How to enable or disable Windows File Explorer Compact view

This article will show you how to enable or disable Windows File Explorer Compact view. With File Explorer’s new Compact view, you can change how much space is between each item. This unique feature has been added to Windows 11 and Windows 10 and gives the File Explorer a new layout with more space around it. File Explorer is a graphical user interface that puts all of a user’s files in one place. It keeps information safe and lets the user read, write, and change the document. Since the file explorer saves and keeps track of different documents, its display is an important part of finding a document.

The new feature in file explorer is a smaller display that makes the spaces between files smaller and gives the user a wider view. The file list and navigation pane now have more space around them. Microsoft made it so that all of the apps in Windows 11/10, which now has a lot of touch-friendly Store apps, would have the same look. This post is a full guide on how to enable or disable Windows File Explorer Compact view. If you want to know more information about this Visit Official Microsoft Support site.

Turn Compact View ON or OFF from the Folder Options screen

You can disable or enable Compact View from the Folder Options menu if you like to change your Windows OS from the legacy menu. Even though this menu is hidden inside the old Control Panel, you can still get to it from the Run box. What you have to do is:

1. Press the Windows key and the letter R to bring up the Run box.
2. Next, type “control folders” into the text box and press Enter to open the Folder Options screen.
3. Click on the View tab in the ribbon menu at the top of the Folder Options window.
4. If you want to use the compact view, go to the View tab of Folder Options, click on Advanced Settings, and check the box next to Decrease space between items (compact view) under Files and Folders.
5. Lastly, click Apply to make the changes stick, and you should already see the File Explorer look change.

Turn Compact View ON or OFF using Registry Editor

If you know a lot about Windows, you might look in the Registry for a way to change how Compact View works. If this is the case, you’ll be glad to know that you can change the value of the UseCompactMode DWORD in HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerAdvanced. What you have to do is:

1. Here are the steps to follow, with the important words highlighted in bold:
2. Press the Windows key and the letter R to bring up the Run box.
3. Next, type “regedit” into the text box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Registry Editor with administrative access.
4. Once you’re in the Registry Editor, use the left pane to go to the following location:
5. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
6. Once you’re in the right place, double-click on the UseCompactMode DWORD value in the menu on the right side of the screen.
7. Next, set the Base of UseCompactMode to Hexadecimal and change the Value data to one of the following, depending on whether you want to disable or enable Compact Mode:
   • Set this value if you want to Enable Compact View in File Explorer
   • Set this value if you want to Disable Compact View in File Explorer
8. To make the changes take effect, click “Ok,” then close the elevated Registry editor and restart your PC.

Turn Compact View ON or OFF from the Command Bar of File Explorer

This could be the easiest way out of all of them. You won’t have to use the terminal or make hard changes to the registry. Microsoft has made it easy by putting a Compact View option in File Explorer’s View folder. Follow the steps below to get to the View options group in File Explorer’s Command Bar and turn off or on Compact view on Windows 11:

1. To open File Explorer, press the Windows key + E. You can also just click on the icon for File Explorer in the taskbar menu.
2. Click the View icon on the top ribbon menu of the main File Explorer window.
3. Click on Compact View from the list of options that just showed up in the menu that popped up.

The File Explorer in Windows 11 has a lot of new features, one of which is the Compact View. This feature is mostly for people who liked how File Explorer looked before, when there was less space between each item. It also makes the site easier to use, though some users still prefer the old layout. The good news is that the new design comes with a feature called “compact view” that lets people switch back to the old layout.