Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10  

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10

    How to Change Desktop Icon Horizontal and Vertical Spacing in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Customization
    19 Apr 2020
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Change Desktop Icon Horizontal and Vertical Spacing in Windows 10


    Icon horizontal spacing is for how wide (left/right) the desktop icon will be. The wider it is, the more text that will display for the icon's name without it having to be highlighted.

    Icon vertical spacing is for how much vertical (up/down) empty space there is inbetween the icons on your desktop to separate them with.

    This tutorial will show you how to change the horizontal and vertical spacing of the icons on your desktop to what you want in Windows 10.


    EXAMPLE: Desktop Icon Horizontal and Vertical Spacing

    This is just an example to help show what your desktop icons can look like with different horizontal and vertical spacing settings when highlighted and not highlighted. The settings you use below will determine how much more or less space your icons will have.

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10-default_desktop_icon_spacing.jpg



    Here's How:

    1 Press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

    2 If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

    3 In Registry Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshots below steps 4A and 5A)

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics


    4 To Change the Desktop Icon "Horizontal" Spacing

    A) In the right pane of WindowMetrics, double click/tap on IconSpacing to modify it. (see screenshot below)

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10-horizontal_spacing_of_desktop_icons-registry-1.png

    B) Type in a value between -480 to -2730, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

    The default value is -1128. The minimum amount of space is -480, and the maximum is -2730.

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10-horizontal_spacing_of_desktop_icons-registry-2.png


    5 To Change the Desktop Icon "Vertical" Spacing

    A) In the right pane of WindowMetrics, double click/tap on IconVerticalSpacing to modify it. (see screenshot below)

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10-vertical_spacing_of_desktop_icons-registry-1.png

    B) Type in a value between -480 to -2730, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

    The default value is -1128. The minimum amount of space is -480, and the maximum is -2730.

    Change Desktop Icon Spacing in Windows 10-vertical_spacing_of_desktop_icons-registry-2.png

    6 When finished, close Registry Editor.

    7 Sign out and sign in to apply.

    8 You may need to repeat the tutorial a few times until you have each of the desktop icon horizontal and vertical spacing values set just how you like it.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #1

    @Brink, Shawn... another little trick for desktop icon spacing. Hold down the Ctrl key and roll the mouse wheel back/forward. Dynamic re-sizing!
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Yep, that's a good one for the icon size. :)
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #3

    Just found this which uses DesktopOK to change the spacing graphically. I use DesktopOK to remember Desktop icon positions anyway so being able to adjust spacing using the same program is great,

    Customize icon spacing on the windows 10 desktop
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 37
    Windows 10 V 1607 (OS-version 14393.1358)
       #4

    Not quite


    f14tomcat said:
    @Brink, Shawn... another little trick for desktop icon spacing. Hold down the Ctrl key and roll the mouse wheel back/forward. Dynamic re-sizing!
    But . . . doesn't that 'just' make the icons smaller; the spacing is not affected. Rather, the icons have more space between them, both horizontal and vertical. It's like 'zooming out'. Or, imagine that the icons were printed on a balloon. When that balloon is inflated the same thing happens.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Kokopelli said:
    But . . . doesn't that 'just' make the icons smaller; the spacing is not affected. Rather, the icons have more space between them, both horizontal and vertical. It's like 'zooming out'. Or, imagine that the icons were printed on a balloon. When that balloon is inflated the same thing happens.
    Correct. That only changes the size of the icons instead.

    Change Size of Desktop Icons in Windows 10
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 56,806
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #6

    Kokopelli said:
    But . . . doesn't that 'just' make the icons smaller; the spacing is not affected. Rather, the icons have more space between them, both horizontal and vertical. It's like 'zooming out'. Or, imagine that the icons were printed on a balloon. When that balloon is inflated the same thing happens.
    I had to go back and see what the context was from a post 7 years ago. I suppose it could just be semantics or language interpretation. Spacing, sizing, between, etc. All my post from way back then was suppose to illustrate was a trick with the mouse and Icon sizing.
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 10
    W10 Pro x64
       #7

    Thanks!

    I had this bug and the mouse wheel wasnt helping.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Sladex said:
    Thanks!

    I had this bug and the mouse wheel wasnt helping.
      My Computers


 

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