Select traditional date and time sorting method

[Ignacio_Martin]

Is it possible to select the Sorting Method (International ISO 8601 or Traditional) in Windows 10, in the same way that it can be chosen in Windows 11 through Control Panel/Region/Formats?

Regards

Ignacio

[#2]

@Ignacio_Martin 

I see this was posted to the Windows 10 part of the techcommunity forum but apparently no one has responded.

I'm not exactly sure what part of the control panel/region you are referring to, a screen shot would help. This is what I see on Windows 10:

John

[#3]

In Windows 10, the sorting method for files and directories in the File Explorer is influenced by the system's regional settings, but there isn't a direct, built-in option to explicitly choose between the International ISO 8601 standard and traditional sorting methods solely for file management purposes.

However, the ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD) for dates is supported in terms of how dates are displayed and can be influenced by changing your system's locale and date format settings. Here’s how you might adjust settings related to date formats, which indirectly affects how files might be sorted especially if their names contain dates:

1. Change Date Format:

   • Open the Windows Settings app.
   • Navigate to Time & Language > Region.
   • Under the Regional format section, you can select a format that aligns more closely with the ISO 8601 date format, if not exactly. This changes how dates are displayed across Windows, including in File Explorer.

2. Customize Date Format:

   • In the Control Panel, go to Clock and Region > Region.
   • In the window that opens, click on the Formats tab, then click Additional settings....
   • Here, you can customize the date formats. For ISO 8601, you would set the short date format to yyyy-MM-dd.

These settings will influence how dates are displayed, which could affect sorting if you are viewing files in a list that includes date information. However, the actual sorting algorithm used by Windows for managing files and folders isn't something users can switch between through a simple setting. Windows file system sorting is based on a set of complex rules that take into account character values and other metadata, not just date formats.

[#4]

Thank you friends Jhon and Orizonbbk, for your collaboration.

I think the query would have been more descriptive if it had been titled "First week of the year", instead of "Sort method".

The problem appeared due to a time-location chart software that I developed in visual, and when I updated the Windows version quite some time ago, it stopped working, as far as the calculation of the first week of the year is concerned.

Previously, apparently, in my Windows (Spain) the Traditional sorting method (default) was applied = the first week of the year is the one that includes January 1, and I had no problems with my software.

Over time, new versions of Windows have included as the default sorting method, the International (ISO 8601) = the first week with the majority (four or more) of its days in the year that begins, that is, the one that includes the first Thursday in the new year, and this is where my problem appeared.

Recently, and after many unsuccessful regional configuration tests (language, date formats, etc.), I have found, fortunately, that in both Windows 10 and Windows 11 you can choose the "Sort Method: Traditional or International" , an option that I don't know since when it is included, but it only appears for certain language formats (not English) such as Spanish from Spain, German, Chinese, Japanese,..., so many users from other countries, perhaps like you, You don't see this Windows option.

It is precisely in: Control Panel > Region > Formats

By the way, also in certain Excel functions such as Microsoft Project, when displaying results by weeks counted from the first of the year, in some cases, they return different values depending on the "Sort Method" of the operating system.

Thank you again for your time, and I am sorry for the annoyance and dizziness of the query that this issue may have caused you, which apparently only affects certain countries.

Ignacio

[#5]

In Windows 10, you can select the traditional date and time sorting method by following these steps:

1. Click on the "Start" button and open the "Settings" app.
2. In the settings window, select "Time & Language."
3. Under the "Date & Time" tab, click on "Change date and time formats."
4. In the new window, you will see various formats for date and time.
5. Click on the "Additional date, time, & regional settings" link. This will open the old Control Panel window.
6. In the Control Panel window, click on "Change date, time, or number formats."
7. In the "Formats" tab, click on the "Additional settings" button.
8. A new window will open with the "Customize Format" options.
9. In the "Date" tab, choose the desired date format for traditional sorting by selecting it from the "Short date" or "Long date" dropdown menus.
10. In the "Time" tab, select the desired time format for traditional sorting from the "Short time" or "Long time" dropdown menus.
11. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

By following these steps, you should be able to select the traditional date and time sorting method in Windows 10, similar to how it can be done in Windows 11 through Control Panel/Region/Formats.

[#6]

@Sweet25 

Thanks for your help, but I don't think you read my previous comment.
The problem was with the number that Project assigns to each week of the project, counting from the beginning of the year.
Depending on whether the traditional or international sorting method is configured, the result is different, and cannot be resolved by changing regional formats.
Fortunately I found a solution, as described in my previous answer.
Thank you anyway.

Ignacio

[#7]

Hello Charlene270

Thank you for your collaboration.

As I described in the comments above, I was able to solve my Sort ing Method problem regardless of date and time formats.

Regards
Ignacio

[#8]

In Windows 10, you can also customize the date and time sorting method, but the option is located in a slightly different menu compared to Windows 11.

[#9]

In the "Customize Format" window, go to the "Date" tab.
Customize the "Short date", "Long date", "Short time", and "Long time" formats according to your preference. For a traditional date and time sorting method, you can use formats like "dd/MM/yyyy" for short date and "dddd, MMMM d, yyyy" for long date.
Once done, click OK to save the changes.