How to Fix Windows 11 Sort by Date Modified not working

I will teach you today How to fix the problem that the Sort by date modified function in Windows 11 does not work

If the Sort by Date Modified feature is not working properly on your Windows 11 PC, read this post. We would guide you through some effective troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue quickly.

How to fix the problem that the Sort by date modified function in Windows 11 does not work

If the Sort by Date Modified feature is not working properly on your Windows 11 PC, read this post. We would guide you through some effective troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue quickly.

Several users have reported inconsistent behavior while using the Sort by option in Windows. Files are not sorted as expected based on the “Date Modified” attribute. They revert to Sort by “Name” after closing and reopening folders or behave unexpectedly by placing newer files among older ones or prioritizing certain file types above regular folders.

The issue is caused by several factors, including software glitches, folder view settings, and inconsistencies in file metadata, and is particularly frustrating for users who deal with large collections of files, such as photos and videos, that are difficult to manage without proper sorting.

Fix for Sort by Date Modified Option in Windows 11 Not Working

 Issue If the Sort by Date Modified option is not working on your Windows 11/10 PC, use these solutions:

• Set Group By to None
•  Reset Folder View
•  Change Folder Optimization 

Let’s look at it in detail.

1] Set Group By to None 

When a folder is grouped by certain attributes (such as name, date, or type), files are displayed in groups, which can affect the sort order within those groups. Setting Group By to None removes any additional grouping that can interfere with the natural sorting of files, ensuring that they are listed correctly.

To Turn Group By to None On:

•  Open the folder where the problem arises.
•  Right-click on an empty area inside the folder. 
• Go to Group By and select (None). 

Now go back and try sorting the files and see if the problem is gone now. 

2] Restore Folder View 

Folder view settings decide how files and folders appear in File Explorer. When you set a folder to sort files based on the date modified, Windows tries to remember the settings for future visits to that folder. However, sometimes due to system changes, updates, or other software changes, the settings might get corrupted and force File Explorer to display files in some unintended way. Resetting fixes this issue and returns File Explorer to its default, uncorrupted state.

To reset Folder View in Windows 11, follow these steps: 

• Open File Explorer.
• Click the three-dot icon on the File Explorer toolbar and select Options.

• In the Folder Options window, switch to the View tab.
• Click the button labeled Reset Folders under Folder Views.
• Click Apply to Folders to ensure that the current folder view settings are applied to similar folders.
• Click Apply and then OK to close the window.

After resetting, File Explorer will return to its default behavior (Sort by Name). Reapply Sort by Date Modified and see if that works.

You can also use WinSetView to lock your preferred settings in File Explorer.

It is a free software that allows you to force a uniform folder view setting across all directories, ensuring that each folder opens only with the desired sorting option.

3] Change folder optimization 

Different file types need specific view settings for optimal display, such as thumbnails for images and detailed metadata for documents. Windows automatically optimizes folders based on content type, but sometimes it incorrectly identifies the main content of a folder, especially if it contains mixed file types, leading to incorrect optimization and display issues in File Explorer.

By manually selecting the correct optimization, you ensure that the correct sorting options are available and applied to the folder.

To change folder optimization in Windows 11, follow these steps:

•  Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where you are experiencing sorting issues.
• Right-click the folder and select Properties.
• In the Properties window, switch to the Customize tab.
• In the "Optimize this folder for:" drop-down menu, choose the appropriate option based on the folder's contents.
• Check the "Also apply this template to all subfolders" box to apply the same optimization to all subfolders.
• Click Apply and thenIf the error is related to incorrect file metadata or missing data in the index, rebuilding the index may help.

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