What controls the sort order for file/folder names in a File->Save window?

[Al Dykes]

When I want to open or save a file on a windows system, the window
that opens up, with the names of the existing files and folder names
is normally folders before files, and all in ascending alpha order.

Sometimes it's backwords, and sometimes the folder names are
interspearced with the file names. For a main folder with thousands
of names, this is a PITA.

Where does sequence choice get set ?

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Al

Clicking on column headers commonly resorts.
However, you do not oddities likes spaces, which
some users exploit.

--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Al Dykes]

Al

Clicking on column headers commonly resorts.
However, you do not oddities likes spaces, which
some users exploit.

--

Column headers? That sounds like File Explorer, not the save dialog.

I just did a right mouse click and find I can "arrange" filenmames,
but it puts the folder names at the end of the list, which is exactly
what I don't want.

I rarely put odd characters in a file/folder name. H*ll, I'm just
getting used to lower case text.

Thanks

 

[Kerry Brown]

When I want to open or save a file on a windows system, the window
that opens up, with the names of the existing files and folder names
is normally folders before files, and all in ascending alpha order.

Sometimes it's backwords, and sometimes the folder names are
interspearced with the file names. For a main folder with thousands
of names, this is a PITA.

Where does sequence choice get set ?

In the save/open dialog there are some icons on the toolbar along the top.
One of these is View. From the drop down list pick the details view, then
you can sort by clicking on the column you want.

Kerry

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Restore Sort order in Open and Save dialogs
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_opensaveorder.htm

Or...

To resolve this behavior, reset the default sort order:
1. Right-click Start, click Explore and then click drive C.
2. On the View menu, click Details.
3. Click the Name column to sort items by name, press and hold down the CTRL
key, and then quit Windows Explorer by clicking Close in the upper-right
corner of the screen.
4. Release the CTRL key.
5. Restart your computer.

NOTE: You must perform these steps exactly as they are listed. For example,
do not quit Windows Explorer by clicking Exit on the File menu.

From...
Items in "Open" and "Save As" Dialog Boxes Sorted Incorrectly
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;229070

I believe that it sets the ShellState here...
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

From David Candy...
[[In a folder window not a dialog box and close is the X on the titlebar. It
MUST be done in a File Folder window not a virtual folder like My Computer.

Ctrl + Close button
Sets the system default settings, mainly sort order. ]]

According to David Candy...
[[There's no need to reboot. It's live. You may need to reboot if using
Explorer, but it's likely explorer gets it sort from elsewhere (it's the
sort setting of last resort for Explorer - there's about a million other
places it will try to get a sort setting from first). However file dialogs
only use this setting. In 95 it was an important setting for explorer.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In