they are left arranged. In the 6 years I've been doing this work they've never been automatically rearranged. I don't want to get into a long boring explanation of why I need this option. Believe me if there was a way for me to adapt I would. I tried a 3rd party program but it didn't work. You could turn off auto-arrange and put the files where you wanted while working with them but then after you closed the file and reopened it they would be auto-arranged for you. I just spoke with a friend who is a photographer and he is having the same issue, he's switching to Mac because of it. I don't want to switch to Mac but it looks like I'll have to go back to XP. Not having this feature available any longer is a staggering omission.

 

I feel your pain; I know what it's like to be forced to abandon a way of working with things that one has established over a long time, so I agree with you that getting rid of this option was a mistake by Microsoft, even though I myself have never used it.

Now, before you go back to an ancient OS because of this, you may want to look and see if any of the many Windows Explorer replacements that are available, either for free or as shareware, does what you want. I just checked Directory Opus because I am using that myself, and it turns out that this one also always auto-sorts the files and folders, even on Vista, so that doesn't help you. But it may be worth your while checking if there are file browsers out there that give you an unsorted display.

P.S.: O.k., I did a quick search, and it looks like XYPlorer does what you want. It's not free, but 30 bucks isn't that much, and they have a 30-day trial version.

 

It wasn't meant to be an offense, I'm not trying to convince you to not do this and I totally understand that since you are curious where this feature is gone, it's obvious that it's of importance to you.

I just wanted to note the possible dangers of this method along my ideas to possible solutions, just to make sure that no one who foolishly trusts on what I'm writing will one day get the shock of his life because of this. Yes, it CAN work reliably, but it doesn't have to because it's not a standard procedure. For example, visual file arrangement is (unlike "file and folder hierarchies") not something standard software can interpret. If it works flawlessly for your specific needs and already does so for a long time then that's great, but usually it's not a best practice. And I'm sure there are people out there using this in a HORRIBLY wrong way, I've seen people doing some REALLY weird, unexpected or extremely, extremely, extremely... well, stupid things in IT. Hence the warning, so even many people who have yet to receive their brain 1.0 upgrade will know that it's to be avoided unless you know what you're doing. In Addition, if you're having a how-to discussion, it's nice for all readers if you fill your writings with the most important information about the topic that hasn't already been mentioned.

 

There was no offense taken Christoph.krn. I'm working with photos of state and church archived documents from Italy and there was too much to explain about what is involved in the processes I have to go through in translating, sorting, grouping, connecting... Having auto-arrange makes an unsortable mess out of everything.
Thank Pirx, I'm looking in that direction.

 

you can't in 7 atm but perhaps SP1 will fix that and i don't know why ms removed it as i myself liked to put stuff in a certain order even on the desktop so i can find my stuff faster but i have a few workarounds till it gets fixed.

 

Staggering stupidity on the part of MS, total deal breaker for me.

 

In that same vein, I still am bugged by the fact that folders in the Start Menu are put on the bottom of the list instead of top, the same way it's been since Windows 95. No way to change that either. I dunno why they eliminate things like this since it's just a sort order and not really anything that Microsoft should force.

 

MS doesn't get that we want to customize everything and not have them do it for us. What they have given is not worth what they took away. I've been trying out different file management programs but haven't found one that maintains the file order after the program is closed and them opened again like XP did. I never thought I would say it but I'm looking at Mac.

 

That's insane too isn't it? A simple file sort ordering option, which has been in existance for as long as I can remember, you can't do it in Windows 7.

I would call or write them, seriously, just to let them know how much of a pain this is for you. It may actually get added to their patch list. I mean it would take a programmer, what an hour to fix, and maybe a couple hours of beta test?

 

There are many things I miss in Windows 7 that were far easier to use in Windows XP, that "ancient OS" (waves hand towards Pirx ). One example, Microsoft removed many of the classic theme attributes with no way to select and put them back, including the Start Menu.

Maybe I'm using it wrong, but one of the top ten that bugs me the most is this new Search featured. The only feature about it is that it should be featured on America's Most Wanted, as it is a crime. Sheesh that thing is horrible and it's near the top of my "Things to Replace ASAP in Windows 7" list, right after replacing Windows Explorer.

Windows XP may be "ancient", considering the circumstances, perhaps "Classic" is a better choice of words, but anyway I continue to use the original 6 year old install and have had zero problems with it. Shoot, on my even older computer I still have the same original install of Windows 98se. And yes, that one I agree is "ancient".

To moodywop's issue; sorry I don't have a solution. I too was going to suggest Directory Opus, that's my solution for the top two on my list. I've been using one form or another of Directory Opus for decades and it has only gotten better. There are a lot of features to Directory Opus, some more apparent than others. The last time I looked they had a very active forum that included people that know all the bells and whistles. Perhaps there is a bell or whistle you need. If not, the authors do take suggestions and as I remember are quick to implement them. Might still be worth checking out Directory Opus.

In the meantime, I agree that the option to not arrange icons in a window should have never been removed. But it, like the ability to independently store window sizes and not force every window to be the same size, is a big oversight on Microsoft's part.

 

Ok guys, there is a fix. I just did it and it works like a dream. When I first read this I thought it was way complicated but then I realized it is only a couple of steps. There are 2 zip files you have to download, unzip and run, the fix took me 5 minutes to do and I'm not a techie.
After you restart your computer go into a file, change the view to show icons, right click and you will see the precious auto-arrange option is back and works perfectly. AWESOME!!!
Kalim, I agree the search in the start menu is garbage and is my second pet peeve about Windows 7.
Here's the link to the file arrange fix:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/disable-full-row-select-explorer-windows-7/

 

cool, rep +1 for you!

 

You do have to play around with it. I keep all my files in folders on my desktop and it works fine in those files. I went into a folder in documents and I couldn't get it to work there yet.

 

the fix provided is at least a partial fix but it's better than nothing, only 4 folders move instead of everything for me.

 

The only problem I have with it is if the folders are in My Documents and there is a fix for that if you want to try it on the link I posted. Which folders aren't working for you and is the auto-arrange in the right click selection?