File>Open – how to get files sort alphab. default?

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I am having a major problem with Windows XP. Whenever I use File>open in a program, the files are not sorted in alphabetical order (I guess they are sorted by file last used). Does anyone know how I can set this to get files sorted alphabetically by default?

I managed to set the registry to get explorer to sort alphabetically by default. This also seems to work for MS office, but not other windows programs.

Any help much appreciated!

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Go to File open. select the detail mode, and select the file name heading and that should sort this out the way you want them.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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I know that I can sort the files by adding the full details and then sorting by name. However, if possible, I would like to avoid the extra steps every time I need to open a file.

Is there a way to make the files sorted alphabetically by default? There must be some setting that determines the default sort order?

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In the file open dialog box click on the down arrow next to the views icon, click on arrange icons, and then select “by name”. This setting will remain as the default until youo change it.

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You may need to do this on each program and it SHOULD be sticky unless you have made some changes else where.

Some times if you have sorted a folder within Windows Explorer and have the setting “Remember each folder’s view settings” checked, then the sort will be how it was done in Explorer.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Hm, it is not sticky and defaults back to non-alphabetical when I try again.

Rember each folder’s view settings are not checked.

I had similar problems with explorer before I made a change to the explorer registry settings. Does anyone know if there is a way to set this in the registry?

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Hm, it is not sticky and defaults back to non-alphabetical when I try again.

Rember each folder’s view settings are not checked.

I had similar problems with explorer before I made a change to the explorer registry settings. Does anyone know if there is a way to set this in the registry?

Reply | Quote

You may need to do this on each program and it SHOULD be sticky unless you have made some changes else where.

Some times if you have sorted a folder within Windows Explorer and have the setting “Remember each folder’s view settings” checked, then the sort will be how it was done in Explorer.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

I know that I can sort the files by adding the full details and then sorting by name. However, if possible, I would like to avoid the extra steps every time I need to open a file.

Is there a way to make the files sorted alphabetically by default? There must be some setting that determines the default sort order?

Reply | Quote

Go to File open. select the detail mode, and select the file name heading and that should sort this out the way you want them.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

Reply | Quote

This problem bugged me in Win98SE, and to some extent bugs me still.

After reading this thread i realised that what i *really* want, and I feel sure that MS can’t provide it, is to see the display show folders sorted alphabetically by name and documents sorted descending sequence by date last modified.

This represents (to me!) a sensible search strategy: The structure of my hard drive remains constant, the organization of folders, so it makes sense to be examining them in alphabetic sequence by name.

The use of files within each folder changes, and there I usually want to resurrect the thing on which I was most recently working.

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In Windows Explorer go to Tools | Folder Options | View. Then make sure “Remember each folder’s view setting” is checked. You should be able to set each folders view to what you wish. It may be time consuming and a pain in the rear but is doable. You could just pick the most frequently referenced folders to start and then just as you access others change the view. You may need to use TweakUI to increase the number of folder views that Windows will remember (I think the default is 500). See the Explorer | Customizations section of TweakUI.

Joe

Joe

--Joe

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> “Remember each folder’s view setting”

Yabbut! (grin!) that doesn’t do what I want.

In Windows, whether in Explorer or in a File open dialogue box, I can’t have
(a) the folder names arranged alphabetically
AND
( the file names arranged chronologically.

The folders represent the structure of the hard drive, while the files represent the contents. They are different things – in my mind, at least.

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Oh! You mean when folders and files are in the same view. Then you are stuck. BTW, the folders represent an articificial picture of the drive when presented alphabetically. That is not how they are physically on the drive.

Joe

--Joe

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Oh! You mean when folders and files are in the same view. Then you are stuck. BTW, the folders represent an articificial picture of the drive when presented alphabetically. That is not how they are physically on the drive.

Joe

--Joe

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I don’t think you’ll be able to get one list that’s sorted in two different ways. At least I don’t recall seeing anything like that.

Couple of roundabout suggestions:

1- Use two explorer windows, or a utility that opens two views of you older structure ( liek 2xExplorer). Sort one by name, and one by date.

2 – Rename your folders so to include the date (i.e. 2005-020-13-Research), so that when sorted by name, they will also be sorted by date.

Or, even ranging a bit farther away from your initial query, but worth considering

– Would you be better off with a hierarchical system of nested subfolders rather than what sounds like a very flat organizational structure?

– Have you tried using the Explorer settings:

View .. Arrange icons by .. Type..
View .. Arrange icons by.. View in groups..

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> Couple of roundabout suggestions:

Jim, thanks for these. I use Exlorer quite a lot, but my ideal would still be to have a two-level sort in the dialogue boxes for “File Open” in applications.

> View .. Arrange icons by.. View in groups..

Now this is interesting, and i plan to explore it some more. I can see that this might makes sense in some specific folders, for me.

>Go Stillers!
Yes. I suppose that YOUR hockey team is standing still, too (grin!)

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You may also want to investigate: Google Search: windows explorer replacement. That should give you a lot to consider.

Joe

--Joe

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Thanks, but it’s not really Explorer that’s the problem; it’s using File Open in any application.

In particular, in Word, Excel etc. It makes sense (to me) to see the yellow folders arranged alphabetically, and the file name sarranged descending on date last modified.

That’s “File, Open”, as in MSWord.

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I can see your point, but although you can send a request to mswish@microsoft.com, I think it isn’t going to happen.

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Thanks, Hans, but I’m still waiting for them to respond to my request for high-capacity mail servers (grin!).

There are a great many things that I’d wish for in desktop software (not just MS). In defense of MS I must state that I’ve been able to achieve extra-ordinary customization through Word/VBA alone. I ran a demo yesterday building an Ap. by drag-and-drop of four existing applications, hooking them up in less than 60 seconds. That impresses the client.

Customization and enhancement at the first level is easy. I could write a File open replacement dialogue for the desktop suite applications that would sort folders in a sequence alternate from files.

Customization at the second level is impossible – applying the same technique across all applications. That would require major changes to the software kit that application developers use to build their applications, a change in philosophy, if you will.

(later)

Having said that, I’m now considering re-writing the File Open GUI in Word. I do most of my development in Word, and have a substitute code envelope for File Open to support my MRU code (unlimited number of MRU, sorted any sequence etc).

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> Couple of roundabout suggestions:

Jim, thanks for these. I use Exlorer quite a lot, but my ideal would still be to have a two-level sort in the dialogue boxes for “File Open” in applications.

> View .. Arrange icons by.. View in groups..

Now this is interesting, and i plan to explore it some more. I can see that this might makes sense in some specific folders, for me.

>Go Stillers!
Yes. I suppose that YOUR hockey team is standing still, too (grin!)

Reply | Quote

I don’t think you’ll be able to get one list that’s sorted in two different ways. At least I don’t recall seeing anything like that.

Couple of roundabout suggestions:

1- Use two explorer windows, or a utility that opens two views of you older structure ( liek 2xExplorer). Sort one by name, and one by date.

2 – Rename your folders so to include the date (i.e. 2005-020-13-Research), so that when sorted by name, they will also be sorted by date.

Or, even ranging a bit farther away from your initial query, but worth considering

– Would you be better off with a hierarchical system of nested subfolders rather than what sounds like a very flat organizational structure?

– Have you tried using the Explorer settings:

View .. Arrange icons by .. Type..
View .. Arrange icons by.. View in groups..

Reply | Quote

> “Remember each folder’s view setting”

Yabbut! (grin!) that doesn’t do what I want.

In Windows, whether in Explorer or in a File open dialogue box, I can’t have
(a) the folder names arranged alphabetically
AND
( the file names arranged chronologically.

The folders represent the structure of the hard drive, while the files represent the contents. They are different things – in my mind, at least.

Reply | Quote

In Windows Explorer go to Tools | Folder Options | View. Then make sure “Remember each folder’s view setting” is checked. You should be able to set each folders view to what you wish. It may be time consuming and a pain in the rear but is doable. You could just pick the most frequently referenced folders to start and then just as you access others change the view. You may need to use TweakUI to increase the number of folder views that Windows will remember (I think the default is 500). See the Explorer | Customizations section of TweakUI.

Joe

Joe

--Joe

Reply | Quote

This problem bugged me in Win98SE, and to some extent bugs me still.

After reading this thread i realised that what i *really* want, and I feel sure that MS can’t provide it, is to see the display show folders sorted alphabetically by name and documents sorted descending sequence by date last modified.

This represents (to me!) a sensible search strategy: The structure of my hard drive remains constant, the organization of folders, so it makes sense to be examining them in alphabetic sequence by name.

The use of files within each folder changes, and there I usually want to resurrect the thing on which I was most recently working.

Reply | Quote