How to stop auto-arrange of files??

Major Eazy

Major Eazy

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,150
Name
John 'Jack'
Edit My Images
No
In Windows XP: I would have a folder open and displaying thumbnails. When I look at the thumbnails and rename some of the files, they get renamed but the thumbnail stay in the same place, until either I click on Refresh or I sort them in order of filenames. I prefer it that way specially as I can renumber them, I would correctly number the next file after the one I just renamed, or other option is that I would move them around until I'm happy with the images in the order I want (even if their filenames are in wrong order), so I could then rename the files in the right order.

But in Windows 8.1: It seems they rearranged their position as soon as I renamed the filename!! I would rename a file to something like a number or name, and as soon as I tap on the Return/Enter key, it suddenly moved over to the correct place in the correct order. I don't want it to do that yet! Also I can't seem to move some of the thumbnails to a different place (out of order of filename), it just returns to the correct order.

I've been trying to find the option to turn off the Auto-arrange, but I noticed it don't seems to be in the Windows 8 menus!!

How do I turn off the auto-arrange in Windows 8?
 
Minimize any open windows.
Right click on empty screen.
Top option is 'view', then unclick 'auto arrange' (and 'align to grid' if you want).
:)
Works on 7 and 8
 
Last edited:
neil_g said:
If you're renaming one file after another press tab rather than return, you'll go to the next file in the folder irrespective of where the renamed file ends up.
Click to expand...
Useful to know. Thanks :)
 
neil_g said:
If you're renaming one file after another press tab rather than return, you'll go to the next file in the folder irrespective of where the renamed file ends up.
Click to expand...

That's good, I'll keep it in mind and try it out when I get a chance, but that would be fine for renaming files that I don't mind being in whatever order.

Say for example, I have files that are in order of filename, but it really don't bother me about the order of images, and I want to change the filenames, like...

100154246, 22224454, 33466464

If I rename the first one to A, it may automatically rearranged to the position after the 3rd file, I don't mind that, nice if I try your suggest of using tab, it select the next file which would be 22224454, and find it saves time having to use mouse or arrow keys to get to the first file (which would be originally the second one).

What about the annoying problem where I want to move the thumbnails around first, sort of put them in order I want, even when their filenames are out of order, and when they are in the order I want, I planned to rename the files in order, but as soon as I move one image it snaps back to it's original place.

Say as an example if file 100154246 was a pic of say a Spitfire fighter, 22224454 is of a Lancaster bomber, and 33466464 is a Hurricane, and I have so many other image files, all in order of filenames but seems rather mixed up, looking like Spitfire, Lancaster, Hurricane, Hurricane, Spitfire, Mosquito, Lancaster, Spitfire, Spitfire, Hurricane, and so on.

I find it annoying if I try to move say the one thumbnail to a different position, it just snaps back, and I can't seems to turn off the auto-arrange, so I could just move them around until I sort of put them like Hurricane, Hurricane, Hurricane, Mosquito, Spitfire, Spitfire, Spitfire, Spitfire, Lancaster, Lan.... you get the idea? So that when I like the order I rearranged, I'll start renaming them.

Anyway, I'm off to try out the tab trick, thanks for this suggestion.
 
neil_g said:
If you're renaming one file after another press tab rather than return, you'll go to the next file in the folder irrespective of where the renamed file ends up.
Click to expand...

WOW it works. Mind you, sometimes with little problems, but it do work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top