Copy and Paste Sorting - Order Not Preserved (But Changed)

[Guest]

Hi, my problem is that XP uses a different algorithm when it chooses how to
sort files in a folder and the order when copying and pasting - and it
doesn't preserve the order of the original folder when copying from within
it.

This can be shown very easily, just create a folder, create a new Next
Document, don't change the name. Now make a bunch of copies of this, it will
start to name them names such as 'Copy (2) of New Text Document.txt' and
'Copy (10) of New Text Document.txt' (in that order). Now create a second
folder somewhere, and select all these files and either Drag and Drop them
over, or copy and paste them. You'll notice that in this second folder, the
order is different - especially noticable because the order of Copy (2) and
Copy (10) is now different.

The order of the original folder doesn't matter, Windows chooses to copy the
files over always based on the resulting ordering you see in the second
folder. This may be based on the underlying Directory Structure of the
folder, but it is terribly annoying.

But, if you copy the entire folder, it is all in the correct order
(confirmed by copying large files to an MP3 Player, see below).

I'm using Windows XP Pro SP2. The issue is especially troubling for me
because I like to copy files to my MP3 Player in order, and for it to stop
copying when it runs out of space. Because of this issue, my file sare often
out of order, and it takes extra time to delete the ones that don't fit, go
back and start copying different earlier files, etc... It mostly bugs me when
I'm copying parts of CDs or audiobooks to the player, when I already have
part of the content copied into a folder. I've been frustraited by this issue
for a very long time, but thought it was due to some other program I had
installed, such as antivirus or antispyware software, but it still happens on
a fresh install of XP SP2, on multiple computers.

If anyone has a fix for this or any suggestions it would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks,
Peter

 

[Mungo Bulge]

Never noticed, however I use Windows Media Player to Rip, Burn, Sync
and catalogue my music and videos. No problems with things not going
in the order I want them, but then I'm easy to satisfy, but I'm not
cheap.
If that doesn't work, I resort to Sync&Go for Pocket PC and/or Phone.

| Hi, my problem is that XP uses a different algorithm when it chooses
how to
| sort files in a folder and the order when copying and pasting - and
it
| doesn't preserve the order of the original folder when copying from
within
| it.
|
| This can be shown very easily, just create a folder, create a new
Next
| Document, don't change the name. Now make a bunch of copies of this,
it will
| start to name them names such as 'Copy (2) of New Text
Document.txt' and
| 'Copy (10) of New Text Document.txt' (in that order). Now create a
second
| folder somewhere, and select all these files and either Drag and
Drop them
| over, or copy and paste them. You'll notice that in this second
folder, the
| order is different - especially noticable because the order of Copy
(2) and
| Copy (10) is now different.
|
| The order of the original folder doesn't matter, Windows chooses to
copy the
| files over always based on the resulting ordering you see in the
second
| folder. This may be based on the underlying Directory Structure of
the
| folder, but it is terribly annoying.
|
| But, if you copy the entire folder, it is all in the correct order
| (confirmed by copying large files to an MP3 Player, see below).
|
| I'm using Windows XP Pro SP2. The issue is especially troubling for
me
| because I like to copy files to my MP3 Player in order, and for it
to stop
| copying when it runs out of space. Because of this issue, my file
sare often
| out of order, and it takes extra time to delete the ones that don't
fit, go
| back and start copying different earlier files, etc... It mostly
bugs me when
| I'm copying parts of CDs or audiobooks to the player, when I already
have
| part of the content copied into a folder. I've been frustraited by
this issue
| for a very long time, but thought it was due to some other program I
had
| installed, such as antivirus or antispyware software, but it still
happens on
| a fresh install of XP SP2, on multiple computers.
|
| If anyone has a fix for this or any suggestions it would be greatly
| appreciated.
|
| Thanks,
| Peter

 

[Guest]

It also copies in a more random order, which I haven't been able to figure
out being based on any sort of ordering system, when copying from CDs or to
and from the MP3 Player.

