Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
When Leo displays the Open dialog box (to open an existing document), Word always displays the available documents in alphabetical order, with subfolders first. Leo prefers to have everything sorted by date. He can click the column to change the sort order but wonders if there is a way to specify his preferred sort order as a default for the Open dialog box.
The Open dialog box is actually provided by Windows, through a system DLL shared by other programs, such as Windows Explorer. Thus, there is no setting in Word that will alter the behavior of the Open dialog box, as Word does not control the dialog box, but only uses it as needed.
The flip side of this is that you can utilize the Open dialog box in the other programs that may call upon it (such as Windows Explorer), make changes in the sort order in those programs, and that sort order should be reflected in the Open dialog box the next time you invoke it in Word.
The upshot of this is that if you use the Open dialog box in one program (such as Word) and sort the files in that dialog box by name, that same sorting will be used when you display the Open dialog box in a different program (such as Notepad). If you prefer in that other program to see the files sorted in some other manner—perhaps by type—you can make the change in that program, but the change will be reflected in Word the next time you display the Open dialog box.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13604) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
Visual impairments can present severe challenges in accessing information stored in a Word document. There are some ...
Discover MoreIf you like to see your open documents in multiple icons on the Taskbar, you may wonder how to make that happen. This is ...
Discover MoreWord provides keyboard shortcuts for lots of things, but it doesn't provide one for switching to the desktop and back to ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2020-01-23 01:47:33
Kerri
I was so pleased when I found your comments about changing the default sort order for opening a document in Word as this drives me nuts. My default sort order for Windows Explorer is by date, but I went and made sure this was set to date (having closed Word) [{fig 1}] Unfortunately, when I opened Word and selected Open, the sort order was still by file name [{fig 2}]:(. If I go to open a file in Notepad, the sort order is correct (ie by date), but it's not working for Word (or Excel). Any futher suggestions?
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments