Auto align-align to grid option gone for folders?

Eagleswing · Sep 12, 2022

Hi all and thank you advance for any insight.
I just now have starting using Windows 11 on a new computer. I noticed that the settings for folders no longer shows in the "view" section toggles for auto arrange and
and align to grid. This only appears on the desktop.

Is there a way to manipulate the context menu or way to have this option available?

Thank you,
Marc

LesFerch · Sep 17, 2022

Are you looking for those options so you can freely arrange icons within a folder like you can on the desktop? Those options were removed from Windows long before Windows 11. They can be re-enabled (at least in Windows 10) via a registry setting, but the settings are useless as of Windows 10 Creators Update version 1703. That is, if you enable those options and then freely arrange icons, their positions will not be saved. See this tutorial for more details.

Eagleswing · Sep 17, 2022

Thank you for your reply. I tried to arrange photos in my pictures folder. It will not let me move them from their original location. So, its like it is locked in align to grid. There is no option in the view header to uncheck the align to grid like there was in every version of Windows until now. The only option with that feature still working is on the desktop.

LesFerch · Sep 18, 2022

Eagleswing said:
Thank you for your reply. I tried to arrange photos in my pictures folder. It will not let me move them from their original location. So, its like it is locked in align to grid. There is no option in the view header to uncheck the align to grid like there was in every version of Windows until now. The only option with that feature still working is on the desktop.

The options "Align icons to grid" and "Auto arrange icons" being only available for the desktop has been the case since Windows 7. Perhaps you are thinking of the registry settings that enable those options for folders. For Windows 7 through Window 10 (prior to release 1703) you could enable those options for folders, arrange icons freely, and the positions would be remembered. As of Windows 10 1703 that functionality is gone. That is, you can still enable those menu items and move icons around in folders, but the icon positions will not be remembered.

Eagleswing · Sep 19, 2022

Thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate the time and knowledge of you and the other member LesFerch!

OrthodoxWin32 · Sep 19, 2022

Hello @Eagleswing,

Maybe use option "Enable syslistview32 for ExplorerView" in ExplorerPatcher ?

Eagleswing · Sep 20, 2022

Hi and thank you. How would
I go about accessing that option?

Eagleswing · Sep 20, 2022

I researched it and found it is a downloadable file. I will give it a try. Thank you again!

OrthodoxWin32 · Sep 20, 2022

Eagleswing
In fact, I tried on my system, it doesn't work. Sorry for the misdirection. I think the only way to recover the functionality is to write an AHK-like script to force the position of the elements not to be reset.

LesFerch · Sep 20, 2022

OrthodoxWin32 said:
Eagleswing
In fact, I tried on my system, it doesn't work. Sorry for the misdirection. I think the only way to recover the functionality is to write an AHK-like script to force the position of the elements not to be reset.

As of Windows 10 1703, File Explorer no longer saves the icon positions (for folders), so there's nothing that can be done with a script.