Sorting

Sort by name, date, type, or size - plus natural sort and folders-on-top.

Sorting (and folders first)

Sorting decides what you see first - and that’s half the UX of a file manager.

Explorer can sort by:

  • Name
  • Date modified
  • Type
  • Size

Defaults vs per-window

  • Use the Sort menu for the current view.
  • Use Preferences to set the default sort key + direction for new windows/tabs.

Sorting options worth enabling

  • Folders on top: keeps navigation predictable.
  • Natural sorting: File 2 comes before File 10.
  • Locale sorting: respects language rules (useful for non‑ASCII names).

Practical presets

  • Downloads cleanup: Date modified (desc) + Folders on top
  • Find large files: Size (desc) + Folders on top
  • Project folders: Name (asc) + Natural sorting

Next steps