[BUG] Windows 11 Disable Group By For All Folders - Gets Re-Enabled

Question

[BUG] Windows 11 Disable Group By For All Folders - Gets Re-Enabled

Pie 311

I have been trying to disable Group By feature in Windows 11 File Explorer but it seems to only apply to a single folder. In addition when I go and apply to all folders of this type, group by re-enables itself.

Disable Group By:

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Group By is disabled now, but only for this one folder.

User's image

Try applying to all folders...

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Group By is now enabled again.

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What is going on here? Looks like a bug...

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Pie 311 Reputation points

2023-03-10T19:46:09.6866667+00:00

Any help here?
Ryan Avery 15 Reputation points

2023-03-13T17:23:07.63+00:00

This is an issue for me as well - I believe a recent update caused this. I do not run any special anti-virus software other than the built-in Windows Defender. I see the same issue where I can disable for a folder, but when I try to apply everywhere, it re-enables file grouping. This is NOT due to file corruption as it appears to be a widespread issue in the last week for windows 11 users.

Please respond with solutions, not suggestions about file corruption or other programs, as I have a very clean machine with few programs installed.
Mike Job 0 Reputation points

2023-05-17T14:03:19.0533333+00:00

Have you solved your problem? I'm going through the same and I tried the same steps above and no clue...
Zain ul Abidin 25 Reputation points

2023-07-07T15:02:59.1+00:00
Hello there.

So, I have came across this issue recently and I found a solution for this permanently.

Go to that folder inside, click Right key and " Sort by -- Name "

Then again Right click and " Group by --- None "

Refresh inside the folder -------

Note: If it automatically re-enables, just do the above steps again and refresh inside the folder.

BOOM. Your problem will be solved. Let me know how it goes.

Marius le Roux 15

The "Apply to Folders" Steps:

 

    Open any folder, that has grouping enabled, that is not a "library" folder.

    Make the Window wide enough to see all options.

    Click the View tab.

    Select (None) from the Group by menu (in Windows 11, Group by is within the Sort menu).

    Select Options, Change folder and search options (in Windows 11, select …, Options).

    Click the View tab.

    Click the Apply to Folders button and then Yes.

This worked for me.

Mahek Rana 0 Reputation points

2023-12-25T09:25:04.7933333+00:00

Still has the same issue. Has anyone been able to figure out a solution?
Pete Brown 5 Reputation points

2024-01-03T23:52:52.31+00:00

Please report these types of issues to feedback hub, with a repro recording, so the engineering teams can actually learn about the bugs. Thanks!

Engineering teams rarely see peer support forum posts, and I could find only one feedback hub entry on this issue -- not enough to bump this up and make it visible.

I would guess that you're seeing this happen after viewing the Downloads folder from the browser and that is resetting the view.

Pete
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-03-23T21:08:43.95+00:00

Marius le Roux's way has worked for me! Instead of having to do folder by folder it changed all folders!
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-01T00:48:37.4733333+00:00

Marius le Roux answer of Aug 20, 2023, 4:15 PM works for me. I applied his method March, 23 and since then I've made many new folders and it is fixed!
It's a one time fix so you don't have to repeat it for every folder.
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-01T00:48:58.4433333+00:00

Marius le Roux answer of Aug 20, 2023, 4:15 PM works for me. I applied his method March, 23 and since then I've made many new folders and it is fixed! It's a one time fix so you don't have to repeat it for every folder.
random_pawn 6 Reputation points

2024-10-16T12:26:11.9566667+00:00

As of today, still a f*****king problem. Micro$oft continues to jack things up. Clearly doesn't listen to anyone. Always having a problem and there is never any resolution. Feedback Hub is a joke too.
random_pawn 6 Reputation points

2024-10-16T12:32:18.6233333+00:00

Feedback Hub is ignored -- plain and simple. None of the bugs I have reported have been fixed.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

10 answers

Your answer

Pie 311 Reputation points

2023-03-10T19:46:09.6866667+00:00

Any help here?
Ryan Avery 15 Reputation points

2023-03-13T17:23:07.63+00:00

This is an issue for me as well - I believe a recent update caused this. I do not run any special anti-virus software other than the built-in Windows Defender. I see the same issue where I can disable for a folder, but when I try to apply everywhere, it re-enables file grouping. This is NOT due to file corruption as it appears to be a widespread issue in the last week for windows 11 users.

Please respond with solutions, not suggestions about file corruption or other programs, as I have a very clean machine with few programs installed.
Mike Job 0 Reputation points

2023-05-17T14:03:19.0533333+00:00

Have you solved your problem? I'm going through the same and I tried the same steps above and no clue...
Zain ul Abidin 25 Reputation points

2023-07-07T15:02:59.1+00:00

Hello there.

So, I have came across this issue recently and I found a solution for this permanently.

Go to that folder inside, click Right key and " Sort by -- Name "

Then again Right click and " Group by --- None "

Refresh inside the folder -------

Note: If it automatically re-enables, just do the above steps again and refresh inside the folder.

