How To Resize Desktop Icon In Windows 7 or Vista

By Asad on Sep 23 2008 191 Comments

Do you find the icon size on Vista desktop too big or too small? The effect of visual appearance on shortcuts and programs icons is more stark when users adjust and change the monitor screen resolution or font size in DPI scaling, where the icons size becomes bigger and smaller to an uncomfortable level. Users can easily resize Vista desktop icons or change the size of icons on Vista desktop. There are four methods to resize the desktop icons, depending on your preference and also the ’size’ that you want to change the icons to.

ALZipVistaDesktopIcon

Mouse Wheel Method

The option to select from only three available sizes wasn’t satisfying enough, so I found another method. Make sure the desktop has the focus, just click anywhere on the desktop before starting this process. Press & hold Ctrl on the keyboard, Scroll with the mouse wheel up or down to get the desired size.

image_thumb_3

Using ‘Color And Appearance’ Method

The above method was actually much better. You can have variety of sizes and one for sure will suit you. But what if you don’t have a mouse wheel?, the closest I could find is to do this: Right click on an empty spot on your desktop and choose Personalize, now choose the first item on the list Windows Color and Appearance,  and then click the last link Open classic appearance properties for more color options.

window-color-and-appearance

You will get the Windows XP type dialog. Click on Advanced, Under Item choose Icon, Set the size to your liking. Range from 16-72, hit OK and again hit OK on the second dialog.

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Registry Tweak Method

If you like to tweak around the registry (like I do), then that can be set under that key,

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

Using the first method it will instantly update the icon size on your desktop and you will see the changes, while working through the registry I couldn’t get it to refresh without logging off first. I tried F5 on the desktop and choosing Refresh from the shortcut menu on the desktop, but it had no effect. Note that changing the icons with the registry key manually will also reflect on the Windows Vista dialog and vice-versa.

I am sure I haven’t missed any method to resize the icons, but if I have, do let me know about it.

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  • sumit

    that was really simple and cool … thanks.. :)

  • SC

    The Ctrl-Zoom option was great! Thanks!

  • Shellyfatarse

    Brill the ctrl and mouse wheel method on windows 7 worked a treat ..mwah luv u

    • Eddyq

      I guess MS has changed things a bit or it is different on the home version. Here are the latest instructions:
      - Right click the desktop
      - Click Personalize
      - Click Window Color
      - Click Advanced Appearance Settings…
      - Continue as above with “Advanced Appearance” except it is now called “Window Color and Appearance”

      • John G

        Thanks EddyQ!! I was getting frustrated.

    • D

      Yes! the CTRL and mouse wheel worked like a charm! My Incon Sizes were driving me crazy!!

    • Pavan

      Thanks so much the mouse and wheel worked great !

    • Norm

      Ctrl and mouse wheel, excellent job, well done and thank you. Peace & Blesings.

  • susan einar

    The first method worked best – I had spent at lease 40 minutes trying to find a way to change the icon size. Thanx to a friend who gave me this method thru you.

  • kditty

    thanks, so easy i feel stupid. i couldnt find xp style settings, but i guess i messed up with scroll wheel and cntrl cos thats how i fixed it. too easy i dindt even think about doing it lol.

  • Sanjay

    it is a great help !

  • Jasmine

    Thanks! One day I accidentally shrunk my icons and wasn’t able to fix them, until I found this! Thank you so much for helping me!

  • Tanvir Alam

    There is still a easy way you all missed. Just right click on blank area of a desktop. on the right click menu, at top, there is a option, “VIEW” >>>> LARG, Medium< Small, RTC…..
    The easy way.

    • Kiki G

      Wow Tanvir Alam, thats got to be the fastest and easiest way yet! Thank you very much–

    • mhk

      i like this way cause many people don`t have wheel in their mouse!!

    • Mark Garratt

      The right click on an a black bit of screen, then ‘view’ works easy!!! thanks for the post. my 3yr old got hold of my laptop and changed them to ‘massive !!’ I could not work out how to change them back!!

  • webgyver

    Thanks for the tip. I use the first method and its worked, and easy to use.

  • John

    On my PC the mouse wheel method doesn’t work. (Advent, Windows 7 Home)
    After a little experimenting I discovered how to do it.
    If yours is like mine, then you have to left click on the desktop, then hold down CTRL key and click and hold the right mouse button. Keeping both of these depressed, use the scroll wheel to resize.
    The right click – view method described by Tanvir Alam doesn’t work either, the only options it gives on my PC are normal and large.

  • Rhoody

    Mate, the ctrl+mouse is brilliant….

    I almost was thinking I am a total idiot, just upgraded to 7 on one machine. one day I even will get my front and rear jack for the sound working at the same time… hehe

  • munimgt

    coool thanks

  • kiran

    thanks googles web services

  • Donald

    The first method rocks! Thanks!

  • vineesh

    thanks buddy

  • Steve

    Mouse Wheel method worked great. nice find!

  • Arun

    I Think first one is the best way for re sizing the size of icon on your desktop.

    Thanxs

  • tryecrot

    Yes there should realize the opportunity to RSS commentary, quite simply, CMS is another on the blog.

  • lurvly

    thanx! the mouse wheel method realy helps! =)

  • anirban

    “Scrolling by pressing ctrl(control) button” – best option

  • Daniel J. Andrews

    Mouse + control. Thank you!

  • Giovanni

    Top Guy/Gall Ctrl and mouse scroll just the ticket

  • John Avlakiotis

    Registry tweaks.. and 5-level depth menus for what? Just right click on desktop VIEW -> [select size]

    • ph

      Like the author said, some people enjoy playing with the registry.

      Anyhow, let’s suppose that none of the options provided in the method you’ve given (small/medium/large) is suitable for someone; that 5-level depth menu method will let someone tweak their desktop to exactly the way they want it.

      If you’re going to act all smug and crap all over the author’s attempt at presenting all the methods known for re-sizing the desktop icons then the least you could do is bring something new to the table; instead, you merely present a method that was last mentioned on this blog over two months ago, and first mentioned over two years ago.

  • Philip J

    Thanks very much for the desktop Icon resize method. Straight to the point and works flawlessly even on a laptop. Good Job

  • yogendra

    This was Helpful. Thanks a lot!

  • sonya

    hey! thanks chum.. this is great help, the large display icons were really a bother.

  • Nicholas scott@myprg

    Most of the icons you add to your desktop will be shortcuts, but you can also save files or folders to the desktop. If you delete files or folders that are stored on your desktop, they are moved to the Recycle Bin, where you can permanently delete them. If you delete a shortcut, the shortcut is removed from your desktop, but the file, program, or location that the shortcut links to is not deleted

  • Anonymous

    Thanks!
    What about Windows 7 in Personalize – can’t get the options. Then the ctrl and wheel works. and right click and view change size

  • fr

    Thanks!

  • Colt

    Thank you so much this was a help for me im new to Windows 7 im used to XP and Vista i wish & had some of Vistas stuff on it i liked the Areo moving backgrounds on Vista but thank you for giveing us the info on how to change the size of the desktop icons

  • DT

    Great advice. Good presentation. Many thanks. The solutions work!

  • K Subramanian

    Thanks a lot.

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