Auto Arrange

I've got a couple of folders on my desktop and I want to be able to arrange
the icons in those folders to my own liking. However if I try to move
anything, it just pops back like "auto arrange" does on the desktop.
However, on the desktop you can turn it off. Is there a way of turning it
off inside folders?

--
-- I'm retired. I was tired yesterday. I'm tired again today --

In message <Xns9F6842F69B4butter@wefb973cbe498>, Retired
<> writes:
>I've got a couple of folders on my desktop and I want to be able to arrange
>the icons in those folders to my own liking. However if I try to move
>anything, it just pops back like "auto arrange" does on the desktop.
>However, on the desktop you can turn it off. Is there a way of turning it
>off inside folders?
>
I doubt it. You can change the sort order - by date, size, filename, and
possibly other things (click on the column headings - a second click
reverses the order. I'm not sure about column headings when you're
displaying icons rather than details) - but I don't think you can do it
arbitrarily, unless someone else knows otherwise. I think the desktop is
a special case.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"That was a great speech. Every thinking American will vote for you."
"That's not enough. I need a majority." - Mo Udall

"Retired" <> wrote in message
news:Xns9F6842F69B4butter@wefb973cbe498...
> I've got a couple of folders on my desktop and I want to be able to
> arrange
> the icons in those folders to my own liking. However if I try to
> move
> anything, it just pops back like "auto arrange" does on the desktop.
> However, on the desktop you can turn it off. Is there a way of
> turning it
> off inside folders?
>

In XP at least (I don't have a Windows 7 machine handy for testing
these days), you can change the folder to view the contents as icons,
and once you do so you can move the icons around and place them
however you like.

--
Zaphod

Vell, Zaphod's just zis guy, ya know? - Gag Halfrunt

Retired" <> wrote in message
news:Xns9F6842F69B4butter@wefb973cbe498...
> I've got a couple of folders on my desktop and I want to be able to
> arrange
> the icons in those folders to my own liking. However if I try to move
> anything, it just pops back like "auto arrange" does on the desktop.
> However, on the desktop you can turn it off. Is there a way of turning
> it
> off inside folders?
>
> --
> -- I'm retired. I was tired yesterday. I'm tired again today --



The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
have folders located.

How to Disable Auto Arrange in Folders in Windows 7? - The Winhelponline
Blog
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/di...ers-windows-7/

Windows 7 - Windows Explorer Auto Arrange - Disable
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...e-disable.html
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Oct. 1, 2004 ~ Sept. 30, 2010
Imperial Beach, CA

On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen" <>
wrote:

>The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
>these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
>never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
>have folders located.

I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?

--

Char Jackson

On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:18:30 -0500, Char Jackson <>
wrote:

> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen" <>
> wrote:
>
> >The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
> >these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
> >never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
> >have folders located.
>
> I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
> remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
> Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?


I'm not Bruce, but since I agree with him, I'll throw in my reason why
I think it's an unsafe place to store anything but shortcuts:

Since most of what's on the desktop are shortcuts, and shortcuts can
easily be recreated if necessary, it's easy to accidentally delete
something on the desktop thing it's just a shortcut.

On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:36:45 -0700, Ken Blake <>
wrote:

>On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:18:30 -0500, Char Jackson <>
>wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen" <>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
>> >these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
>> >never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
>> >have folders located.
>>
>> I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
>> remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
>> Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?
>
>
>I'm not Bruce, but since I agree with him, I'll throw in my reason why
>I think it's an unsafe place to store anything but shortcuts:
>
>Since most of what's on the desktop are shortcuts, and shortcuts can
>easily be recreated if necessary, it's easy to accidentally delete
>something on the desktop thing it's just a shortcut.

Good enough, thanks. My first thought is that it's crazy to think of
the Desktop as an unsafe place, (and in my own case I actually do
think it's crazy), but then if I look at it through the eyes of some
of my customers I can totally see the point. Some of them delete
critical system files regardless of where they are on the drive, so in
some cases there is no safe place, period.

--

Char Jackson

On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:33:45 -0500, Char Jackson <>
wrote:

> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:36:45 -0700, Ken Blake <>
> wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:18:30 -0500, Char Jackson <>
> >wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen" <>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >> >The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
> >> >these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
> >> >never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
> >> >have folders located.
> >>
> >> I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
> >> remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
> >> Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?
> >
> >
> >I'm not Bruce, but since I agree with him, I'll throw in my reason why
> >I think it's an unsafe place to store anything but shortcuts:
> >
> >Since most of what's on the desktop are shortcuts, and shortcuts can
> >easily be recreated if necessary, it's easy to accidentally delete
> >something on the desktop thing it's just a shortcut.
>
> Good enough, thanks. My first thought is that it's crazy to think of
> the Desktop as an unsafe place, (and in my own case I actually do
> think it's crazy), but then if I look at it through the eyes of some
> of my customers I can totally see the point. Some of them delete
> critical system files regardless of where they are on the drive, so in
> some cases there is no safe place, period.


