Out of Alphabetical Order

On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not find
its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted but stays
at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents, requiring it to be
placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the difficulties of
merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.

Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP Compaq
failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped with the
grey matter than they are?

Without seeing your folder structure we can not determine why the folder is
not going to the correct order.

So, what is the name and type of the new folder and what are 2-3 of the
folders you would expect to see above and below the folder you created?

--

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience


"Zygy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted but
> stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents, requiring it
> to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the difficulties
> of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>
> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP Compaq
> failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped with the
> grey matter than they are?

First, do any of these folder names begin/end with or contain *any* numbers,
symbols or punctuation marks within the string of the alphabet letters A
through Z.

In other words if you have three folder names like
Abc
Abd
Bac
those three would stay in what people normally think of when we say
alphabetical order. But for example, if I create a new folder and name it
*Zbc added to the three folder examples earlier you would get them in
alphabetical order and the order would be:
*Zbc
Abc
Abd
Bac .
"By default, the newer sort order considers strings in file and folder names
as numeric content, not text. Numerals in folder and file names are sorted
according to their numeric value."
Learn more here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

That being said, the folder in question, rename it and type in the name, it
can be the same name you are using now, but rename it and see what happens.
(Refresh)
This is a quick guess, if of no help, as Richard Urban said give more info.
H Brown

"Zygy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted but
> stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents, requiring it
> to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the difficulties
> of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>
> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP Compaq
> failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped with the
> grey matter than they are?

On Fri, 22 May 2009 13:03:31 +0100, Zygy <> wrote:

I can think of several possible reasons.

> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted
> but stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents,
> requiring it to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the
> difficulties of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>
> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP
> Compaq failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped
> with the grey matter than they are?


1) Is the view sorted - if not then explorer will add the folder where you
told it to put it. This sounds the most likely as you can correct the
position by moving it.

2) When a new folder or file is created an existing explorer view just
adds the file to the end of the list regardless of sorting - if this is
the case a refresh will solve this on the right pane.

3) When the file or folder name contains adjacent digits windows treats
these as a single number - thus "A3" comes before "A21" as 3 comes before
21.

4) Windows keeps files and folders seperate when sorting, however a ZIP
file looks, and acts, like a folder but is sorted as a file. This is
especially true if you have left "hide known extensions" on, and aren't
showing the file type column.


--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

There are about 75 Folders in My Documents, such as Cash Flows, Credit Cards
Charges, Diaries, Misc. Correspondence ect.ect. There are no folders with
numbers only names.I have no other paper files. All my business is conducted
from the computer and the Compaq one is a second storage (as a safeguard) of
all the information of my main computer. Both of my computers have Vista
Business, Office and both have exactly the same My Documents. On the main
one any new Folder created in My Documents is automatically put in
alphabetical order as soon as I finish typing in the name. On the Compaq
computer it stays at the end of the list and it does not matter what I do it
will not shift to a correct alphabetical place. Moving it by hand is not
easy, because the slightest misdirection and it merges with another Folder
and in any case it is time consuming, which I cannot afford!
There must be a way of correcting this fault.

"Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Without seeing your folder structure we can not determine why the folder
> is not going to the correct order.
>
> So, what is the name and type of the new folder and what are 2-3 of the
> folders you would expect to see above and below the folder you created?
>
> --
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows Desktop Experience
>
>
> "Zygy" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
>> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted
>> but stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents, requiring
>> it to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the
>> difficulties of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>>
>> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP Compaq
>> failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped with
>> the grey matter than they are?
>

If the View is set to Details, just click on the Name column heading to
change the sort order.
If you're viewing icons, just right-click on an empty area, select
Sort by - Name


--
Windows 7 RC
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview
http://download.live.com/wlmail

"Zygy" <> wrote in message
news:...
> There are about 75 Folders in My Documents, such as Cash Flows, Credit
> Cards Charges, Diaries, Misc. Correspondence ect.ect. There are no folders
> with numbers only names.I have no other paper files. All my business is
> conducted from the computer and the Compaq one is a second storage (as a
> safeguard) of all the information of my main computer. Both of my
> computers have Vista Business, Office and both have exactly the same My
> Documents. On the main one any new Folder created in My Documents is
> automatically put in alphabetical order as soon as I finish typing in the
> name. On the Compaq computer it stays at the end of the list and it does
> not matter what I do it will not shift to a correct alphabetical place.
> Moving it by hand is not easy, because the slightest misdirection and it
> merges with another Folder and in any case it is time consuming, which I
> cannot afford!
> There must be a way of correcting this fault.
>
> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Without seeing your folder structure we can not determine why the folder
>> is not going to the correct order.
>>
>> So, what is the name and type of the new folder and what are 2-3 of the
>> folders you would expect to see above and below the folder you created?
>>
>> --
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>
>>
>> "Zygy" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
>>> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted
>>> but stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents,
>>> requiring it to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the
>>> difficulties of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>>>
>>> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP
>>> Compaq failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped
>>> with the grey matter than they are?
>>
>

