Windows 7 Win Explorer file-sort uses icon as part of file name. How do I avoid this?

[gringuk]

I am using WIN 7 Ultimate and have a folder (FOLDER-A) containing about 160 .HTM documents and their corresponding FILES folders from documents I have downloaded from the internet.

I am trying to sort these by name within the containing folder (FOLDER-A) so that each .HTM document appears next to its corresponding FILES folder but:--

• as their names are all preceded by either an .HTM icon or a FILES/folder icon, the sort process includes these icons as part of the name with the result that all the FILES folders sort together in a block (in alphabetical order) followed by all the HTM documents sorted together in a block (also ordered alphabetically).

I have looked in the "Folder Options" menu for ways to eliminate the icon from each file/folder name but can find nothing. I have checked the "Properties" of the .HTMs and FILES but can see nothing that touches on this subject.

Renaming the files/folders to exclude the icons does not seem possible - at least, I couldn't manage it!

I have checked in many parts of the Local Group Policy Editor but can see nothing that seems relevant!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[Fixer1234]

It's not the icon. Windows treats folders differently than files, grouping them together for your convenience. There are options that will display all of the files in sort order regardless of where they are in the folder structure. You can group files and folders by name, which will get you closer, but within the groups, the folders will be together. I have not found a way to get Windows to treat folders like files for sorting purposes, mixing folders and files in alphabetical order.