Inconsistent Sorting Issue

I'm still getting used to Windows 11 on my new build. I have an SSD dedicated exclusively to hold Windows 11 and another SSD holding mulitple partitions that I use for data, including one partition I use just to store image backups of the OS partition. To be more precise, the SSD holding the OS is only used for Windows 11, but it actually does hold multiple partitions. The OS partition itself, the Recovery, the data, and the EFI partitions created and required by Windows.

I've been using the free Hasleo backup imager to make full sized backups of Windows 11 (which include all 4 parititions as listed above).

Anyway, my question has to do with sorting. On Windows 10, I always had "live" sorting, meaning that when I would add a new file to a folder or change a file name in a folder, it would instantly sort it according to whatever criteria I set, wich for my uses, means sorted by name, so "bear" would sort after "apple" and "8" would come after "3", etc.

With Windows 11, I seem to have lost auto sorting. I have to hit F5 (context menu- refresh) to get the changes to register. How do I enable Win11 to do "live" sorting or instant refresh the way Windows 10 ALWAYS did it?

Here's why I mention the partitions. I created a test folder on one of my non-OS partitions. (Meaning a partition I created on the second SSD and not part of the 4 windows 11 related partitions I regularly back up with images).

On the non-OS partition, the folder sorts just as I want it to... "live" like windows 10 without refresh. However, if I copy-paste that same folder to my desktop (OS-partition), then it stops auto-refreshing. I can move the folder back and forth between the Desktop and any data partition and recreate the experiment. If I create a new folder and pouplate it wiht newly created fiels (text docs) it's the same resutls. If it's on the OS partition it fails to "live" sort, but it it works perfectly on an non-OS partitions.

Where can I change the settings for sorting in Windows Exploerer and why would it be different for different partitions? Has anyone else experienced this problem? Is it fair to say that a fresh install of Windows would eliminate this problem? In my case, I've made several images since first installing Windows 11, but I'm having a hard time understanding what triggered the change in sorting. As an experiement I can go back and restore older images going all the way back to my first install of Windows on this machine and just see when I lost the sorting.. but my guess right now is that something uninitated by me that caused me to lose the sort. Perhaps Windows Explorer is a Microsoft app that the Microsoft store updated without me realizing?

Sorry for such a long OP over such a simple question. I've spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to adress this issue and I'd be very grateful for at least a better understanding about how and Window Explorer sets up the critera for sorting or any theories about how I lost it's funciton.

See if this does it. Right click on the troublesome partition. Select properties. Select customize tab. Make sure under "Optimize this folder for" is set to general items. Check box "apply template to subfolders"

glasskuter said:

See if this does it. Right click on the troublesome partition. Select properties. Select customize tab. Make sure under "Optimize this folder for" is set to general items. Check box "apply template to subfolders"

Click to expand...

Well, I couldn't find this option for the partition itself, but I did try it for the folder located in the partition. Unfortunately, no change.

Well, looks like like I'm outta luck for now. I'll have to go back to older images and see a what point it started happening. I've done this once already and it may be a bit of a mystery. I suspect it has something to do with the partitions themselves and what happens after restoring just the OS partition.

For anyone who happens to stumble upon this thread with a similar problem you might check out THIS thread also on this FORUM. I've already mostly worked through the suggestions on it without success but your mileage may vary:

or maybe this one from another forum:

glasskuter said:

See if this does it. Right click on the troublesome partition. Select properties. Select customize tab. Make sure under "Optimize this folder for" is set to general items. Check box "apply template to subfolders"

Click to expand...

The option "Also apply this template to subfolders" has been broken in Windows 11 since January 2022. It only works if you are using one of the several available methods to run the Windows 10 Explorer (aka Ribbon interface).

Not that it would help with the refresh issue.

@Try3 has posted several times that there is no reliable method to get auto refresh working and I agree. I have certainly seen that the view mode can make a difference (i.e. Details refreshes more reliably than List). YMMV.

@BillMorton I suggest changing the title to "Inconsistent Refreshing Issue". That will help get replies from people with experience with the issue.

Les

BillMorton said:

I'll have to go back to older images and see a what point it started happening

Click to expand...

Bill,

There's absolutely no reason to expect that to make any lasting difference at all.
There's absolutely no reason to expect anything to make any lasting difference at all.
This bug has been around, without any solution, since the last Century.

LesFerch said:

people with experience with the issue

Click to expand...

People with experience of the issue have never found any lasting solution.


Denis

Try3 said:

Bill,

There's absolutely no reason to expect that to make any lasting difference at all.
There's absolutely no reason to expect anything to make any lasting difference at all.
This bug has been around, without any solution, since the last Century.


People with experience of the issue have never found any lasting solution.


Denis

Click to expand...

Well, that's good to know but there must be SOMETHING I DID that triggered it, right? Not everyone with Windows 11 has this problem from first install do they? Going from memory, I don't recall it being a problem until I'd made a few images. Is it at least known that it's a problem with restoring images after creating other data images that aren't restored? That would save me some time knowing that much. It's just really annoying for the kind of work I do on computer.

