Sorting Order by Name

[Bigun]

I have been using FreeCommander for several years and during the time that I had used the program I have noticed that the program on occasion will start showing some abnormal behavior. I'm purposely not saying what the behavior is because it's not the same each time and most of the time the problem/s can be rectified by reinstalling the program. Sometimes the abnormal behavior looks like a program change that I should be able to correct using the options menu. That is what I would like to do with the problem that I am encountering tonight.

I always used the "detailed" column view and the vertically split screen. In general I like to see the programs sorted so that folders appear first beginning with the first letter in the alphabet and ending with the last of the alphabet. Following the listing of the folders I like to have the individual files listed going vertically down as the name of the files increase alphabetically.

Tonight, FreeCommander's sorting is nothing like the way that I wish it to be. Under the column "name" files and folders are listed intermixed and without regard to alphabetical listing. I should think that this problem should have an easy fix but I have not been able to find it and I would appreciate help from other users to try to avoid a complete reinstallation of the program. I am liable to learn something this way.

Bigun

Windows XP Pro; SP3; three S.A.T.A drives are installed; 10 to 15% free space on each drive

[Dreamer]

Try the main menu - view - sort by - and choose "name".

Or...

Settings dialog - view - sorting - "alphabetical".

[Bigun]

Let me reiterate the fact that I have uses program for number of years. I am able to miss obvious things that are sitting right before my nose but even I would eventually stumble upon the settings that you mentioned in the general menu. The settings do indeed referred to alphabetically listing files and folders but without regard to whether the listed object is a file or a folder containing numerous files.

I did find the answer to my problem and as alluded to above it was something sitting right before my nose but in fairness to myself I would not consider it in plainview.

Restating my problem:

I want to list under the "NAME" heading in the "DETAILED LISTING" files and folders and I would like them to appear alphabetically. That requirement is accompanied by a second requirement, which is I would like the folders to appear as the first items listed in the column (in alphabetical order) followed by a listing of individual files (listed in alphabetical order).


Solution:

I will mention what I found to work for me so that anyone else having the same requirement might have an easier time in accomplishing the specific goals that I mentioned above. Drilling down the settings in this order got me started on the right track:

EXTRAS > SETTINGS > VIEW > note in the right side panel under "Sorting" there is a dialogue box allowing the choice of "alphabetical" and three boxes, two of which give you some control to the position of folders. One of the boxes is "Folders Always at the End of the List" then a box that gives me the solution to my problem. The description by this box is "Folder like Files (except Name)". If you put a check in this box, folders will appear first followed by individual files. You can even have your folders alphabetically arranged in a ascending order or descending order and have the files still alphabetically arranged but in an opposite order. Example folders might be alphabetically arranged beginning with Z as first the list and folder A as a last folder in the list. Immediately following this list folders following this list of folders and files can be arranged in this case files listed first can be those beginning with the letter A and ending with the letter Z

Actually I can see quite easily why I missed choosing this list of options to solve my problem. I did not find the solution to the problem being "intuitive" but others, shining with brighter lights, might. I truly appreciate suggestions that others make because if I find that their suggestion still does not solve a particular problem I can be reasonably assured that my program and the program being used by the person assisting me are operating in the same fashion for that particular function. In other words, "I can reasonably be assured that my problem doesn't come from the fact that my program is broke".

Before everyone starts correcting my English please allow me to explain that in my mind if a program is "broken" files are corrupted and the program ain't going to run correctly or for that matter it may not run it all. Now, if I say my program is "broke", it means that I have a less serious degree of brokenness and some aspects of the program may still run.

I appreciate people that go out of their way to help others. I especially appreciate people that help me because I am disabled and sometimes require a great deal of assistance.

Bigun