Why are My Documents in the Wrong Order?

I got an email from one of my clients asking what she could do to fix the situation. Her documents were now being listed  in reverse alphabetical order and she didn’t know how to fix that. This is a case of “Big Problem – Easy Fix”.

 

Your view is different depending on what version of Windows you are running. I’m showing pictures for Windows XP and for Windows 7. Windows Vista users should look at the Windows 7 examples. So you know which pictures to look at, I’m drawing a blue border around Windows 7 images and a red border around Windows XP images.

 

Windows 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows XP

 

 

Step 1: Can you fix the problem with your current view?

If you don’t have the right view of your documents, you don’t have the option to change the sort. If your view doesn’t look like the ones below, you will need to follow the instructions to change the view. Otherwise go to Step 3.

 

Step 2: Changing to the needed view

If your display doesn’t look like the one above, you will need to change the view. The directions are different for Windows 7 and Windows XP.

 

Windows 7

Look at the image below and click where I have the red circle. Then move the selector to Details. You will now see the data formatted as above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows XP

Click on the box with all of the icons. Then you will have the option to select Details. The new format will look like the picture in Step 1.

 

Step 3: Fixing the problem

Now that you have the right view, click on the Name field. This will reverse the alphabetical order. Click again and it switches back. See red circle below.

 

Windows 7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Windows XP

 

 

Now you should have what you want!

 

Related Help

1. You can click on the other titles to sort by that field as well. These fields include Size, Type, and Date Modified. Again, you can sort in ascending or descending order.
2. Similar fields exist in most email programs. People usually want to see their email sorted by date. But occasionally it helps to find all emails from a specific user or all emails with a specific subject.

Just remember to return your setting to the one you’re used to after you have changed your sorting so you aren’t surprised.

 

I’ll be posting more tips like this so please follow my blog. Leave me a comment on how I can help you.

 

© 2012 by Sherry Goncharsky