(XP Pro SP2) File organization

Using XP Pro SP2 on my custom pc. I ran into the following issue.

Every time i use photoshop, WMP11, or any other file browsing application, the order of the files is not what i had before and im not sure how to change it.

Specifically, when using photoshop to open documents, theyre not ordered alphabetically they seem to be at random and either last modified, but the default i had a few months ago they were all organized alphabetically by type etc etc.

using Windows Media Player aswell sort for videos and songs the types of videos and music are not listed alphabetically but in some random fashion.


is there any way to specifically change this or is this how it always is?


ive tried it on a few other comps but seems to beisolated. i havent installed anything out of the ordinary really jsut a few basic apps [ADOBE CS2, WMP11, FIREFOX, SYSTEM MECHANIC, CCLEANER, ZONEALARM, CODECS, and thats about it.]

thanks in advanced

Old install of XP? I've had that happen to this computer. Everything was ordered the way I like it, but now the order changes every so often. I'm sure its a setting that can be changed in the Registry that has to do with the number of folders its able to keep settings for. I read about the setting, but have no idea if thats the cause for the problem. (After a certain number of folder entries is reached, XP will being to forget the last entry on the list when a new entry is made. Sounds like the problem except that its always the same folders giving the problem.)

Hopefully someone will know the answer, but eventually I plan on reinstalling the OS on this computer.

i installed it april 2007.

im not sure maybe it has something to do with external drives too, Because sometimes when i plug them in i notice that the drive [letter is sequentially higher then the C drive obviously] and it is ordered first which i found strange.


thanks for the input..hm strange occurance.

Mpegger is referring to the folder size limit... SP1 had a limit of 400 folders for remembering the settings, while SP2 increased that to 5000. Like he suggested, you may want to try increasing the size limit. The following registry edit will increase the limit to 8000...

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm ( Line 2: Increase Folder View Size Limit to 8000

Download the above *.reg file, then double click it in order to merge it into your registry.

Hm, i dont quite get why its even doing this?
i dont have that much documents or folders on my system itself either.

ive actually never ran into a problem like this before, i mean its not that death-defying or anything but sort of a nuisance to an obsessive compulsive organizer lol.

thanks for the tips, not sure why theyre not functioning. =\

Open Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View | Reset All Folders. If that doesn't work for you, then try this... right click Start--> Explore, and then click drive C: | On the View menu, click Details | Click the Name column to sort items by name, press and hold down the CTRL key, and then quit Windows Explorer by clicking Close in the upper-right corner of the screen | Release the CTRL key, then restart your computer. You'll need to perform these steps exactly as I've listed them. For example, don't quit Windows Explorer by clicking Exit on the File menu.

Since you don't feel as though increasing the folder size limit applies, you may instead want to try one of the following edits if my suggestion above doesn't work for you...

Correcting Windows XP Sort Order
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_s.htm#so

Change the Ascii Sort Order Back to Pre-XP ( Line 107 )
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Sort All by Alphabet - Start Menu and Fav's ( Line 196 )
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

thanks, the ctrl+plus clicking on the file seemed to work fine.

hm im just curious if this is possible:
1. to retract that registry edit i just made, the 8000 folder views or is it unnecessary since i have XP PRO Sp2 [not slipstreamed]

2. if applicable what is the default order line up? as far as xp goes, does it sort my type or does it sort by name? that way i can atleast reset it to its original settings as opening documents sometimes they get scattered and trying to create a hassle free for organizational purposes.

such as using photoshop [or even a webbrowser; firefox etc] opening up documents it sorts by Name by default now with other filetypes associated, instead of ordered by file type and name.

if that made sense.

if not; for example: opening up PSCS2 i open my project folder, it has JPEGS, PSD, PDFs, Illustrator files etc, now...is default for windows that it sorts by TYPE so it goes PSD, Illustrator, Jpg etc and it alphabetizes that way?

Visual Reference
:

when i open up my project folder this is what it looks like:
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6343/001dn0.jpg

or should it look like this by default:
http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/8271/002us0.jpg



dont mean to make it complicated or anything but its the FIRST time ive ever ran into this. so im just a little concerned i guess ive had my fair share of computer spooks this past year so anyhelp is beneficial.

thank you all again.

maybe my last post didnt make too much sense.

lets see if can create a better description.

for example using Windows Media Player 11
Should it by default order the movies and songs by the TYPE they are such as Aiff, Mp3, Mp4, Wav // MPEG, AV, WMV, etc

OR should it order it by name regardless of Filetype?

as i wasnt sure if it should by default have them sorted by TYPE [which then alphabetizes the TYPE by NAme so, for example all MP3's 0-9,a-zl; then next type 0-9, a-z etc etc.]
or is it defaulted to sorted by Name?


I guess in a nutshell what is the default order type as that is what iam most acustom to and was getting the job done better then whatever happened recently.



thanks alot sorry for any confusion i appreciate all the assistance.


=)