Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer in Windows 11 Tutorial

Staff

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off compact view in File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.

If you feel File Explorer has too much space between items, you can turn on compact view to decrease space between items in File Explorer.

Contents

Option One: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from File Explorer Command Bar
Option Two: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from Folder Options
Option Three: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer using REG file

EXAMPLE: Compact view in File Explorer turned on and off

Option One

Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from File Explorer Command Bar

1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Click/tap on View on the command bar. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on Show.

4 Click/tap on Compact view to toggle it on (checked) or off (unchecked - default).

Option Two

Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from Folder Options

1 Open Folder Options.

2 Click/tap on the View tab. (see screenshot below)

3 Check (on) or uncheck (off - default) Decrease space between items (compact view) under Files and Folders for what you want, and click/tap on OK.

Option Three

Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer using REG file

1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you would like to do.

2 Turn On Compact View in File Explorer

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_on_compact_view_in_File_Explorer_for_current_user.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"UseCompactMode"=dword:00000001

3 Turn Off Compact View in File Explorer

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.

Turn_off_compact_view_in_File_Explorer_for_current_user.reg

Download

(Contents of REG file for reference)

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"UseCompactMode"=dword:00000000

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn Brink