BOOM. Your problem will be solved. Let me know how it goes.
Marius le Roux 15 Reputation points

2023-08-20T14:15:50.71+00:00

The "Apply to Folders" Steps: Open any folder, that has grouping enabled, that is not a "library" folder. Make the Window wide enough to see all options. Click the View tab. Select (None) from the Group by menu (in Windows 11, Group by is within the Sort menu). Select Options, Change folder and search options (in Windows 11, select …, Options). Click the View tab. Click the Apply to Folders button and then Yes. This worked for me.
Mahek Rana 0 Reputation points

2023-12-25T09:25:04.7933333+00:00

Still has the same issue. Has anyone been able to figure out a solution?
Pete Brown 5 Reputation points

2024-01-03T23:52:52.31+00:00

Please report these types of issues to feedback hub, with a repro recording, so the engineering teams can actually learn about the bugs. Thanks!

Engineering teams rarely see peer support forum posts, and I could find only one feedback hub entry on this issue -- not enough to bump this up and make it visible.

I would guess that you're seeing this happen after viewing the Downloads folder from the browser and that is resetting the view.

Pete
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-03-23T21:08:43.95+00:00

Marius le Roux's way has worked for me! Instead of having to do folder by folder it changed all folders!
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-01T00:48:37.4733333+00:00

Marius le Roux answer of Aug 20, 2023, 4:15 PM works for me. I applied his method March, 23 and since then I've made many new folders and it is fixed!
It's a one time fix so you don't have to repeat it for every folder.
LF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-01T00:48:58.4433333+00:00

Marius le Roux answer of Aug 20, 2023, 4:15 PM works for me. I applied his method March, 23 and since then I've made many new folders and it is fixed! It's a one time fix so you don't have to repeat it for every folder.
random_pawn 6 Reputation points

2024-10-16T12:26:11.9566667+00:00

As of today, still a f*****king problem. Micro$oft continues to jack things up. Clearly doesn't listen to anyone. Always having a problem and there is never any resolution. Feedback Hub is a joke too.
random_pawn 6 Reputation points

2024-10-16T12:32:18.6233333+00:00

Feedback Hub is ignored -- plain and simple. None of the bugs I have reported have been fixed.
Deleted

This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.

Answer 1

Yvanthar Ironfist 0

This was acknowledged as a bug over a year ago in https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/file-explorer-group-by-in-windows-11/ac3af5f8-a633-48f3-aab4-fb3cc86a99ad.

Can we have a permanent fix please? Something that sticks beyond the current session?

LF 0 Reputation points

2024-05-01T00:47:27.5933333+00:00

Marius le Roux answer of Aug 20, 2023, 4:15 PM works for me. I applied his method March, 23 and since then I've made many new folders and it is fixed! It's a one time fix so you don't have to repeat it for every folder.

Answer 2

Crash Burnsley 0

The solution that I received works. Let's use documents or let's say downloads for an example. Going to downloads, and then right click sort and choose name, right click, go to the group and click none, and then refresh in the window. It worked for me.

EStamness 0 Reputation points

2024-09-30T16:03:27.7633333+00:00

I wish it was as easy as Marius le Roux says it is in Windows 11.

"Click the View tab. Select (None) from the Group by menu (in Windows 11, Group by is within the Sort menu)"

There is no group by NONE in the sort menu. At home I had to use 3rd party software to fix this, but I can't do that at work.

Answer 3

Ken Beaudry 0

if anybody is still suffering through this, there is a simple fix, with 1 single registry key:

navigate to:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]

Create or Modify a DWORD (32-bit) named: UseAutoGrouping, and set the value to 0

I used it, and so far have not experienced any issues.

Izzy 0 Reputation points

2025-03-26T21:11:57.3266667+00:00

I just tried this but it didn't work for me. My folders are still grouping if I go back to them, or if I unzip a file with a bunch of folders they all have grouping on like three or four folders deep.
Les Ferch 10,081 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-10-24T13:36:43.98+00:00

The above registry value does nothing because it's not a real setting. It was posted on another Microsoft site and marked as an answer, but it's incorrect.

If your Downloads folder is not grouped by date it's most likely because you selected Group by (None) and then clicked "Apply to Folders". That will stick until the next major update or a repair via Windows update.

Answer 4

K O C H E K O 0

yes, this is still a thing, very dumb feature and dumber is not being able to disable it, im really tired of doing this manually every single time, the registry trick above does nothing sadly, win11 is what,..4, 5 years out there?? and you cant still fix this issue??? amazing

Answer 5

Les Ferch 10,081 Volunteer Moderator

In general, selecting Group by (None) and then clicking "Apply to Folders" works. However, that process does not update already cached open/save file dialog views. In order to ensure ALL views are ungrouped, the saved views in the registry need to be cleared out. At the link below, I have provided an answer with several options to do that:

completely-disable-file-grouping-always-everywhere

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[BUG] Windows 11 Disable Group By For All Folders - Gets Re-Enabled

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