How to Stop Date Grouping in the Save As Dialog
Question details
The user wants to disable the default date grouping in the Save As dialog so that files can be displayed in a standard, alphabetical list.
- Product
- Windows / Office Software
- Device & OS
- Windows
- Scenario
- Saving a new document or downloading a file to a specific folder, such as the Downloads folder.
- Observed behavior
- Files inside the Save As dialog are grouped by recent dates (e.g., Today, Yesterday, Last Week) even if the standard File Explorer is set to display alphabetically.
Ensure you currently have a file open in your application and are ready to save it, so you can trigger the Save As dialog and apply these view changes.
Disable Date Grouping Directly in the Save As Dialog
You can change the layout and grouping behavior directly from the right-click context menu within the Save As window.
Windows maintains separate folder view settings for standard File Explorer windows and application Save As dialogs. This means you must adjust the grouping preference directly inside the Save As window for it to take effect during file saves.
In your open application, click on 'File' and select 'Save As' (or press F12) to open the destination folder where you want to save the document.
Right-click on any empty white space within the file list area. Hover over 'Group by' in the context menu, and select 'None'.
Once the grouping is removed, click the 'Name' column heading at the top of the file list to sort all existing files alphabetically.
Save and Manage Files Seamlessly with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a highly compatible and intuitive interface for creating, saving, and managing your documents. It seamlessly integrates with your system's native file explorer, ensuring your preferred sorting and grouping settings are always respected when saving your work.
- 1. Open WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and create a new document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
- 2. Initiate Save As: Click 'Menu' in the top left corner and select 'Save As', or simply press the F12 key on your keyboard.
- 3. Adjust File View: Use the standard dialog box to navigate to your desired folder, right-click to disable any unwanted date grouping, and name your file.
- 4. Save Document: Click 'Save' to securely store your fully compatible document on your local drive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Save As dialog look different from my normal File Explorer?
Windows often saves folder view settings independently for standard File Explorer windows and for application 'Save As' or 'Open' dialogs. Customizing the view in one does not automatically carry over to the other.
Will this grouping setting apply to all my folders?
Generally, Windows remembers these view settings on a per-folder basis. If you save a file to a different folder (like Documents instead of Downloads), you may need to repeat the process to turn off date grouping there as well.
Can I sort my files by date without them being grouped?
Yes. Once you set 'Group by' to 'None', you can click the 'Date modified' column header. This will sort your files chronologically in a simple list without separating them into distinct 'Today' or 'Last Week' sections.
