How to change the size of your icons
Thu, 02/01/2007 - 17:41 — George
When I installed and logged into Windows Vista, the first thing that I noticed were the big icons from my desktop. Immediately I searched for a way to make them smaller. So far, this is the easiest method I found:
Minimize all the windows you have open (if any), then press and hold the "Ctrl" key and scroll up or down with your mouse wheel. This will allow you to increase or decrease the size of the icons from your desktop.
In Windows Explorer you can do the same thing to change the size of the icons shown. Press and hold the "Ctrl" key and scroll up/down with your mouse wheel.
Alternatively, click on the small arrow near the "Views" button from the upper menu. A drop down menu will appear and you can select the size you want for the icons shown in Windows Explorer.
Related articles:
How to change the font size in Windows Vista
Want larger Quick Launch icons in the Taskbar?
How to change Window Color and Appearance
Remove the arrow and the "shortcut" text from your Windows Vista shortcuts
Customize your desktop icons
How to configure the Screen Saver
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Comments
Text
My icons were normal (average size) but this morning when I activated the computer all of a sudden the icons were so small you could hardly read them. That problem has now been resolved thanks to the suggestions listed above. However, the text is also so small that it hurts your eyes to reading it. I can't get this back to normal. Any suggestions?
Tutorial
At the end of this article you have a link towards an article showing you how to change the size of the text in Windows Vista.
Desktop in Windows Vista...
Please someone help me....
First I am not interested in DPI for size changing.
What I need are directions for changing the icon size and font size just on the desktop. In Windows XP it was r click on the desktop and l click on properties and left click on appearance and advanced and then you can make the changes you need. e.g. active title box, message box, scroll buttons, icon, font and size, etc. etc.
I've tried to search for the answer but to no avail.. I have two books and still can find the answer.
But in Windows Vista, I can't find the directions anyway.. Again, I don't want to change the DPI.
Did you read this article?
Did you read this article? It says exactly how to change the icon size on the desktop. Just follow the instructions....
We have a separate article about changing the DPI.
Thank you!
Just got a new PC with Vista on it, and the big icons were driving me nuts. You were the first site to pop up on Google, and now I have happy little icons. Thanks! :)
thanks
o thanks loads of ppl still dont know how to change these settings after searching forums everone is clueless so well done and thank u very much.
How to make Vista icons small
You can also make the Vista desktop icons small by clicking right mouse button => View => Classical Icons. Also try Auto Arrange.
- Tarun
Desktop icons were way too large
I tried everything I could think of. I even talked to our computer troubleshooter at work, but he doesn't know windows vista. This information on this page helped tremendously, my icons are now back to normal size....... thanks so very much..............
thank you!
You totally rock! Who would think it would be so easy...
you could just right click
you could just right click on the desktop and go to view> medium icons or original icons