Why is auto-grouping in files/folders been automatically turned on again?

This problem is NOT solved.

Windows update caused the auto-grouping so it's the same Windows update that is going to have to solve it, not me. I am not going to preform the same work every 6 months, just because Microsoft does not accept my choice.

NO AUTO-GROUPING!!!!!!!!

You might be able to fix this more permanently by applying a default folder view setting across all folders:

Try This: Set a Universal Folder View

1. Open File Explorer and go to a folder.
2. Set your preferred view (e.g., Details view, disable grouping, etc.).
3. Click View → Group by → Select None.
4. Click Options (top-right corner in the "View" tab).
5. Go to the View tab in Folder Options.
6. Click Apply to Folders → Yes → OK.

This should apply the settings globally for that folder type. However, Windows updates sometimes override this, and there isn’t an official way to disable auto-grouping permanently.

Registry Fix (If It Comes Back)

If updates keep messing with this setting, you might need a Registry edit to lock it:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to:

CopyEdit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell

1. Look for a DWORD entry called GroupBy.
2. If it exists, double-click it and set the Value data to 0.
3. If it doesn’t exist, right-click, select New → DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it GroupBy, and set it to 0.
4. Restart your PC.

If this keeps happening with every update, a script that re-applies your settings automatically might be a workaround. But yeah, Microsoft’s habit of overriding user preferences is beyond frustrating.You might be able to fix this more permanently by applying a default folder view setting across all folders:

Try This: Set a Universal Folder View

1. Open File Explorer and go to a folder.
2. Set your preferred view (e.g., Details view, disable grouping, etc.).
3. Click View → Group by → Select None.
4. Click Options (top-right corner in the "View" tab).
5. Go to the View tab in Folder Options.
6. Click Apply to Folders → Yes → OK.

This should apply the settings globally for that folder type. However, Windows updates sometimes override this, and there isn’t an official way to disable auto-grouping permanently.

Registry Fix (If It Comes Back)

If updates keep messing with this setting, you might need a Registry edit to lock it:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to:

CopyEdit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell

1. Look for a DWORD entry called GroupBy.
2. If it exists, double-click it and set the Value data to 0.
3. If it doesn’t exist, right-click, select New → DWORD (32-bit) Value, name it GroupBy, and set it to 0.
4. Restart your PC.

If this keeps happening with every update, a script that re-applies your settings automatically might be a workaround. But yeah, Microsoft’s habit of overriding user preferences is beyond frustrating.

I completely agree with the author, software houses continue to hire "less paid" people who do not use their brains to help final users(or even worst... are required not to use) + managers too much paid that do not care about final users but only to get more money, focus is only to make more profit for the SWH selling S*itty updates as major improvements, giving less support, seems the motto is "this is the product, you're free to move if you want and if you find better one"

I feel like Micrsoft just aren't even making a conscious effort anymore. Like so many companies these days, they dish things out as they are and don't give a damn what their audience might actually prefer. We don't matter anymore. They get the sales, we get the s***. I DETEST the auto grouping feature and honestly can't understand how more people aren't up in arms about it. It's inconvenient, confusing and just unneccesary! What made them think it was something people would want all of a sudden? Obviously they've ignored the issue all this time, so I doubt they're going to fix it properly now. All other ideas are useful for the 10 minutes they work, but it keeps resetting no matter what you do. Hopefully by the next edition of Windows (God save us...) they'll have realised how bad this "feature" actually is and not repeat the same mistake.