You're welcome. Glad to help.

It's certainly true that there is no completely safe place, but it's
also true that some places are safer than others, and that's what
should guide us in making choices.

Also, although I understand your point about customers rather than
yourself, it's also true that even the best of us have our good days
and our bad days. It's very easy to make such a mistake when we're
tired, have drunk too much, had a fight with your spouse, and so on.

On 22/09/2011 6:39 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:33:45 -0500, Char Jackson<>
> wrote:
>
>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:36:45 -0700, Ken Blake<>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:18:30 -0500, Char Jackson<>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen"<>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
>>>>> these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
>>>>> never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
>>>>> have folders located.
>>>>
>>>> I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
>>>> remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
>>>> Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm not Bruce, but since I agree with him, I'll throw in my reason why
>>> I think it's an unsafe place to store anything but shortcuts:
>>>
>>> Since most of what's on the desktop are shortcuts, and shortcuts can
>>> easily be recreated if necessary, it's easy to accidentally delete
>>> something on the desktop thing it's just a shortcut.
>>
>> Good enough, thanks. My first thought is that it's crazy to think of
>> the Desktop as an unsafe place, (and in my own case I actually do
>> think it's crazy), but then if I look at it through the eyes of some
>> of my customers I can totally see the point. Some of them delete
>> critical system files regardless of where they are on the drive, so in
>> some cases there is no safe place, period.
>
>
> You're welcome. Glad to help.
>
> It's certainly true that there is no completely safe place, but it's
> also true that some places are safer than others, and that's what
> should guide us in making choices.
>
> Also, although I understand your point about customers rather than
> yourself, it's also true that even the best of us have our good days
> and our bad days. It's very easy to make such a mistake when we're
> tired, have drunk too much, had a fight with your spouse, and so on.

Unless you're very unlucky, deleted files remain intact, though the
space that they occupy is marked as free. Provided you don’t wait too
long there’s a fair chance they can be recovered with freeware programs
like Restoration and Recuva to name but two.

On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:49:44 +0100, Boscoe <>
wrote:

> On 22/09/2011 6:39 PM, Ken Blake wrote:
> > On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:33:45 -0500, Char Jackson<>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:36:45 -0700, Ken Blake<>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:18:30 -0500, Char Jackson<>
> >>> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On Thu, 22 Sep 2011 05:56:50 -0700, "Bruce Hagen"<>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> The developers removed the Auto-Arrange option in Windows 7. Either of
> >>>>> these third party fixes will add it back so you can disable it. I have
> >>>>> never tried this on the Desktop though as that is a very unsafe place to
> >>>>> have folders located.
> >>>>
> >>>> I think you've mentioned and explained this before, but I don't
> >>>> remember the details so I'd like to ask again. Why do you say that the
> >>>> Desktop is a very unsafe place to locate folders?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> I'm not Bruce, but since I agree with him, I'll throw in my reason why
> >>> I think it's an unsafe place to store anything but shortcuts:
> >>>
> >>> Since most of what's on the desktop are shortcuts, and shortcuts can
> >>> easily be recreated if necessary, it's easy to accidentally delete
> >>> something on the desktop thing it's just a shortcut.
> >>
> >> Good enough, thanks. My first thought is that it's crazy to think of
> >> the Desktop as an unsafe place, (and in my own case I actually do
> >> think it's crazy), but then if I look at it through the eyes of some
> >> of my customers I can totally see the point. Some of them delete
> >> critical system files regardless of where they are on the drive, so in
> >> some cases there is no safe place, period.
> >
> >
> > You're welcome. Glad to help.
> >
> > It's certainly true that there is no completely safe place, but it's
> > also true that some places are safer than others, and that's what
> > should guide us in making choices.
> >
> > Also, although I understand your point about customers rather than
> > yourself, it's also true that even the best of us have our good days
> > and our bad days. It's very easy to make such a mistake when we're
> > tired, have drunk too much, had a fight with your spouse, and so on.
>
> Unless you're very unlucky, deleted files remain intact, though the
> space that they occupy is marked as free.


Yes, of course. I know that very well. First, they go into the Recycle
bin. *But* ...

1. The file may be too large for the recycle bin.

2. They stay in the recycle bin until you empty it.


> Provided you don’t wait too
> long there’s a fair chance they can be recovered with freeware programs
> like Restoration and Recuva to name but two.


Yes, that's also true. But the operative words are "fair chance."
Waiting too long can easily happen. My point was not that files other
than shortcuts on the desktop will always be lost forever if you
delete them, but that putting them there rather than elsewhere creates
a larger risk of losing them forever. Running that risk is foolhardy.