Can I disable "Grouping" in Vista's Windows explorer??

[Bryan]

I would like to completely disable the "Group By" and file grouping in
Windows Explorer in Vista. I detest this ill-conceived "feature" .

I' ve seen articles on how to "reset" the views so they stick and they're
only temporary solutions as Vista eventually start grouping again.. I'm **S
I C K** of this so-called feature and it does nothing but hamper my work
efficiency and lower my productivity.. No I don't want to learn how to use
it. I want it turned O F F and to N E V E R return.

Give me the option to turn this idiot-inspired feature off please! I'm SICK
of turning it off.

God I hate Vista! ...aka Windows ME (squared)..

Bryan

 

[Gordon]

I would like to completely disable the "Group By" and file grouping in
Windows Explorer in Vista. I detest this ill-conceived "feature" .

Why do you "detest" this "ill-conceived" feature? Many people find it a
considerable enhancement from previous versions....

 

[Wandering]

Right click in a folder.
Group By -> None.
Press Alt.
Choose Tools from the bar that appears below the navigation bar.
So it's Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> Apply to all folders.

Should do the trick.

PS: You don't like the grouping feature, for me it's one of the most
beautiful thing added to the OS.


--
iMav

It's a Microsoft world kid, I am just living in it.
http://beingmanan.com
twitter: manan | Last.FM: manan

Grouping is one of the most useful additions to Windows I have found
recently. I really missed it when I did a third of a year stint with Ubuntu
and Nautilus. Glad to be back with Vista. I tend to group by file type most
often, but various other groupings are very helpful.

Have a grand day.

 

[Bryan]

Grouping was created for people who aren't organized. For those of us who are
organized this makes it harder to find files and slows us down. For every
one of you who claim it to be the most useful feature there are 10 like
myself hate it. I can scan a list of files for what I want faster than I can
sort though which friggin group it's in.. For those of you who ask why I
destest it - Obviously you didn't read my post where I state clearly that it
hampers my efficency and lowers my productivity. I can find the file I need
MUCH quicker in an list of details than with this grouped view with all those
headers and excessive white space. Grouping breaks up the list and in
folders with few files in it there tends to be more text for groups and white
space displayed than is used for the files themselves..

The main problem with it is that it won't stay turned off.. Linux may not
be the solution indeed but Apple could very well be and this ill-conceived
feature that's been imposed upon everyone with an off switch that was made in
China or India is on the top of a list of 18 reasons I've complied (to date)
to scrap the windows platform and switch to a Mac.

Like I said.. Vista is ME - Marketing Edition (squared).. This is the O/S
that Microsoft Marketing always wanted.. It's not my imagination that
millions worldwide are avoiding it due to it's repuation for poor
performance, unpredictable behavior, lower productivity, annoying
features/functionality, and contains nothing compelling enough to invest the
very significant resources into switching. It's a stop-gap product that's as
big of a mistake as the original ME.

Vista lowers productivity, and does not increase it as the massive marketing
machine likes to claim. There are good reasons that people are avoiding it
and this is one of them.

 

[Bryan]

I've done that a billion times.. It doesn't stick. This is a widespread
problem that's been reported enough to warrant some serious attention to
fixing it.. Yet it remains broken..

 

[Bryan]

For those of you who love this feature, please don't pollute my thread with
proclamations of love for this feature. I'm looking for a serious solution
to permanently turning it off, other than the "Apply to all folders" that
doesn't work. If you don't have a solution please refrain from responding..

Thanks!

 

[Wandering]

Grouping was created for people who aren't organized. For those of us who
are
organized this makes it harder to find files and slows us down. For
every
one of you who claim it to be the most useful feature there are 10 like
myself hate it. I can scan a list of files for what I want faster than I
can
sort though which friggin group it's in.. For those of you who ask why I
destest it - Obviously you didn't read my post where I state clearly that
it
hampers my efficency and lowers my productivity. I can find the file I
need
MUCH quicker in an list of details than with this grouped view with all
those
headers and excessive white space. Grouping breaks up the list and in
folders with few files in it there tends to be more text for groups and
white
space displayed than is used for the files themselves..

