Sorting Recently Downloaded Files in Windows 10 File Explorer

Sorting Recently Downloaded Files in Windows 10 File Explorer

If you frequently download files in Windows 10 and use the Downloads folder as your document control system, you might have noticed that the File Explorer window is not sorted by the "Date modified" column by default. This can make it difficult to find the most recently downloaded files. In this article, we will show you how to sort your downloaded files by date modified in Windows 10 File Explorer.

Sorting Files in File Explorer

By default, File Explorer in Windows 10 sorts files in alphabetical order by name. However, you can change the sorting criteria to suit your needs. Here's how:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the Downloads folder.
2. Click on the "Date modified" column header to sort the files by date modified. Clicking once will sort the files in descending order (newest first), and clicking again will sort them in ascending order (oldest first).
3. To change the sorting criteria, click on the "View" tab in the ribbon menu, then select "Sort by" and choose the desired criteria (e.g., "Name", "Type", "Size", etc.).

Using the "Date modified" Column

The "Date modified" column in File Explorer displays the date and time when a file was last modified. By default, this column is not displayed in the Downloads folder. To add it, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the Downloads folder.
2. Click on the "View" tab in the ribbon menu, then select "Add columns" and choose "Date modified".
3. The "Date modified" column will now be displayed in the File Explorer window. Click on the column header to sort the files by date modified.

Customizing the File Explorer View

You can customize the File Explorer view to suit your preferences. Here are some tips:

1. To change the view (e.g., from "Details" to "Large icons"), click on the "View" tab in the ribbon menu and select the desired view.
2. To group files by a certain criteria (e.g., by type or by date modified), click on the "View" tab in the ribbon menu, then select "Group by" and choose the desired criteria.
3. To filter files by a certain criteria (e.g., by name or by size), click on the "Home" tab in the ribbon menu, then select "Filter" and choose the desired criteria.

Sorting files by date modified in Windows 10 File Explorer is a simple but useful trick that can help you manage your downloaded files more efficiently. By customizing the File Explorer view, you can further streamline your workflow and find the files you need more quickly.

References

• Windows 10 File Explorer tips and tricks. Windows Central.

• How to sort files by date modified in Windows 10. Digital Citizen.

• How to customize File Explorer in Windows 10. Laptop Mag.