Windows Explorer sorts files wrong/ in a different way than folders [duplicate]

Solution 1:

By default, the newer sort order considers strings in file and folder names as numeric content, not text. Numerals in folder and file names are sorted according to their numeric value.

In the following example, note how the following files, whose names contain numerals, are sorted.

Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003

5.txt
11.txt
88.txt

In this example, 88 is a numerically higher value than 5. Therefore, the 88.txt is listed after the 5.txt when you sort the folders by name in ascending order.

Source: The sort order for files and folders whose names contain numerals is different in Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 than it is in Windows 2000

Solution 2:

In brief:

Add key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Policies\Explorer

Set DWORD value NoStrCmpLogical to 1

Restart your explorer windows

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319827

Solution 3:

If you prefer to use Group Policy (as opposed to manual editing of the registry) to turn off the numerical sorting option in Windows File Explorer, you can use the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) to modify one of the following policy items (i.e., for a particular user or for the entire machine):

> Computer Configuration   (or...   User Configuration)
        > Administrative Templates
                > Windows Components
                        > File Explorer
                                • Turn off numerical sorting in File Explorer

Description
^{(from the Windows 10 policy item metadata)}
This policy setting allows you to have file names sorted literally (as in Windows 2000 and earlier) rather than in numerical order. If you enable this policy setting, File Explorer will sort file names by each digit in a file name (for example, 111 < 22 < 3). If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, File Explorer will sort file names by increasing number value (for example, 3 < 22 < 111).