Windows 8 and 8.1 How do I alphabetize files, folders, short cuts, etc. on my desktop?

Right-click a blank spot, choose "Sort by" and then pick how you want to sort it (such as by name for alphabetical).

Desktop should behave the same as a folder as far as arranging and shorting (and on the desktop you can also turn off "auto arrange" so you can scatter them around if you like).

As for the AOL problem, before I can offer much advice, let me ask first what program you're using to reach your AOL email.

Thank you Shawn.  Your suggestion was exactly the help I needed.

But I can't get the icons that show garbage, Adobe Reader, etc. and other icons to stay on the left side of the desktop.  Would I follow the same procedure for arranging these desktop icons like you suggested for the files and folders?

Your help has helped me organize a big mess.  I hope that you might know hoe to fix this one last desktop question.

Also,  I have AOL for my email and for the last week (since I installed I-Tunes to preview documentaries) my AOL freezes, then there's a message that it's been interrupted, then Microsoft tries to get me back to AOL so I hit Refresh and sometimes it works, and sometimes not.  I have many, many messages each day for the research that I do and I have NO IDEA why every email now takes 20+ minutes to reach!

Any ideas here?  Is there a connection with I-Tunes?  I have not used I-Tunes yet because the documentaries are on my aol messages.  A friend told me to close all the tabs and I did but no change. Then she asked if I had many unread messages and I told her yes--over 10,000.  I know, but I can't make any new folders!  Could this large number of emails be contributing to its constant shut-down after every attempt to read the next message?

I have been making folders for a long time, but did the system just stop making them?  Is there a specific limit on how may document folders each person is given?

I appreciate  any and all ideas that you might have.

Thank you.

debbieL