How to get "conventional" alphabetic ordering of files?

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Guest

Hi!

Amazing how long I've been using Windows XP without noticing the strange
ordering that it applies when you choose file sorting "by name" in Windows
Explorer... Instead of sorting character by character (so that
561<56k<571<5a1) it seems to recognise numbers composed of multiple digits,
so that 5a1<56k<57k<561<571 (just because 5 is less than 56 is less than 571).
Can anyone please tell me how to turn back to normal intuitive/ascii
character table alphabetic ordering? This has to be possible to do somewhere.
If not, I get really angry on the microsoft ppl...

I know they do it because sometimes you want 1<2<10<20 etc. But everybody
who really wants that can always add zeroes to get 01<02<10<20, THAT'S HOW
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN THE COMPUTER WORLD. This is really typical of the
microsoft mentality, inventing new things that are not only complicated but
also unwanted and then expect you to be grateful for it.
This is of no good at all - and as explained, totally unnecessary since one
could always add the zeroes in front. (It should also be slightly more
demanding of the computer if it has to recognise long numbers instead of just
comparing characters, of course a minor issue with today's computers, but yet
moer evidence of microsoft's part in the "programming crisis")

For me this ordering is disastrous since in my work I name some experiment
result files starting with a three-character shorthand notation of the date
the experiment was conducted. Thus, 561=1 June 2005, 571=1 July 2005, 56k=20
June 2005 and 5a1=1 October 2005. Normal, intuitive file name sorting would
thus yield correct chronological ordering of the files.
Also I was surprised at first to find that after data treatment, the file,
say, "result12" which was the average of "result1" and "result2" did not
position itself between result1 and result2 but came after result3.

I'm sure there are lots of better examples yet, because this is so totally
unbelievably weird!!!
Please someone tell me there is a checkbox -somewhere- (I have not found
that place yet) saying something like "turn off multiple character number
recognition in alphabetical file sorting"!
 
Rant somewhere else idiot. You are so wrong. So you are saying you are too stupid to use XP. It can sort both ways but I don't tell fools anything and the correct answer is to change you.
 
David said:
Rant somewhere else [CUT]
I don't tell fools anything
and the correct answer is to change you.
[CUT]

ok - maybe the original message wasn't as much polite as it should have
been, but I can understand how frustrated is feeling Eric because
of a lot of "new xp features" that, unfortunately, seems to imply for
few old users (including me) a huge waste of time...
I have the same problem with filename ordering.
I can understand that these kind of improvements are the right
way of being user-friendly for most of the users...
But what I'd really love to have from MS is (IF POSSIBLE) a clear
description
of how to go back to the previous o.s. behaviour for any new
improvement
they add. With all that said: may anyone help me with the ordering
problem?
TIA!
bye,
PiErre
 
Erik said:
Amazing how long I've been using Windows XP without noticing the
strange ordering that it applies when you choose file sorting "by
name" in Windows Explorer... Instead of sorting character by
character (so that 561<56k<571<5a1) it seems to recognise numbers
composed of multiple digits, so that 5a1<56k<57k<561<571 (just
because 5 is less than 56 is less than 571). Can anyone please tell
me how to turn back to normal intuitive/ascii character table
alphabetic ordering? This has to be possible to do somewhere. If not,
I get really angry on the microsoft ppl...

I know they do it because sometimes you want 1<2<10<20 etc. But
everybody
who really wants that can always add zeroes to get 01<02<10<20,
THAT'S HOW PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN THE COMPUTER WORLD. This is
really typical of the microsoft mentality, inventing new things that
are not only complicated but also unwanted and then expect you to be
grateful for it.
This is of no good at all - and as explained, totally unnecessary
since one could always add the zeroes in front. (It should also be
slightly more demanding of the computer if it has to recognise long
numbers instead of just comparing characters, of course a minor issue
with today's computers, but yet moer evidence of microsoft's part in
the "programming crisis")

For me this ordering is disastrous since in my work I name some
experiment result files starting with a three-character shorthand
notation of the date the experiment was conducted. Thus, 561=1 June
2005, 571=1 July 2005, 56k=20 June 2005 and 5a1=1 October 2005.
Normal, intuitive file name sorting would thus yield correct
chronological ordering of the files.
Also I was surprised at first to find that after data treatment, the
file, say, "result12" which was the average of "result1" and
"result2" did not position itself between result1 and result2 but
came after result3.

