Windows 7 Icon Locations in a Folder and Thumbnails

[tpribors]

Does anyone have a solution for this? It is my biggest and pretty much only beef about Windows 7.

The desktop allows icons to be moved in the "field of the desktop". It has attributes like "snap to grid", file name ordering, etc.

In XP and before a folder had attributes very similar. I could make a folder window large, and freely move icons around in it. You would do this by deselecting the "view" options to null. Windows would even remember the locations of those settings (but limited to a certain number which you could change with a registry change or with Tweek UI).

With Win7 the ordering is enforced. "By name", "By date", etc. The "snap to grid" is gone, and the ordering can no longer be null which prevents moving an icon in a folder anywhwere but where Windows decides to put it.

Anyone have a solution??? I have some indication that this goofy mode may have started in Vista. Of course noone used Vista so Microsoft thought it was OK

I like Win7 too much to go back to XP but this could drive me to it. I use a photo folder with Thumbnails enabled as a "sorting table".

Oh, and you can't do selective thumbnails either!!! It's now a global setting!

[dsvochak]

Open a folder->Organize->Layout->check “Menu bar.”
On the menu bar: View->Uncheck “auto arrange”, check “align to grid”

[tpribors]

Open a folder->Organize->Layout->check “Menu bar.”
On the menu bar: View->Uncheck “auto arrange”, check “align to grid”

Thanks! I'm pretty sure that is missing but I'll check again when I get home.

[tpribors]

Open a folder->Organize->Layout->check “Menu bar.”
On the menu bar: View->Uncheck “auto arrange”, check “align to grid”

Indeed this option is not available.

Right click on the desktop and choose view. The auto arrange icons and align icons to grid are available.

Open any folder, right click on the field of the folder. Select VIEW - those options are not present. Same for the view menu item.