Wondering how to enable or disable Compact View in File Explorer on Windows 11?
Microsoft has made an incredible evolution in designing the user experience and visual interface in Windows 11. Everything from the taskbar to the Settings menu has a softer and more approachable design with a more decluttered feeling.
The File Explorer has also been redesigned (finally), and now the main toolbar comes with only eight options by default. Several functions are still available as buttons in the File Explorer, but everything else is accessible through menus.
However, if you prefer the traditional experience more and want more files and folders to be displayed at a time, then you enable the Compact View in File Explorer.
In this guide, you will learn how to enable or disable Compact View in File Explorer on Windows 11 in detail.
Let’s get right into it!
1. Use File Explorer.
One of the easiest ways to enable or disable Compact View is by making some changes directly in the File Explorer.
The Compact view option is already included in the File Explorer, which means you just need to click on it to make the desired changes.
Here is all that you need to do:
- Launch File Explorer by clicking on the File Explorer icon on your taskbar. Alternatively, you can also press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open it.
- Inside the File Explorer window, click on View and then click Compact view from the list of options available.
Following the steps mentioned above should enable or disable Compact View in File Explorer on Windows 11 without any issue.
2. Modify Folder Options.
Another way to make the desired changes on your Windows 11 is by making changes in the Folder Options screen.
Typically, Folder Options is found in the Appearance and Personalization section of the Control Panel, but you can also access it via a Run dialogue box.
Here is what you need to do:
- Press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open a Run dialogue box.
- Inside the text field of the dialogue box, type control folders and hit Enter. This will launch the Folder Options screen on your computer.
- Now navigate to the View tab and checkmark the box associated with Decrease space between items (compact view) to enable Compact view. To disable it, uncheck the box.
- Finally, click Apply to save the changes and close the Folder Options screen.
Hopefully, this should make the required changes in no time.
3. Try Using CleanMyPC.
There may be a corruption error on your computer that prevents certain features from working, so the steps outlined here might not work because of that. As for this scenario, you need not be concerned as it has an easy fix.
A reliable PC cleaner will scan your computer for issues, identify them, and automatically fix them. CleanMyPC can do all of this with very little to no user input!
With this program, you’ll find a variety of system maintenance tools. These tools can do more than just fixing the issue at hand, as they can also resolve other PC problems, such as slow performance and long boot times.
The only thing you need to do is download CleanMyPC and run a scan. It will take care of the rest!
4. Modify Windows Registry.
The Windows Registry is a database of low-level settings used by Windows applications. It allows programs to access computer resources and provides a place where you can store your customized settings for the operating system.
Windows Registry stores information about Windows programs and processes as Registry keys. By modifying these keys, you can customize the system.
Here is how you can use Windows Registry to
- Press Windows + R keys simultaneously on your keyboard to open a Run dialogue box.
- Inside the text field of the dialogue box, type regedit and hit Enter. This will open Windows Registry on your PC.
- Once you are inside the Registry Editor, navigate to the location mentioned below.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- Now locate and double-click on the UseCompactMode value in the right pane.
- Set the base to Hexadecimal and under Value data, type 1 to enable Compact view.
- To disable it, type 2 under Value data and hit Enter.
- Finally, restart your PC.
Once you reboot your PC, the Registry Editor will enable/disable Compact View.
This brings us to the end of our guide on ways to enable or disable Compact View on Windows 11. We tried walking you through all the steps in detail and hope that one of the methods mentioned above did the trick for you. In case you still have any confusion about the methods, please let us know in the comment section below!
If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂
