Move icons around freely in Windows 7

windows-7 windows-explorer icons

28,814

Solution 1

in a window (folder) there is no Auto Arrange option, even then that option keeps the icons together with no gaps (on desktop all icons will be on left side of screen with it on or you can have them anywhere on screen, e.g. some on left and some on right of screen, when it is turned off) but still allows you to move the position of the icon within the group if turned on. But as I said in a folder, in windows 7, this option does not exist!

Solution 2

Right click an empty space in the folder -> View -> Uncheck "Auto Arrange".

This should let you move files around freely without Explorer sorting them back.

Solution 3

Is there not an Align to Grid option that you can un-check?

alt text

28,814

ehm

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

ehm over 1 year

I just installed a pre-RTM build of Windows 7 that I downloaded from Microsoft, so this may have changed in the RTM version, but I do not think so. (EDIT: Same thing in the released version.)

In Windows Vista, XP and older you could move icons around freely within a folder, rearranging them as you wanted them -- even though it was automatically ordering the position of them. So I could move a file starting with 'B' down below 'M'. I know this is kind of 'wrong', but is this possible in Windows 7?
- Synetech over 13 years
  
  What view mode are you talking about? List? Thumbnails? Details?
- ehm over 13 years
  
  Because of these view modes, I can no longer treat my files in folders like I do on the desktop.
Kyle over 14 years

I'm confused... I have this issue, I see that this answer is marked correct and up voted, yet from what I can tell with Win7 Home Premium it doesn't work at all. The answer is correct in WinXP of course but not Win7. What am I missing?
Ivo Flipse almost 14 years

If that's a Windows 7 screenshot, you really should look at your theme...
UNK almost 14 years

@Kyle Hodgson: I just took a peek (Win7 Ultimate) and it was right there. :\
Synetech almost 14 years

No, XP. Like I asked, does 7 not have an Align-to-Grid option?
Synetech over 13 years

There, I updated the screenshot to Windows 7. Happy? :D It's still the same; the option in question is still called "align [icons] to grid".
JJ_Australia about 13 years

Ugh. WHY ARE YOU USING WINDOWS CLASSIC ON WINDOWS 7‽
Synetech about 13 years

Ugh. WHY ARE YOU NOT‽
AndrewC over 9 years

@Hello71 On my older laptop, it's the only option if I want the system to run at near usable speed.