Also, it's just wrong Win11 has been out this long and they haven't fixed this as it was never a problem for the nearly 8 years I ran Windows 10, but I know, complaining doesn't help. :)

I also really miss my taskbar shortcut menus.. you know the ones that didn't use icons, just instant text navigations. (I'm not describing it well).

Thanks for your reply, and THANKS TO OTHER POSTERS who replied.

BillMorton said:

there must be SOMETHING I DID that triggered it, right?

Click to expand...

Or maybe it was something Windows did behind your back.
Or maybe it was something an application did behind your back.

BillMorton said:

Is it at least known ...

Click to expand...

No.

BillMorton said:

it was never a problem for the nearly 8 years I ran Windows 10

Click to expand...

You were lucky.
The problem exists in Windows 10 as well.
The problem exists in Windows 7 as well.
...
I think the oldest report I've seen was that the problem existed in Windows 98 as well.

I wasted a month of my life searching for & testing potential solutions to this problem.
Some worked for a short period. None worked for more than a week or so.
I had as much success temporarily changing a display or File explorer setting. That would sometimes stop the problem for a little while.
I reboot my computers every day. I think that reduces the incidence of the problem. But I might be kidding myself.

BillMorton said:

I also really miss my taskbar shortcut menus.. you know the ones that didn't use icons, just instant text navigations. (I'm not describing it well).

Click to expand...

Sorry, I don't know what you mean.
I wondered if you meant Taskbar Toolbars but they don't fit with what you've written.


All the best,
Denis

Try3 said:

Sorry, I don't know what you mean.
I wondered if you meant Taskbar Toolbars but they don't fit with what you've written.

Click to expand...

I think the OP means Jump Lists.

Try3 said:

I wondered if you meant Taskbar Toolbars but they don't fit with what you've written.

Click to expand...

You're right, I meant toolbars, and you're right twice in that I described them terribly. I guess I'm the only one who really liked and used them in Win 10.


But back to the Sorting... when I get a chance I'll restore back to an image I made immediately after installing Win11 and hopefully then see at what point it went wrong. If it just happens randomly, then there's as much chance it won't happen as it will, once I go back to an older image, right? Please explain to me why that's not worth trying.

LesFerch said:

@BillMorton I suggest changing the title to "Inconsistent Refreshing Issue". That will help get replies from people with experience with the issue.

Les

Click to expand...

Well, I think it's a dead issue and so a dead thread. Also, I didn't think you could change the topic header once you make the OP.

BillMorton said:

I guess I'm the only one who really liked and used them in Win 10.

Click to expand...

Nope! I use them all the time, even on W11, in different ways.

BillMorton said:

Well, I think it's a dead issue and so a dead thread. Also, I didn't think you could change the topic header once you make the OP.

Click to expand...

These threads are searchable and stay around, so an accurate topic is helpful, even in a case like this where there is really no solution. But maybe, as a new member, you cannot edit the title.

LesFerch said:

These threads are searchable and stay around, so an accurate topic is helpful, even in a case like this where there is really no solution. But maybe, as a new member, you cannot edit the title.

Click to expand...

I think members get 1 hour to make adjustments to their threads/posts, for vip’s it is different.

This Windows 11 Explorer sorting and refreshing issue is one of the reasons I don't use Explorer unless I absolutely must.

A simple task as extracting a zip file shows no signs of the extracted files or folder until a manual refresh is made.

It's both confusing and annoying at the same time. Every time I look for the extracted stuff, I'm like, "where the heck did the files go?"

Great job Microsoft, once again...let's keep working more on those emojis and kamojis, they'll make us all much more productive.

BillMorton said:

I meant toolbars ... I guess I'm the only one who really liked and used them in Win 10

Click to expand...

No, lots of us used them in Windows 10
Taskbar Toolbars - Creating and naming, customising, moving [post #20] - TenForumsTutorials
and some of us continue to use them in Windows 11 by adding ExplorerPatcher or StartAllBack. I've tried both. I prefer EP.

Taskbar context menu with ExplorerPatcher



All the best,
Denis

SlicEnDicE said:

This Windows 11 Explorer sorting and refreshing issue is one of the reasons I don't use Explorer unless I absolutely must.

A simple task as extracting a zip file shows no signs of the extracted files or folder until a manual refresh is made.

It's both confusing and annoying at the same time. Every time I look for the extracted stuff, I'm like, "where the heck did the files go?"

Great job Microsoft, once again...let's keep working more on those emojis and kamojis, they'll make us all much more productive.

Click to expand...

Is there an alternative to windows explorer?

antspants said:

I think members get 1 hour to make adjustments to their threads/posts, for vip’s it is different.

Click to expand...

Seems about right in my case, not that I've put a clock to it.

Dennis/Edwin,

Very cool there's a work around for toolbar. I can't it out right now, but I will in the next fews days. Just wanna say I saw your posts and thanks for the info!