How Do I Rearrange Files in Windows 10?

Rearranging files in Windows 10 typically refers to two main actions: changing their display order within a folder or moving them to a different location. Here’s how you can manage your files and folders effectively.

Rearranging can mean sorting files by name, date, size, etc., or it can mean physically moving files from one folder to another to organize your storage. We'll cover both.

Sorting Files in Windows 10

Within a folder in File Explorer, you can easily change how files and subfolders are displayed. This doesn't change the file's location but rearranges their appearance in the current view.

• Using the View Tab:

  • Open the folder containing the files you want to rearrange.
  • Click on the View tab at the top of the File Explorer window.
  • In the "Layout" section, choose a layout like Details, List, Tiles, or Icons (Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, Small Icons).
  • In the "Current View" section, click Sort by.
  • Select a criterion from the dropdown menu, such as:
    • Name: Alphabetical order (A-Z or Z-A).
    • Date modified: Newest to oldest or oldest to newest.
    • Type: Groups files by their file extension.
    • Size: Smallest to largest or largest to smallest.
  • You can also click Ascending or Descending to reverse the sort order.
  • Click Group by to further organize files into sections based on a chosen criterion.

• Using Column Headers (Details View):

  • Switch to the Details view from the View tab.
  • Click directly on a column header (like Name, Date modified, Type, or Size) to sort the files by that criterion. Clicking the same header again reverses the sort order.

Moving Files and Folders

To rearrange files by changing their location (moving them to a different folder), you have a few common methods:

1. Click and Drag (Drag and Drop)

This is a quick method if you can see both the source folder (where the file is) and the destination folder (where you want to move it) simultaneously on your screen.

• Open two File Explorer windows, or arrange windows so both the source and destination folders are visible.
• Locate the file or folder you want to move in the source window.
• Click and Drag the item (hold down the left mouse button while moving the cursor) from the source window to the destination folder in the other window.
• Release the mouse button when the item is over the destination folder.
• Note: Dragging within the same drive moves the item. Dragging to a different drive copies the item by default. Hold Shift while dragging to force a move to a different drive. Hold Ctrl while dragging to force a copy to the same drive.

2. Cut and Paste

This is a reliable method for moving items, especially when the destination isn't immediately visible next to the source.

1. Open the source folder and locate the file(s) or folder(s) you want to move.
2. Select the item(s). You can select multiple items by holding down Ctrl and clicking each one, or select a range by clicking the first, holding Shift, and clicking the last.
3. Right-click on the selected item(s) and choose Cut from the context menu, or press Ctrl + X. The icon of the cut item will appear slightly faded.
4. Navigate to the destination folder where you want to move the items.
5. Right-click anywhere in the destination folder's empty space and choose Paste from the context menu, or press Ctrl + V.
6. The cut items will disappear from the source location and appear in the destination location.

3. Copy and Paste (Use for Duplicating or Moving Across Drives)

Similar to Cut and Paste, but leaves the original item in place. Useful for creating duplicates or moving items to a different drive where drag-and-drop might default to copying.

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 from the Cut and Paste method above.
2. Right-click on the selected item(s) and choose Copy from the context menu, or press Ctrl + C.
3. Navigate to the destination folder.
4. Right-click and choose Paste, or press Ctrl + V.
5. The items will now exist in both the source and destination locations. You can then manually delete the original from the source if your goal was to move it rather than copy.

Summary of Methods

Here's a quick overview of the primary methods for rearranging files:

By utilizing these methods, you can effectively rearrange and organize your files and folders in Windows 10 to suit your preferences and workflow.