Desktop icons sort by name (sort of) in Windows 7

2

I am having trouble understanding the Sort by> Name option in the desktop context menu. When I click on this, my icons are sorting vertically, mostly alphabetically.

Upper left corner is Recycle Bin, then 3 program shortcuts that are not sorted alphabetically, then all the folders sorted alphabetically, then files and shortcuts sorted alphabetically.

What's up with those 3 shortcuts that appear before the folders?

They are (in the following sort order):

BlackBerry Desktop Manager

Google Earth

Citrix Access Gateway

Stewbob

Posted 2010-10-22T19:20:49.270

Reputation: 444

2

Just use Windows Fences and sort stuff whichever way you want. http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/downloads.asp

– Fantomas – 2010-10-22T20:41:55.673

A very good program for organization of your desktop icons. – James Mertz – 2010-10-22T21:10:01.523

Answers

3

My understanding of sorting is this (although I don't have anything to back this up). Whenever you select to sort item by name on the desktop then there is also a separation of that sort as well. For example the recycling bin is first because it's a "system" icon. There are also categories of programs that are for all user, programs that are for just the user, file folders and also sometime file types.

In essence whenever you sort by name, that pesky bill-gates mini me decides which ones are more important and then sorts them by name.

James Mertz

Posted 2010-10-22T19:20:49.270

Reputation: 24 787

Asked: 2010-10-22T19:20:49.270

Viewed: 3 178 times

Active: 2012-07-22T00:44:03.230