Solved Windows 11 Explorer folder names not centered in medium icon view

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

In Windows 11 22H2, build 22621.2861, my explorer folder names are not centered when the folder view is set to medium (the default). If I change the folder view to large the folder names appear centered correctly. How can I fix this centering issue? I'm assuming this can probably be done in the registry. I attached a picture of the problem. Thanks in advance.

Note: Windows 11 23H2 update did not fix this.

Windows 11 Explorer folder names not centered in medium icon view:

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

If you click on a blank space in the window, then hold down ctrl and move the scroll wheel on the mouse, does it correct the text centring as well as increase/decrease the icon sizes?

If you disable Hide extensions for known file types in Options > View tab do you still have the issue?

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

Holding Ctrl and moving the mouse wheel resizes the icons and the text is centered correctly in the other icon views but it's the medium icon view (default) that's not centered. Closing/opening explorer does not work nor a reboot. Users had this same problem with Windows 10 and there was a registry fix and some batch files to run to fix it, but it doesn't work with Windows 11. Hiding extensions for known types does not work either.

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Download the attached file to your desktop, make sure File Explorer is closed and double click on it to run the file.

Note: you may need to reboot in order to see any changes.

Does that help?

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

Can you zip the batch file. Windows won't run the batch file after I download it. It said it's corrupted. Thanks for posting it though and thanks for your help!

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Right click on the batch file and select properties and then unblock. It should be fine after that.

Just in case, I attached a zipped version.

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

Thanks for zipping it. I unblocked it and ran it, rebooted, but no luck. Is that what I should I do? Clear the icon cache? I can do that in AppData right?

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Try this batch file.

Fingers crossed it works ... lol

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

Nope. No luck. I think I may have tried that batch already.

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Here's an updated version by Brink, hopefully this works.

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

No, the Brink version didn't work either. Thanks for all your help on this. It's greatly appreciated! I'm beginning to think it's a bug I should report to Microsoft!

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Only for you it would appear. I certainly do not and have never had that issue.

The only thing I could suggest is a complete re-install of Windows, or perhaps a repair install, although I am not sure a repair install would actually fix the issue.

I wish you luck with it though

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

I'll keep checking this thread. Thanks again for your help @trumpy81 ! If I find a solution I'll definitely post it here...

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Open msconfig and on the Boot tab, enable Safe Boot and keep it at Minimal. Click apply and reboot.

I am thinking it might be a service or an app at fault.

If you do not have the issue in safe mode, then try disabling all apps at startup and enable them one at a time, reboot until you find the app responsible.

Then uninstall that app or update it etc...

OAT · Dec 17, 2023

Neil S said:
I'll keep checking this thread. Thanks again for your help @trumpy81 ! If I find a solution I'll definitely post it here...

Hi Neil,
Before you do all that , could you create a new temp user or enable Administrator, log in as that user
and see if the behavior is the same.

There is another anomaly, in your folder pane, the icons have been shifted to the right or the text has been shifted to the left as well.
Values for those settings are kept in the reg under: -for the current user-

Code:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

Default values are :

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"IconTitleWrap"="1"
"Shell Icon Size"="32"
"BorderWidth"="-12"
"CaptionFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"CaptionHeight"="-336"
"CaptionWidth"="-336"
"IconFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MenuFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MenuHeight"="-288"
"MenuWidth"="-288"
"MessageFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"ScrollHeight"="-252"
"ScrollWidth"="-252"
"SmCaptionFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SmCaptionHeight"="-336"
"SmCaptionWidth"="-336"
"StatusFont"=hex:f1,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"AppliedDPI"=dword:00000078
"PaddedBorderWidth"="-60"
"IconSpacing"="-1125"
"IconVerticalSpacing"="-1125"
"MinAnimate"="1"

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

@trumpy81 Last time I tried to boot into safe mode at minimal I couldn't log into Windows using my pin or fingerprint. I had to reinstall my OS. I really don't want to do that again. I'd be a good test though. @OAT Some of my reg entries didn't match your default ones so I changed them but I still have the problem. Thank you both for your input though.

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

You could try booting into safe mode from boot up, just as the enter BIOS screen is disappearing tap on F8 and that should put you into the recovery menu with a little luck.

From there you can elect to boot into safe mode and since no settings have changed, the next boot will be normal and you should not have any issues with log in.

OAT · Dec 17, 2023

Neil S said:
@OAT Some of my reg entries didn't match your default ones so I changed them but I still have the problem. Thank you both for your input though.

Did you reboot afterward?
Have you tried a different user?

Neil S · Dec 17, 2023

@OAT I created a new administrator account, logged in, and everything is fine now. What should I do? Delete my original admin account, then recreate another original one and then delete the test admin account? Can I even do that? Thanks for your help!

trumpy81 · Dec 17, 2023

Sign out of the admin account and log back in with your user account, is everything still OK?

You could open Settings > Accounts > Other Users and add another account. You will have to sign in with a Microsoft account though.

To disable the administrator account, open a CMD window and type in:
net user administrator /active:no and then press enter.