Windows 7 - stop auto arrange in folders

[adtabb]

Does anyone have a solution to the windows auto arrange problem in the folders themselves? Why did they remove the ability to turn it off?

I tend to keep my files in clusters. Across the top - word, notepad, and a few notes, down the left submissions, old files, etc.. bottom right book ideas with current books clustered around it, a cluster for poetry, greeting cards and the like, another cluster for short stories and kids stories. I really want to be able to order my files in clusters, not in neat lines that blur together. The only thing I have found is to number them, even then, they blur together.

Any ideas?

[Matera the Mad]

I've vever used artificial arrangements; I prefer a details view and no fat, oversized eye-cons. But I use a large enough font to see names clearly. Having things overly personalized makes life harder when you have to use a different computer for whatever reason. I have two at work and mess with innumerable others off and on.

[Clair Dickson]

Maybe you need to use more folders. Instead of clusters, give each grouping its own clearly labeled folder. I have folders and folders and folders in folders... rinse and repeat. Some folders have only two or three things, while others have much more (until I get into the bigger folders and add more folders for better organization.) Of course, I have WAY too many files to see even a 100th of them on one screen, even at a high resolution and with tiny icons.

I don't have Win7, but I'd be surprised if the option to turn off auto arrange was gone... probably just moved somewhere. But, again, I don't have Win7 and am only guessing.

[Matera the Mad]

I have found that Vista hides things in different places -- and deeper places -- than XP, so it wouldn't surprise me if 7 has many secrets. From what I've read about this, though, it looks like the only solution is a total geek workaround that you wouldn't want to touch with a ten-foot chopstick.

I use an alternative file manager in any version of Windwoes. (she said, smart-assedly) :D

[brokenfingers]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I understand your problem correctly, but if you right click in your folder Win7 presents you with a wide variety of options to organize its contents.

[RJK]

RU referring to the desktop icons? I can't help you - don't use 7 yet, but the others will need to know.

[adtabb]

RU referring to the desktop icons? I can't help you - don't use 7 yet, but the others will need to know.


You can turn off auto arrange on the desktop. Thank goodness, or I'd never find my browser icons in the random order Windows puts them in.

[adtabb]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I understand your problem correctly, but if you right click in your folder Win7 presents you with a wide variety of options to organize its contents.

That's the thing - I want them in my choice of clusters - not in alphabetic, date, or size order, which are the only options actually given.

I work on more than one project at a time, so date order would be hard to find any one thing, alphabetic would require thought to find it - by then, I wouldn't remember what I was working on, and size - doesn't work well either.

I tried changeing the icons, hopefully that will help some, as long as I don't add any new ideas to the Writing folder.

I perfer to keep things neat and where I put them, not have their placement dictated by a program that does not function in a creative way like my brain does. Part of the creative process is seeing that cluster, and decided which story speaks to you most at the time. Hard to do that, when they may be at opposite corners of the folder.

Writing is very much a process of building pictures with words, not just blindly following another's lead.

[adtabb]

I've vever used artificial arrangements; I prefer a details view and no fat, oversized eye-cons. But I use a large enough font to see names clearly. Having things overly personalized makes life harder when you have to use a different computer for whatever reason. I have two at work and mess with innumerable others off and on.

That would be nice if I could do that, I guess. I actually numbered mine because between my two computers it would throw the order off. However, no matter how large I set the font - I cannot see the words in details view. I perfer icons with words so I can actually see them.

[mark40]

You want to auto arrange on desktop? You just need to simply press and hold the F5 key for few seconds. I don't know if it works but you can try this, first right click somewhere in folder select sort by then click on more. Check "Date accessed" and click ok. Select Date accessed in the sort by menu and click on ascending. It will kind of work for you if you like having the files you extract at the end of the list. If you extract a folder it will show up at the bottom of all the folders.

(http://forums.techarena.in/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=4586759)