Erik D wrote:
> Amazing how long I've been using Windows XP without noticing the
> strange ordering that it applies when you choose file sorting "by
> name" in Windows Explorer... Instead of sorting character by
> character (so that 561<56k<571<5a1) it seems to recognise numbers
> composed of multiple digits, so that 5a1<56k<57k<561<571 (just
> because 5 is less than 56 is less than 571). Can anyone please tell
> me how to turn back to normal intuitive/ascii character table
> alphabetic ordering? This has to be possible to do somewhere. If not,
> I get really angry on the microsoft ppl...
>
> I know they do it because sometimes you want 1<2<10<20 etc. But
> everybody
> who really wants that can always add zeroes to get 01<02<10<20,
> THAT'S HOW PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN THE COMPUTER WORLD. This is
> really typical of the microsoft mentality, inventing new things that
> are not only complicated but also unwanted and then expect you to be
> grateful for it.
> This is of no good at all - and as explained, totally unnecessary
> since one could always add the zeroes in front. (It should also be
> slightly more demanding of the computer if it has to recognise long
> numbers instead of just comparing characters, of course a minor issue
> with today's computers, but yet moer evidence of microsoft's part in
> the "programming crisis")
>
> For me this ordering is disastrous since in my work I name some
> experiment result files starting with a three-character shorthand
> notation of the date the experiment was conducted. Thus, 561=1 June
> 2005, 571=1 July 2005, 56k=20 June 2005 and 5a1=1 October 2005.
> Normal, intuitive file name sorting would thus yield correct
> chronological ordering of the files.
> Also I was surprised at first to find that after data treatment, the
> file, say, "result12" which was the average of "result1" and
> "result2" did not position itself between result1 and result2 but
> came after result3.
>
> I'm sure there are lots of better examples yet, because this is so
> totally unbelievably weird!!!
> Please someone tell me there is a checkbox -somewhere- (I have not
> found
> that place yet) saying something like "turn off multiple character
> number recognition in alphabetical file sorting"!

Research.. then RANT.

Use TweakUI...

TweakUI --> Explorer --> Use intuitive filename sorting

If this is checked the Explorer will sort files so that, for e.g. "File 5"
comes before "File 10" because 5 comes before 10. If this is unchecked then
Explorer will use literal sorting, in which case "File 10" will come before
"File 5" because 1 comes before 5.

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p.../powertoys.asp

More information:
-----
The Sort Order for Files and Folders Whose Names Contain Numerals Is
Different in Windows XP Than It Is in Windows 2000
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

Windows Explorer Incorrectly Sorts Files and Folders with 10 or
More Consecutive Numerals
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318872

Change Sort Order in Windows Explorer
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php?id=1293

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html