XYplorer Beta Club

Hi, I apologize for such a long post,

Question is simple:
Could I use XYplorer, to recreate situation from Win7, when system Explorer remembered "manual sorting" for any folder?

I must say you've done some great programming, because partially it works here.
My grandma moved into Win11, and it isn't possible to disable "auto-arrange" (beside Desktop). As far as I can tell, there are hundreds interested in "manual sorting", complains are in many places. There were workaround until Win10, registry mods, etc., but now Explorer can't remember sorting after reboot.

We would like to see icons moved around any folder, setting them in a mixed order, adjustable whenever necessary.
Most important part is to automatically save any arrangement of all icons (folders/files), even after program exit or system reboot.

Unfortunately, XYplorer doesn't remember manual arrangement in all situations.
Maybe we have some conflicting options, maybe we need specific combination of configuration?
I've attached screenshots (from my own Win8), but in general we started with this:

Views -> Large Icons
Tools -> Customize list -> Manual sorting
Context menu: "Large icons" + Sort by -> Unsorted (I have the feeling it doesn't change anything, it's gone after I move any icon manually)


We change icons positions -> then exit program -> open it again -> then we see this same folder again -> it remembered previous order -> GREAT!
- I've noticed: Context-> Sort by -> nothing is selected here (Is this a problem ?)


Then we select different partition or different folder:
- using icons 'down" or "up"
- selecting them from the tree on the left.
- should we display/move into another folder in another way?

When we go back to the previous one, it didn't remember manual sorting -> WHY?
- We've noticed: Context -> Sort by -> by path (ascending) is selected
- Previously there was nothing selected, It reverted on it's own.
Is this the problem, how to prevent this from happening?


Example, we display standard system partition 'C:\' then move file 'bootmgr' behind 'swapfile.sys', We also move 'Users' behind 'Windows'.
How could we make any new sorting automatically into memory for this folder ?

Today I downloaded portable version: https://www.xyplorer.com/download/xyplo ... nstall.zip
I run XYplorer.exe, even with admin privileges, but it didn't matter.
- Anything wrong here?

Sort by -> I enabled 'Unsorted'
- with or without "Sort folders apart"
- it didn't change the problem


I tried
View -> Auto-refresh -> disable/enable -> still got aforementioned problem -> should I keep this on?
View -> Folder View Settings > [x] Enable Folder View Settings
View -> Folder View Settings -> Define this Folder View as Default
Tools-> Configuration -> Refresh -> History per tab + History retains sort order (with or without).

I have tried to change any setting that came to my mind, nothing.
If need to "reset to factory settings", I don't mind.

I've seen some answers from July 2022:
viewtopic.php?p=200927#p200927

Is it possible to make this export and reload "sort order" fully automatic, for the whole system ?
That's granny's notebook, Do you think that scripting solution would be easy for a 'trained monkey', or requires understanding?
I would have to learn your scripting, but she wouldn't understand any full sentence.

I hope I didn't bored you too much, Please help.
Kind regard, Peter

1) Look up "Manual Sorting" in the Help.

2) If you are still at a loss, try to describe your problem in as few words as possible.

Thank you for the interest

My manual order isn't retained / saved, even within same program session.

I make some arrangement of icons within a directory, say C:\
=> Then I click subfolder C:\Programs , here I'm changing icons order, grouping selected few of them.
=> I go back to C:\ (UP button, or clicking the tree on the left)
=> My order wasn't saved, icons have some default order, I can see in context menu: " Sort by -> by path (ascending)"
=> I check again C:\Programs => Here icons also lost mentioned grouping.

Even simple change to "Sort by -> Unsorted" isn't saved when I go DOWN and UP the tree.

How can I make folders to autosave changed order?
I've seen different "Save" options, none works, therefore I tried to list everything that might be wrong with my configuration.

I would like for configure my XYplorer to work similarly to Windows Explorer with disabled "auto arrange".
Grouping specific files and folders visually, within 2D folder area, icons order for every folder automatically cached/saved, even after reboot.
How may I accomplish this ?

The custom sort order is remembered per tab, not per folder. So if you want a particular folder to be in a custom sort order, lock the tab (View | Tab | Lock Location) and open the folder by switching to that tab.

Thank you for prompt answer, I was very much afraid of that.
I would have to keep open + locked all tabs with manual sorting + "Reuse existing tabs" = unlimited.
Would you advise anything else ?

1. Have you ever tried if program works much slower with 50-70 tabs ?

2. Would it automatically save everything on exit OR / AND once per 24h ?

As a precaution, should I trigger 'Save Settings' OR anything inside 'Settings Special (submenu)'?

3. Is there any way to export and import full list of opened and locked tabs?

Would it have to be "Save -> Configuration" (whole XYplorer.ini) or "Folder View Settings (fvs.dat)?", or all files from Auto-Backup folder ?

Check out the latest beta v25.60.0106 and read the notes for v25.60.0105. It should solve your problem. Permanent custom sort order per folder is here!

In which file are the manual sort settings stored?

You mean the custom sort order itself?
- in pane.ini (one for each pane), if it is remembered per tab
- in fvs.dat, if it is remembered per folder

thank you.