How do you sort files in OS X Finder so folders appear at the top?

How do you sort files in OS X Finder so folders appear at the top? There doesn't seem to be any option in View Options.

Solution 1:

You use a Finder enhancement like TotalFinder, or a Finder replacement like PathFinder. There is a lot of functionality that Finder could - and in a lot of people's opinions, should - offer, but doesn't. Sorting folders first is one such.

Solution 2:

As @JRobert explained, there is no way to do this without third-party software.

When I switched to Mac OS X from Windows, this seemed bothersome to me as well, but after using it for a while, I don't mind it. I have adapted my workflow to use Finder in Column View and it shows which items are folders using a small triangle to the right of the item name. You can navigate by typing the first part of a file name and moving up, down, left, and right. I actually find this faster and easier to visually identify folders now.

Column View can be activated by clicking on the third button in the Finder's toolbar: