How To Resize Desktop Icon In Windows 7 or Vista

By Asad on Sep 23 2008 223 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.

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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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  • Marisram7

    OMG, I had tried and tried to change the size of the icons and nothing.  Until I tried the mouse wheel method.  Got it done in less than 5 seconds.  Great method, dont bother doing it any other way, unless you dont have a mouse…

  • Kilgoth

    I left the keyboard and mouse on, came back and folders on desktop were huge… spent hours with other options under control panels and re-setting graphics card to no avail. Was going to call my brother, but thought  “I’ll look it up on the internet!” Found this page. Can’t believe I didn’t think of the mouse wheel thing, since it works in excel for the same thing. Thanks for helping me with what was a simple fix (kicking myself in the A@@).

  • Jeffc

    mouse wheel method is brilliantly simple and effective on Windows 7 home. Thank you for an easy solution.

  • Tanha_safar_1

    thx for help

  • Huck

    Thanks for the tips. This fixed that faint white line problem that appeared on some of my desktop icons. As it turned out the desktop shortcuts were a size bigger than default, and since not all icons have a bigger version faint white borders appear.

  • Annie

    thanks it helped!

  • Thanks

    Genius!

  • Anonymous

    thank you so much

  • The Gonz

    Ctl-Wheel method – brilliant. Stay helpful!

  • http://www.lumellow.com/ t12 retrofit kit

    Fantastic. Just installed Windows on my Mac so I can run both and not knowing my way around, needed a little help making it look good. Will keep rolling through the rest of the site as the day progresses.

  • Priyankachopra Sharma

    Hey, It really works …….I changed my laptops icons’s size by clicking Ctrl and mouse wheel up and down>>>>>>>>>

  • Milindageorge

    great method…thanks alot

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