Finder Won't Let Me Arrange Icons

[Winglets747]

Hi all,
The Finder won't let me arrange any icons by date modified, name, etc. Whenever I select a folder or a bunch of files, the "Arrange By" field is grayed out (as is Clean Up Selection).

How can I get this to work?

Thanks.

-Will

 

[remain]

Go to View > View Options (or press Cmd J)

Is "Auto arrange" checked?

 

[Winglets747]

Well, in the folder I'm most interested in (iTunes music) CMD J only brings up two options (show icons and show preview column--no auto arrange). In the desktop Finder view options, Auto Arrange is not selected.

 

[puaerotch]

Do you have iTunes set to keep your music organized? Look in iTunes preferences under Advanced.

 

[giulio]

The Arrange option is only available if you are in Icon view mode and Keep Arranged By is truned off. Hit Command-1 to go into Icon view mode.

 

[Winglets747]

Thanks, Giulio. Icon view was the key part I was missing.

 

[eric]

giulio is mostly right.
icon view AND list view will allow some sort of arranging. Though with list view, you use the header bars at the top of your file lists to determine how they are arranged (very similar to windows explorer).

the other view with preview for whatever reason does not allow for sorting.

 

[giulio]

You're welcome, sir.

Eric,
Being that he wanted to arbitrarily arrange the icons (not 'resort a list of files'), he must be in Icon Vew.
So NANNER NEENER NAAH NAAAAA!

 

[eric]

when he said this:

Well, in the folder I'm most interested in (iTunes music) CMD J only brings up two options (show icons and show preview column--no auto arrange). In the desktop Finder view options, Auto Arrange is not selected.

i just assumed he was in preview view - or whatever that's called.

hey... i didn't say you were wrong ;P

 

[giulio]

haha - cool to see you have a sense of humor. it was hard going to sleep thinking about you giving me neg rep for that 'nanner neener' bit.

 

[eric]

pffft. who gave you + when you got into that little, ehem, incident a while back.

 

[giulio]

ssshhh ssh shsshhhhhh

haha!