The main problem with it is that it won't stay turned off.. Linux may
not
be the solution indeed but Apple could very well be and this ill-conceived
feature that's been imposed upon everyone with an off switch that was made
in
China or India is on the top of a list of 18 reasons I've complied (to
date)
to scrap the windows platform and switch to a Mac.

Like I said.. Vista is ME - Marketing Edition (squared).. This is the
O/S
that Microsoft Marketing always wanted.. It's not my imagination that
millions worldwide are avoiding it due to it's repuation for poor
performance, unpredictable behavior, lower productivity, annoying
features/functionality, and contains nothing compelling enough to invest
the
very significant resources into switching. It's a stop-gap product that's
as
big of a mistake as the original ME.

Vista lowers productivity, and does not increase it as the massive
marketing
machine likes to claim. There are good reasons that people are avoiding
it
and this is one of them.

As is said, facts are facts. One fact is that you know nothing at all about
my organization or lack of it, and your opening statement is the beginning
of a long rambling rationalization. Unlike facts, rationalizations are
whatever you want them to be. You also make the mistake of moving from your
experience which is what it is to a generalization that speaks for all users
which you then disparage. It's broken logic.

Have a good day.

 

[John Amendall]

For those of you who love this feature, please don't pollute my thread with
proclamations of love for this feature. I'm looking for a serious solution
to permanently turning it off, other than the "Apply to all folders" that
doesn't work. If you don't have a solution please refrain from responding..

Yes sir. Whatever you say sir. It's your thread and you da boss,
sir.

Bozo

 

[Gordon]

For those of you who love this feature, please don't pollute my thread
with
proclamations of love for this feature. I'm looking for a serious
solution
to permanently turning it off, other than the "Apply to all folders" that
doesn't work. If you don't have a solution please refrain from
responding..

<sigh> JUST DON'T TURN IT ON...........DON'T USE IT if it bothers you that
much. I don't use it and it doesn't appear.....AT ALL......

 

[VanZea]

The prolem is Vista turns it on at random. I also never wan't to use this
feature, but an off switch is nowhere to be found, or doesn't work.

 

[catlovingdoc]

I, too, hate grouping and seem unable to kill it. I think Microsoft Update
may be trashing my laborious saving of my preferred template to each of the
so called types of explorer windows (document, pictures, etc.) Like Bryan, I
use my computer to work, not play: not edit video, not create multimedia
experiences, but WORK. I wish Vista would just let me work. If you do find a
permanent across the board way to kill grouping, please share it here.

 

[Wandering]

I know of no way to stabilize Vista Folder Properties, or those of any other
version of Windows since 3.11. But you can delete the "type" column in the
windows you are concerned with, and then it will no longer group on type.
Good luck.

You could make this the default for all folders, but I can't promise it will
stick.

 

[Cody Jarrett]

I agree with all the "hate" posts. Sure wish Microsoft would leave well
enough alone or provide a way to use old formats.

Like them that much? Go back to the OS that has them!

SOLVED.

 

[Bill Daggett]

surely there is a key or value somewhere in the registry that one can
delete that will just PERMANENTLY DELETE this 'grouping' function?
I have searched long and hard for a way to do this with no success so
far.
Thank you for this thread

Notice that it's been running for OVER A YEAR now and no solution has
been found.

HINT.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, ArnsteinB.

In Win7's Windows Explorer, click View. On the context menu, click Group
by... Click any of the 4 options (Name, Size, etc.). If there is a big dot
(or "Bullet") in front of one of these 4, then there should also be a 5th
option, (None). Click that and see what happens. (I've forgotten how this
worked in Vista.)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2009 (14.0.8089.0726) in Win7 Ultimate x64

 

[James Connell]

The question is if this f*** "feature" is can be switched off for good,
in Windows 7?

What you mean they didn't get right? I thought windows 7 was "YOUR" idea ;-)