Guide: How to Sort Files Numerically and By Size in Windows 10
The continuous development of Windows 10 and related products is fascinating. New features are consistently rolled out to make Windows 10 a robust operating system. However, users have to grapple with several issues at the same time. A common problem is the inconvenience of sorting files and folders numerically or by size. Microsoft hasn’t made it easy to do it. That leaves several users to support forums for answers. Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered. Here are a few ways you can sort files and even folders in Windows 10 numerically and by size. Let’s start.
1. Sort numerically using the Group Policy Editor
The Group Policy Editor is not present in Windows 10 Home edition. You can download it from reputed sites or get it from the link below. Download Group Policy Editor If you have files starting with numbers like 1,2,3, etc., you cannot sort them in ascending or descending order. This is what it currently looks like.
You must enable numeric sorting in Windows 10 as it is not enabled by default. Duh. To start, press Windows key + R on your keyboard to launch the Run command prompt. Type in gpedit.msc there and hit Enter.
It may take a while, so don’t work on it upYou should now see the Local Group Policy Editor window with two panels. Click Computer Configuration on the left, then double-click Administrative Templates in the right pane.
If you see the Windows Components folder, double-click it.
Scroll down to find and open the Explorer folder.
You should see some files here. Here, find ‘Disable numeric sorting in File Explorer’ and open it. Warning: Do not mess with other files in this pane as this can interfere with the way your Windows functions work.
You will notice that the setting is ‘Not configured’ by default. Select Enabled and click Apply to save your settings.
Going back to the example I shared above, you can see that the files are now sorted numerically.
The file named 22 appears before the file named 3 because the first digit 2 is less than 3. If it doesn’t work, try rebooting your system after saving everything. The numeric sort order takes into account the order in which the numbers appear. In simpler terms, it ranks the files by tracking the historical value of the first digit, the second digit and so on. That’s why 11, 12 and 22 filenames appear between 1 and 3.
2. Enable numeric sorting with the Registry Editor
Let’s test another method. Registry Editor is available on all Windows editions. Restart Run Command Prompt by pressing Windows Key + R, type regedit in the field and hit Enter.
Windows may ask for your permission to open Registry Editor, so click Yes when prompted. The folder structure you need to navigate through is as follows: ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesExplorer This is what it should look like.
You need to create a new file here. Right-click anywhere in the right pane and select New, then select DWORD Value (32-bit) from the context menu. This will create an empty file.
Rename the newly created file to NoStrCmpLogical.
Double click to open this file and enter the numeric value ‘0’ in the Value data field. Then press OK.
Returning to the example in the previous section, your files should be organized numerically. If not, restart your computer.
3. Sort folders in Windows 10 by size
There can be many reasons why you want to sort files and folders on your hard drive by size in the file explorer. One is that you need to know which files / folders are being used up most space. We all need to do a house cleaning of the hard drive every once in a while. Do not you worry. This one is less complicated because Microsoft has already thought of it. They just didn’t make it easy to spot. Open the File Explorer by pressing the Windows + E shortcut. In the top right corner you will see the familiar search bar. Size Type: To display a hidden drop-down menu.
You can now choose one of the several options available. You can find empty files or files that are smaller or larger than a certain value. To use the search function in the file explorer without using the mouse, press CTRL + F.
4. TreeSize
TreeSize is a free tool that can be a little more useful than Microsoft’s default option. When you start TreeSize, it automatically scans your computer for files and folders and presents them in a tree structure.
Not only can you view files in ascending or descending order of size, but also folders, which can be very useful. Hovering over individual entries will reveal even more useful information, such as dates, compression, average file size, and so on. Download TreeSize
Space organization
Helpful shortcuts and tools like these can help manage storage better. Using the above methods, you can sort files numerically easily. You know now too how to sort folders by size, which can be useful if you want to free them up up some space from your computer. The next up: Not happy with the default photo app that comes with Windows 10? Here are 5 alternatives worth checking out.
How to Sort Files Numerically and By Size in Windows 10: benefits
Faq
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