Moving those desktop icons too close together may lead to overlap and run counter to your likely purpose of more efficiency and a better user experience. When you double-click those items, you will be able to change the values to a setting of your choosing, as shown in Figure C.īefore you go wild making changes to these icon distance settings, I would suggest you proceed with caution. The default setting for those parameters in our example is -1128 pixels. The item labeled IconVerticalSpacing is, obviously, for vertical distance. Within that list you will see an item labeled IconSpacing, that is the setting for horizontal distance between desktop icons. When you select the WindowsMetrics folder in the left-hand navigation window, you will see a long list of parameters in the right-hand window. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics From the results, choose the Regedit app and then use the left-hand window to navigate to this key, as shown in Figure B. To make our edits in the Windows 11 Registry File, we will type “regedit” into the Windows 11 search tool. Back up the Windows Registry file and create a valid restore point before you proceed. A corrupted Windows Registry file could render your computer inoperable, requiring a reinstallation of the Windows operating system and potential loss of data. We will have to edit the Windows Registry file to achieve that personalization change.ĭisclaimer: Editing the Windows Registry file is a serious undertaking. How to change the icon spacing on the Windows 11 desktopĪs you can see in Figure A, while we can change the size of the Windows 11 desktop shortcut icons by right-clicking on an empty part of the desktop, we cannot change the vertical and horizontal distances between the icons. This how-to tutorial shows how to change the vertical and horizontal distance between Windows 11 desktop icons by editing the Windows Registry file. Unless, of course, you know where those settings reside in the Windows Registry file. By default, the vertical and horizontal distance between each desktop icon when using the grid option is fixed and unchangeable. Users can use a grid to keep icons orderly and they can sort icons based on name, size or modified date, but little else. Personalizing Windows 11 desktop shortcut icons is limited. SEE: Checklist: PC and Mac migrations (TechRepublic Premium) The desktop is where their day begins and ends. For many users, the shortcut icons that populate the Windows desktop are the primary gateway to their productivity applications, games, preferred web browser, etc. Regardless of whether you have upgraded to Microsoft Windows 11 or are still using Windows 10, the Windows desktop is where you are most likely to start your computer session. For more info, visit our Terms of Use page.ĭefend your network with Microsoft outside-in security services This may influence how and where their products appear on our site, but vendors cannot pay to influence the content of our reviews. We may be compensated by vendors who appear on this page through methods such as affiliate links or sponsored partnerships. The “FancyZones” feature adds many more options as well as the ability to create completely custom snap zones.How to change icon spacing on the Windows 11 desktopīy default, Microsoft doesn't allow users to change the distance between desktop icons on the Windows 11 desktop, but an edit of the Windows Registry will do the trick. That’s where Microsoft’s PowerToys app comes in. If you have a big monitor, especially an ultra-wide, you may want more window tiling options. The built-in Snap Assist feature only works in a 2×2 grid arrangement, which means that the windows will always be equally sized to fit the area: two windows side by side, four windows in the four corners of the screen, or one window on one side of the screen and two on the other. How to Customize Windows 10’s Snap Feature We have swapped out screenshots and tweaked the steps to match the new version. Update: PowerToys was updated to version 0.31.1 on February 2, 2021, which included updates to the UI. This is great for ultra-wide monitors and anyone who wants a better tiling window manager. Microsoft’s PowerToys app makes it possible to split the screen however you want. Windows 10’s Snap Assist feature is nice, but it lacks customization.
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