They aren't. Whoever at Microsoft came up with the non-alphabetical file
sorting order in Vista ought to be shot, dismembered and cremated, then
have his/her ashes scattered in the ocean before this practice
contaminates Microsoft and the earth any further.

I have folders containing up to 4096 other folders within, and the
Vista alphabetical sort is a major PITA. For instance, 00a, 00b, 00c,
00d, 00e, 00f, 0a0, 0b0, ad infinitum, are listed before 001, 002, etc.

The strange thing is, when I do a folder listing, I can *_see_* the
folders in their correct order before Vista takes over and sorts them as
they want it to be done.

Someone needs to tell the lovely folks at Microsoft that alphabetical
listings are sorted in columnar order, column by column, from left to
right, and not in any other fashion.

And thank you, Zygy, for your original post. It's nice to know someone
else has this problem, and I can commiserate.


--
johnph77
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.com

Press F5 or choose Refresh.

On Sat, 23 May 2009 09:40:33 +0100, Zygy wrote:

> There are about 75 Folders in My Documents, such as Cash Flows, Credit Cards
> Charges, Diaries, Misc. Correspondence ect.ect. There are no folders with
> numbers only names.I have no other paper files. All my business is conducted
> from the computer and the Compaq one is a second storage (as a safeguard) of
> all the information of my main computer. Both of my computers have Vista
> Business, Office and both have exactly the same My Documents. On the main
> one any new Folder created in My Documents is automatically put in
> alphabetical order as soon as I finish typing in the name. On the Compaq
> computer it stays at the end of the list and it does not matter what I do it
> will not shift to a correct alphabetical place. Moving it by hand is not
> easy, because the slightest misdirection and it merges with another Folder
> and in any case it is time consuming, which I cannot afford!
> There must be a way of correcting this fault.
>
> "Richard Urban" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>> Without seeing your folder structure we can not determine why the folder
>> is not going to the correct order.
>>
>> So, what is the name and type of the new folder and what are 2-3 of the
>> folders you would expect to see above and below the folder you created?
>>
>> --
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP
>> Windows Desktop Experience
>>
>>
>> "Zygy" <> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> On one of my computers a newly created Folder In my Documents does not
>>> find its correct space in alphabetical order when the name is inserted
>>> but stays at the bottom of the list of Folders in My Documents, requiring
>>> it to be placed in the correct place by hand incurring all the
>>> difficulties of merging Folders at the same time - all time consuming.
>>>
>>> Is there a way of correcting this? The Technical Assistance for HP Compaq
>>> failed to find a solution - maybe you readers are better equipped with
>>> the grey matter than they are?
>>


--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

"johnph77" <> wrote in message
news:...
> And thank you, Zygy, for your original post. It's nice to know someone
> else has this problem, and I can commiserate.

Sorry, I've just now noticed this thread.

Perhaps this was already covered. If not, have a look at this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

In step 6 I set the value to 1 for my Vista Ultimate 32 system. I now get a
sort order that makes "ASCII" sense to me.

- Bill

Bill Leary;1515424 Wrote:
> Sorry, I've just now noticed this thread.
>
> Perhaps this was already covered. If not, have a look at this:
>
> 'The sort order for files and folders whose names contain numerals i
> different in Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 than i
> is in Windows 2000' (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827)
>
> In step 6 I set the value to 1 for my Vista Ultimate 32 system. I no
> get a
> sort order that makes "ASCII" sense to me.
>
> - Bill
Bill -

Strangely enough, I didn't have this sort order in the computers I ha
with Windows XP, as I was evidently supposed to have according to th
article - I had the old sort order.

I've just edited the registry on the laptop, and, eureka
*_IT_WORKS!!!!!_* You don't realize how much frustration and how man
cuss words you've saved me. Send me your address and I'll send you m
first-born daughter, although I can't guarantee she's a virgin.

Now on to the desktop.

Thank you so very much, kind sir.

Joh

--
johnph7
Posted via http://www.vistaheads.co