Question:

How to sort files and folders by date created in Windows 11 File Explorer?

I want to sort the contents of a folder by date created, from oldest to newest, using Windows 11 File Explorer. The folder has many videos and one subfolder. However, the subfolder always appears at the top of the list, even though it was created later than some of the videos. I have disabled the group by option, but the problem persists. How can I sort the files and folders by date created without regard to their type?

Answer:

Windows 11 File Explorer is a powerful tool that allows you to manage your files and folders in various ways. One of the features that you can use is sorting, which lets you arrange the items in a folder according to different criteria, such as name, size, type, or date.

However, some users may encounter a problem when they try to sort files and folders by date created. They may notice that the folders always appear at the top of the list, regardless of their actual creation date. This can be frustrating if you want to see the files and folders in chronological order, especially if you have a lot of them.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem. You just need to change one setting in the File Explorer options. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Open the folder that you want to sort by date created.

2. Click on the View tab in the ribbon menu.

3. Click on the Options button on the right side of the ribbon.

4. In the Folder Options window that opens, click on the View tab.

5. Under Advanced settings, scroll down and find the option that says When grouping items, show folders before files.

6. Uncheck this option and click on OK.

7. Now, go back to the folder and click on the Date created column header to sort the files and folders by date created. You should see them in the order that you want, from oldest to newest, without the folders being stuck at the top.

That’s it! You have successfully sorted your files and folders by date created in Windows 11 File Explorer. You can also use this method to sort by other date-related criteria, such as date modified or date accessed. You can also reverse the order by clicking on the column header again.

We hope this article was helpful and solved your problem. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading! 😊

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