Solved some folder questions

goombapatrol · Oct 15, 2009

i've got a few folder questions:
would there be a way to add the option to 'sort by type' to every folder? i use this often, and it gets annoying to have to add it manually.

secondly, is is possible to disable 'auto arrange' and enable 'align to grid' for EVERY folder? i can't stand auto arrange, personally.
i tried 'folder options > apply to folders' but got no success.

also, a bit unrelated, but i've come across occasional folders that don't display the dot next to 'sort by -> (whatever)'.
i can click 'sort by type', for example and it will re-order the icons but won't show the dot. this is a bug, right?
(two folders that it isn't working in is C:\users and C:\users\(username)\music)

thanks much! appreciated greatly.

JayD · Oct 15, 2009

Don't click on Auto Arrange if you don't want them to re-arrange themselves.
Try clicking on align to grid. That will snap the icons into place where you want them and they will stay there. Align to grid should have a check mark next to it when you open the option. If you click on it again it will uncheck. Those options work on a toggle basis.

Brink · Oct 15, 2009

Hello GoombaPatrol,

You can use METHOD TWO in the tutorial below to set how you want the folder view settings to be in all folders by default.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/70819-windows-explorer-folder-view-settings.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

goombapatrol · Oct 15, 2009

JayD said:
Don't click on Auto Arrange if you don't want them to re-arrange themselves.
Try clicking on align to grid. That will snap the icons into place where you want them and they will stay there. Align to grid should have a check mark next to it when you open the option. If you click on it again it will uncheck. Those options work on a toggle basis.

yes, but a lot of my folders have 'auto arrange' by default.
i don't want to have to manually go through each and every one of them and do this.

brink: thanks, i'll try it.

goombapatrol · Oct 18, 2009

sorry for the double post, but i think i understand now.
thanks very much brink!
greatly appreciated.

any reason why the dot (see first post) isn't showing up, though? i still can't figure that out.

Brink · Oct 18, 2009

Do you mean the dot before the file extension? If you do have file extensions to show, then it may not show until you highlight the file if the name is longer.

goombapatrol · Oct 18, 2009

not quite.

i think it'd be best to show you, rather than tell.

(i can click any of the 'sort by' methods and the dot never appears, though the icons still change. this only happens in certain folders, some work, some don't.)

Brink · Oct 18, 2009

It's hard to tell with the files covered up, but folders do not have file extensions, so there will not be any dot in the name unless it just happens to have been renamed with one.

goombapatrol · Oct 18, 2009

not what i meant.

THIS dot. (hence why i showed both pics like that)

it's not just the second folder that does that; i've noticed quite a few of them are like it.

Brink · Oct 18, 2009

LOL, ok. Now that we are on the same page. DOH!

After playing with it a bit, I found that's it because "Auto Arrange" is not checked in the "View" menu. When checked, the dot should return.

goombapatrol · Oct 18, 2009

ah, thanks!
that makes a lot more sense.

what was vista thinking? (this is a bug, right? i mean, i can't see any reason for the dot to be missing.)

i'll just use auto arrange from now on.

Brink · Oct 18, 2009

You're welcome. I guess without auto arrange, there is no automatic sorting and no dots to indicate it.

goombapatrol · Oct 18, 2009

just curious, what do you usually use? auto arrange?
i've got all my folders sorting by 'type'; i find it the most useful.

Brink · Oct 18, 2009

I normally use Details view sorted by name, and large icons for folders with images. Both "Auto Arrange" and "Align to Grid" are grayed out with this view setting.

Solved some folder questions

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