How do I properly organize Windows Explorer lexicographically?

Question

I'm just trying to organize my PlayStation zip files, but it seems to be having trouble organizing the numbers.

"007 - The World Is Not Enough" should be at the top. That is how numbers work. What is going on, and how do I fix it?

Answer 1

You'll notice the current order has numbers that are only numbers (007, 16, 40, 2002) following numbers that are part of a word (1xtreme, 2xtreme, 3D). I'd guess that following the actual numbers are the full word titles that don't start with numbers.

Basically, you're getting non-word items that being with numbers but contain letters also, then numbered items, them alphabetic items.

It IS ordered and your computer is not having trouble. As @quixotic notes you're just expecting a different sort of ordering.

Answer 2

This is described at Windows 7 file name sort order at “Microsoft Community”:

1. Run the Group Policy Editor by executing gpedit.msc.  My experience is that this must be done from an elevated (Administrator) Command Prompt, although the instructions don’t say so; YMMV.
2. Go to either “Computer Configuration” or “User Configuration”.  (Presumably “Computer Configuration” sets the configuration system-wide, and “User Configuration” sets it per user.  If the “Computer Configuration” setting is set, the “User Configuration” setting is ignored.)
3. Navigate to “Administrative Templates” → “Windows Components” → “Windows Explorer”.
4. In the right pane (the Settings section), find “Turn off numerical sorting in Windows Explorer”.  Double-click it.
5. A setting window will pop up.  Select “Enable” and then click “OK” to save the changes.
   (Then exit the editor.)

This will take effect immediately.  (You will need to refresh any Explorer windows that are open.)

I don’t know whether this works on Windows 10.