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If you mean “show files before folders” in an open File Explorer window, the available sort and grouping controls depend on the folder view; Microsoft’s guidance does not confirm a universal setting that always puts every file above every folder. If you mean keeping a folder easy to find, pin it to Quick access—or, in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, find it from Home.
Sort items in the folder you have open
Sorting changes the order of items in the current folder. In Details view, use the column headings or the view’s sort controls to choose a criterion such as Name or Date modified. Select the criterion to change the sort order; Microsoft’s screen-reader guidance says to activate the selected sort option with Enter.
For other views, open the folder’s view or sort controls and choose an available criterion. The exact controls can vary by Windows version and view. Sorting by a criterion does not, by itself, guarantee that all files will appear above all folders.
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Microsoft documents sorting by Size in its separate instructions for freeing drive space, but that does not establish a universal files-first arrangement: Free up drive space in Windows.
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Pin a folder for quicker access
Pinning is useful when your goal is to reach a particular folder quickly. It adds a shortcut to the navigation area; it does not change the order of files and folders inside another open folder.
- In File Explorer, locate the folder you want to reach quickly.
- Right-click the folder, or press and hold it on a touch device.
- Select Pin to Quick access.
Microsoft says pinned known folders are available in File Explorer Home and the left navigation pane in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later. In that release, the landing page formerly called Quick access was renamed Home. Microsoft’s instructions cover Windows 10 and Windows 11: File Explorer in Windows.
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If you need files listed before every folder
The official Microsoft guidance cited here does not confirm a single setting that always places all files above all folders, regardless of sorting or grouping. Check the current folder’s view, sort, and grouping controls for options in your Windows build. If none provides the arrangement you want, the available documentation does not establish a universal built-in switch for it.
Move an item instead of changing its display order
If by “at top” you mean putting a file in a different folder, move it rather than changing the view’s sort order:
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- Select the file or folder and choose Cut.
- Navigate to the destination folder.
- Choose Paste.
If the item is shown in Quick access, Microsoft says to choose Open first, then cut and paste it.
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Which option should you use?
| What you want | Use | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Change the order of items in the open folder | Sort controls, such as Name or Date modified in Details view | The display order for the current folder |
| Reach a particular folder quickly | Pin to Quick access | A shortcut in Quick access or, on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, Home and the left navigation pane |
| Put a file in another location | Cut and paste | The file’s location |
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