I'm sure there are lots of better examples yet, because this is so
totally unbelievably weird!!!
Please someone tell me there is a checkbox -somewhere- (I have not
found
that place yet) saying something like "turn off multiple character
number recognition in alphabetical file sorting"!

Research.. then RANT.

Use TweakUI...

TweakUI --> Explorer --> Use intuitive filename sorting

If this is checked the Explorer will sort files so that, for e.g. "File 5"
comes before "File 10" because 5 comes before 10. If this is unchecked then
Explorer will use literal sorting, in which case "File 10" will come before
"File 5" because 1 comes before 5.

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

More information:
-----
The Sort Order for Files and Folders Whose Names Contain Numerals Is
Different in Windows XP Than It Is in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

Windows Explorer Incorrectly Sorts Files and Folders with 10 or
More Consecutive Numerals
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318872

Change Sort Order in Windows Explorer
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php?id=1293
 
PiErre said:
ok - maybe the original message wasn't as much polite as it should
have been, but I can understand how frustrated is feeling Eric because
of a lot of "new xp features" that, unfortunately, seems to imply for
few old users (including me) a huge waste of time...
I have the same problem with filename ordering.
I can understand that these kind of improvements are the right
way of being user-friendly for most of the users...
But what I'd really love to have from MS is (IF POSSIBLE) a clear
description
of how to go back to the previous o.s. behaviour for any new
improvement
they add. With all that said: may anyone help me with the ordering
problem?

Research.. then RANT.

Use TweakUI...

TweakUI --> Explorer --> Use intuitive filename sorting

If this is checked the Explorer will sort files so that, for e.g. "File 5"
comes before "File 10" because 5 comes before 10. If this is unchecked then
Explorer will use literal sorting, in which case "File 10" will come before
"File 5" because 1 comes before 5.

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

More information:
-----
The Sort Order for Files and Folders Whose Names Contain Numerals Is
Different in Windows XP Than It Is in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

Windows Explorer Incorrectly Sorts Files and Folders with 10 or
More Consecutive Numerals
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318872

Change Sort Order in Windows Explorer
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php?id=1293
 
For me this ordering is disastrous since in my work I name some experiment
result files starting with a three-character shorthand notation of the
date
the experiment was conducted. Thus, 561=1 June 2005, 571=1 July 2005,
56k=20
June 2005 and 5a1=1 October 2005. Normal, intuitive file name sorting
would
thus yield correct chronological ordering of the files.
Also I was surprised at first to find that after data treatment, the file,
say, "result12" which was the average of "result1" and "result2" did not
position itself between result1 and result2 but came after result3.

The part I don't understand is that Explorer's just presenting a view of the
files sitting in the file system. Any automated process that enumerates
files shouldn't be influenced by Explorer's sort order.
 
I symapathise. I have also found this behaviour disturbing, although not as
disastrous as in your case

Luckily, I think there is a way. Not one that I know, but one of the experts
out there will no doubt reply. I think it some thing like "use Windows 98
style sorting" - but where ???
 
Trevor said:
I symapathise. I have also found this behaviour disturbing, although
not as disastrous as in your case

Luckily, I think there is a way. Not one that I know, but one of the
experts out there will no doubt reply. I think it some thing like
"use Windows 98 style sorting" - but where ???

Use TweakUI...

TweakUI --> Explorer --> Use intuitive filename sorting

If this is checked the Explorer will sort files so that, for e.g. "File 5"
comes before "File 10" because 5 comes before 10. If this is unchecked then
Explorer will use literal sorting, in which case "File 10" will come before
"File 5" because 1 comes before 5.

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

More information:
-----
The Sort Order for Files and Folders Whose Names Contain Numerals Is
Different in Windows XP Than It Is in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

Windows Explorer Incorrectly Sorts Files and Folders with 10 or
More Consecutive Numerals
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318872

Change Sort Order in Windows Explorer
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php?id=1293
 
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