This is an XP question, I am not going to buy a new OS for this - I'd like
to fix it. If your saying I'm cheap in doing that, I don't care.

As to Sync&Go, I can't with my MP3 Player.

Peter

 

[Mungo Bulge]

Is your mp3 player treated as removable media?
Are the folders you are moving files around in configured as music
type folders, or Document type folders? Remember, XP has three
different Music type folders, two photo types, one video type, and of
course the default Document type. That's why I like to use Windows
Media Player, it handles these nuances and it's free.
As for it copying in a random order, never have I experienced that,
not even in document folders. But then, how would I know, Win Explorer
only shows the files in the view I specify, not how they are stored on
the disk.

| It also copies in a more random order, which I haven't been able to
figure
| out being based on any sort of ordering system, when copying from
CDs or to
| and from the MP3 Player.
|
| This is an XP question, I am not going to buy a new OS for this -
I'd like
| to fix it. If your saying I'm cheap in doing that, I don't care.
|
| As to Sync&Go, I can't with my MP3 Player.
|
| Peter
|
| "Mungo Bulge" wrote:
|
| > Never noticed, however I use Windows Media Player to Rip, Burn,
Sync
| > and catalogue my music and videos. No problems with things not
going
| > in the order I want them, but then I'm easy to satisfy, but I'm
not
| > cheap.
| > If that doesn't work, I resort to Sync&Go for Pocket PC and/or
Phone.
| >
| > | > | Hi, my problem is that XP uses a different algorithm when it
chooses
| > how to
| > | sort files in a folder and the order when copying and pasting -
and
| > it
| > | doesn't preserve the order of the original folder when copying
from
| > within
| > | it.
| > |
| > | This can be shown very easily, just create a folder, create a
new
| > Next
| > | Document, don't change the name. Now make a bunch of copies of
this,
| > it will
| > | start to name them names such as 'Copy (2) of New Text
| > Document.txt' and
| > | 'Copy (10) of New Text Document.txt' (in that order). Now create
a
| > second
| > | folder somewhere, and select all these files and either Drag and
| > Drop them
| > | over, or copy and paste them. You'll notice that in this second
| > folder, the
| > | order is different - especially noticable because the order of
Copy
| > (2) and
| > | Copy (10) is now different.
| > |
| > | The order of the original folder doesn't matter, Windows chooses
to
| > copy the
| > | files over always based on the resulting ordering you see in the
| > second
| > | folder. This may be based on the underlying Directory Structure
of
| > the
| > | folder, but it is terribly annoying.
| > |
| > | But, if you copy the entire folder, it is all in the correct
order
| > | (confirmed by copying large files to an MP3 Player, see below).
| > |
| > | I'm using Windows XP Pro SP2. The issue is especially troubling
for
| > me
| > | because I like to copy files to my MP3 Player in order, and for
it
| > to stop
| > | copying when it runs out of space. Because of this issue, my
file
| > sare often
| > | out of order, and it takes extra time to delete the ones that
don't
| > fit, go
| > | back and start copying different earlier files, etc... It mostly
| > bugs me when
| > | I'm copying parts of CDs or audiobooks to the player, when I
already
| > have
| > | part of the content copied into a folder. I've been frustraited
by
| > this issue
| > | for a very long time, but thought it was due to some other
program I
| > had
| > | installed, such as antivirus or antispyware software, but it
still
| > happens on
| > | a fresh install of XP SP2, on multiple computers.
| > |
| > | If anyone has a fix for this or any suggestions it would be
greatly
| > | appreciated.
| > |
| > | Thanks,
| > | Peter
| >
| >
| >

 

[pjp]

I think you'll find the order of copying of the files via drag and drop is
using low level "Findfirst/Findnext" API calls so each filename gets
retrieved in the order they appear in the "index" of files stored on the
hard disk table (or some analogous "list" Windows is maintaining). Software
also can/will use this method but often the programmer already has a sorted
list of files (which is what Explorer shows, etc.) and simply "walks down"
that list rather than use the lower level calls to retrieve what he already
knows.