Windows: Restore Old Behavior of Showing Folders First in Sorting

Introduction

Windows has always been known for its user-friendly interface, and one of its features that users have grown fond of is the way it displays subdirectories or folders first, regardless of the sort order. However, in recent years, this behavior seems to have changed, causing confusion and frustration among users. This article aims to provide a detailed discussion on how to restore the old behavior of showing folders first in Windows.

Understanding the Windows Explorer File List View

To understand how to restore the old behavior of showing folders first in Windows, it is essential to know how the Windows Explorer file list view works. The file list view is the part of the Windows Explorer window that displays the files and folders in a particular directory. It has several sorting options, such as by name, date, size, and type.

Sorting by Name

When sorting by name, Windows displays the files and folders in alphabetical order. By default, Windows shows the files first, followed by the folders. However, there is an option to show the folders first, which is what we want to restore.

Sorting by Date, Size, and Type

When sorting by date, size, or type, Windows also shows the files first, followed by the folders. Unfortunately, there is no built-in option to show the folders first when sorting by these criteria.

Restoring the Old Behavior of Showing Folders First

To restore the old behavior of showing folders first in Windows, follow these steps:

1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. Navigate to the directory where you want to show the folders first.
3. Click on the View tab in the ribbon.
4. Check the box next to Show folders first in the Numerical and alphabetical sorting group.

Using a Registry Hack

If the above steps do not work, you can try a registry hack to restore the old behavior of showing folders first. However, be cautious when editing the registry as it can cause system instability if not done correctly.

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
4. Right-click on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
5. Name the new value ShowFoldersFirst and set its value to 1.
6. Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows Explorer.

Restoring the old behavior of showing folders first in Windows is a simple task that can improve productivity and reduce frustration. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily show the folders first in the Windows Explorer file list view.

References

• Microsoft Support. How to customize Windows Explorer views and sort options.

• How-To Geek. Show Folders First in Windows Explorer.

• Ten Forums. Show Folders First in Windows 10.