Sort not working properly with flagged photos

[mspguy]

Sorting isn't working properly with me on Lightroom Classic 11.2.

Lightroom Classic 11.2

MacOS 12.3 on M1

I have a specific folder with about 500 images. There are around 30 flagged images with some having virtual copies and proof copies. Filters are off and no matter how I sort the folder these flagged images stay at the top and do not go to the spot they should. For example, if i sort by filename they stay at the top. Same if I sort by Capture Time.

Please forgive me if there is some setting to pin flagged photos to the top but this isn't something i've ever heard of.

[johnrellis]

Troubleshooting steps:

1. If File Name isn't currently being displayed under thumbnails in Grid view, go to View > View Options and set Expanded Cell Extras to include File Name. Then do View > Grid Style > Expanded Cells.

2. Make sure the toolbar is showing at the bottom by doing View > Show Toolbar. 

3. Do View > Sort > File Name.

4. Post a full-resolution screenshot here of the entire LR window.

[mspguy]

Screenshot attached, blacked out photos.

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

It's diffcult to see because you edited the screenshot, but it looks like your photos may be stacked. A stack only sorts as a whole. Images inside a stack do not sort.

[mspguy]

Ahh, thank you! This was it, it looks like those at the top somehow all got put into a stack.

[johnrellis]

[This post contains formatting and embedded images that don't appear in email. View the post in your Web browser.]

The first 33 photos shown in the grid are in a stack (or perhaps multiple stacks, your editing has obscured the stack badges).  You can tell from the dark arrows on the side, indicating that there are more photos in the stack preceding that photo:

and from the darker grey border around the thumbnails:

A stack sorts with other photos by the top photo in the stack -- the photos inside a stack never change their order.  That's why the file names of the stacked photos are out of order:

Do the menu command Photo > Stacking > Collapse All Stacks, and then the visible thumbnails will be properly sorted.