Windows Explorer 10 - how can I arrange Folders on top of Files in a single directory

Hi Ed Luria,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community. I understand your concern and I am glad to assist you.

Please refer to this article on how to view files and folders in Windows.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-8/files-folders-windows-explorer

This article holds good for Windows 10.

Hope this post helps. Get back to us for further queries. We are happy to help.

It's not really helpful. You give a link but you don't explain how to do it. We don't want to read an article, we want an answer. By the way, the article don't explain how to always put the folders at the top...

Edit : I found how to do it (http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-keep-folder-show-top-always-before-files-when-sort-by-date-in-windows-8) : 

Notice when you view a directory in Windows 8.1 in a detailed view, you will get the option to sort the folder by “Date modified”. When you do use this attribute to sort the folders, all the files appear before the folders. If you’d like to keep the folders show before the files, don’t use “Date modified” attribute, but instead use “Date” attribute. Here is how.

Go to View tab > Sort by > Choose columns …

Scroll down to the list, find the “Date” type, select and click OK.

Now go to “Group by > Choose columns …”

Uncheck “Date modified”, check “Date”

Now go back to the Windows Explorer, click sort “Date” column. Notice, you now see all the folders appear before the files in a directory.

The catch is, if you do it this way as above, the change only appear to be applied to the directory you are in. There are other directories and folders out there still have the previous unchanged view properties. But hey, at least this is a workaround, let us know if you have a better way to resolve this issue.

Hi Simon,

Thank you for keeping us posted.

Appreciate you for sharing the information with us. This will help other Community members with similar issues.

Keep posting in Microsoft Community Forums for any issues that you face with Windows in future. We are happy to help!

Not really helpful - after much digging, couldn't find an answer to my question about how to place folders above files in Windows Explorer 10.

If possible, I'd like not to have to use the workaround of listing items in each directory by "Date".  I've found it useful to be able to locate the folders I use most of the time by listing them by "Date Modified", latest to earliest.

I guess  I'm not easy to please.

Ed Luria

This is not helpful...I WANT to sort by "Date Modified".

I was able to do this in Windows 7 by simply adding the "Date Modified" column and sorting by that column and it kept the folders at the top. Now I have to do some work just to get the folders to the top and then it's sorted by "Date" and not by "Date Modified".

For those wanting to sort by "Date Modified" and still keep the folders at the top:

1. Add the "Date Modified" column.

2. Click on "Date Modified" column in order to sort by it.

3. Shift + Click on the "Name" column and voila...folders at the top.

Awesome ! Thanks for sharing this with us.

I think Ed will be happy. But sorry Ed, you will have to go in each directory to do that.

Thank you, macathenayyy!

Simon, I'm not sure, but I seem to be able to share this solution with more than one folder - at least some other folders - by clicking on "view", then "options", then "change folder and search options", then "view" and finally the "apply to folders" button.  But, you are right, Ed is happy.

Best - Ed

Another solution was to choose date modified and "shift + click" on name.

But your solution is much better.

thank you