[bobc4012]

Whenever I open a folder and want to "sort by date (modified)", Windows 7 sorts by descending order. I have to click again to get ascending order (in XP this was not a problem). Is there a registry hack or some other way of getting Windows 7 to sort by (modified) date in ascending order when you click on "sort by date"? Various searches have only come up with bogus or obvious answers (e.g., click again to change order, "group by" (which doesn't maintain setting when reset to "sort by date"), etc.). Thanks for any "real" help.

 

[bobc4012]

Please REREAD what I posted. I KNOW you can do this. It does exactly what I DON'T WANT. I do NOT want to have to click twice on a folder that I want sorted by "Date Modified - Ascending". I didn't have to click twice on XP and I shouldn't have to click twice on Windows 7. I do not always keep folders in one sort order only. Sometimes I want "by name", sometimes "by type" and then other times "by modified date". There should be some "registry hack" to fix this "bug". Your answer is the same answer all over the internet. I have read time after time, people asking the same question I have and getting the same non-solution answer. This problem is just one of the many annoyances I have encountered with Windows 7. I can understand why many people refuse to leave XP. BTW, I don't have to click twice on Linux either!!!

 

[bobc4012]

Again, please reread what was posted. What you proposed is no different than what one already has to do. It still takes "two clicks" navigating through the menu. Just the order of "clicks" is changed - NOT REDUCED TO ONE CLICK!
There is no difference if you click - select "sort by" - click "Sort by Date" - "drop down menu closes", click again, select "sort by" - click on "Ascending". What you propose, is "click - select "sort by" - click "Ascending" - "drop down menu closes", click again, select "sort by" - click on "Sort by Date". Still a lot of nuisance having to go through the menu twice to get what used to be "ONE CLICK" with Windows XP (and earlier).

Also, if the folder was originally "Sorted by Name - Ascending" and you change it to "Descending" before reopening (after the menu closes) and then reopening the menu and "clicking on sort by date", it remains in descending order.

I appreciate the two of you trying to help, but it is not helpful when you have not read what was posted (or if I have not clearly stated, request clarification) and provide non-helpful answers - especially, when I indicated many non-helpful answers produced by a google search. Microsoft, for whatever reason, decided to change the default of "Sort by Date" to descending order. They should have provided an "option" to allow a default order be specified on any "sort". At least keep the drop-down menu open so you can select the sort order and the direction. IMO, too much stuff was changed in Windows 7 just for the sake of change - especially, when much of the base code appears to remain the same!

 

[bobc4012]

I know what you are saying. I guess I am not making myself clear. If you want a folder to always remain sorted on a particular selection, then yes, once selected, it will maintain the desired sort order until it has been sorted on a different order. Then if you go back to sort on date, you need to click again to get it back to ascending.

I have certain folders that I normally keep sorted on date (modified). However, every so often, I change the sort by to be alphabetic or type. When I am done with that order I change it back to sort by date. Once you choose sort by date, the drop-down menu closes, you must reopen it to change the order to ascending. For whatever inane reason, MS chose to change the default on this in Windows 7. Since I use XP, Windows 7 and a couple of Linux distros, I like to have my defaults work as much alike as possible. I also have folders with with many sub-directories and many files.

From what I gather from the replies, it is not possible to modify the registry to fix this (IMO) "bug" - plus from what I have seen posted on the internet, this is apparently an issue with quite a few people.

Anyway, thanks for your effort in trying to reply.