How do I set a Windows Explorer column width to less than 130 pixels?

Question

Recently I have noticed a change in the behaviour of Windows Explorer on my laptop. The minimum size of a column has increased significantly, so the "Size column to fit" functionality has become far less useful. I have traditionally tried to remove any need for horizontal scroll bars in Explorer windows, but the new minimum column size makes this much more difficult.

For instance, the Size column is now almost always too large. As file sizes are displayed according to the nearest SI prefix (1 KB, 15 MB etc), the size column never needs to be large as the new minimum column width, it's usually three times the size it needs to be.

Even worse is the Status column in OneDrive, which only shows a single icon, so the minimum column width is ten times the size it needs to be. I've mitigated this by moving the Status column to be the last column, but this still often leaves me with a horizontal scroll bar.

Looking at the Choose details dialog (Column > More...), it doesn't matter what I set the Width of selected column (in pixels): to, it is no longer accepting a value of less than 130 'pixels'.

A few columns, such as the # or Shared columns, allow a column size of less than 130 (# allows a minimum of 65, while Shared allows 64), meanwhile other columns require a larger minimum column width (such as Rating at 138 pixels), but most are stuck at a 130 'pixel' minimum.

The behaviour on my Desktop PC isn't anywhere near as bad. There I see an 80 'pixel' minimum column size (40 for #), and the difference between the two machine is that on the laptop, I have Settings > System > Display > Scale and Layout set to 150%, whereas on the desktop it is set to 100%, so this is obviously something which 'scales', even when the columns are already more than wide enough.

• Is there any way (perhaps via a registry setting or group policy) to allow these columns widths to be reduced? Either on a per column bases (So I can at least fix the Size and Status columns) or as a system-wide default?

There is obviously some configuration somewhere since different columns already have different minimum column widths, the question is whether this is a configurable parameter or something which is compiled into Explorer and/or it's shell extensions.

_{Note, this question differs from Narrow size column in Vista Explorer to say 60 pixels as it introduces the complication of Windows 10 display scaling.}

Answer 1

One thing I just recently discovered is that if you turn off Files on Demand in OneDrive settings, the Status column can be turned off --- it's only mandetory when Files on Demand is enabled.

As for over-riding minimum column widths, those do seem to be hard-coded as far as all interactive means of adjusting column width (dragging header borders or specifying pixels in dialog) are concderned. But you can define custom view templates for the various FolderTypes that specify a width narrower than the default/interactive minimum.

First, export these two registry keys so you have a backup of your saved folder views:

HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
HKCU:\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags

Default view templates are found under:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes

If you create corresponding entries under HKCU, they can be modified & will take precedence for that user. The default width for a column can be over-ridden by specifying an integer (seems to be 10 pixels/unit). Here's an example with the varous OneDrive (StorageProvider) templates with the Status and Size columns narrowed. If you merge this file, newly-created or previously unviewed OneDrve folders will use these new defaults. Once you "fine-tune" the widths (the values in parentheses that precede the columnID in the ColumnList value), you can use the Restore Defaults button on the View tab in the Folder Options dialog to apply this new view to all folders that use that FolderType.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;OneDrvie Generic
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{4F01EBC5-2385-41f2-A28E-2C5C91FB56E0}\TopViews\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}]
"ColumnList"="prop:0(34)System.ItemNameDisplay;0(3)System.StorageProviderUIStatus;0System.DateModified;0System.ItemTypeText;0(6)System.Size;1System.DateCreated;1System.Author;1System.Keywords;1System.Title"
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000001
"Name"="NoName"

;OneDrvie Videos
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{51294DA1-D7B1-485b-9E9A-17CFFE33E187}\TopViews\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}]
"ColumnList"="prop:0System.ItemNameDisplay;0(3)System.StorageProviderUIStatus;0System.ItemDate;0System.ItemTypeText;0(6)System.Size;0System.Media.Duration;1System.DateCreated;1System.DateModified;1System.Media.DateEncoded;1System.Image.Dimensions"
"IconSize"=dword:00000060
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000003
"Name"="NoName"

;OneDrvie Music
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{672ECD7E-AF04-4399-875C-0290845B6247}\TopViews\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}]
"ColumnList"="prop:0System.ItemNameDisplay;0(3)System.StorageProviderUIStatus;0System.Music.TrackNumber;0System.Title;0System.Music.Artist;0System.Music.AlbumTitle;1System.ItemTypeText;1(6)System.Size;1System.DateCreated;1System.DateModified;1System.Music.AlbumArtist;1System.Audio.EncodingBitrate;1System.Music.Genre;1System.Media.Duration;1System.DRM.IsProtected;1System.Rating;1System.Media.Year"
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000001
"Name"="NoName"

;OneDrvie Picutres
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{71D642A9-F2B1-42cd-AD92-EB9300C7CC0A}\TopViews\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}]
"ColumnList"="prop:0System.ItemNameDisplay;0(3)System.StorageProviderUIStatus;0System.ItemDate;0System.ItemTypeText;0(6)System.Size;0System.Keywords;1System.DateCreated;1System.DateModified;1System.Photo.DateTaken;1System.Image.Dimensions;1System.Rating"
"IconSize"=dword:00000060
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000003
"Name"="NoName"

;OneDrvie Documents
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{DD61BD66-70E8-48dd-9655-65C5E1AAC2D1}\TopViews\{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}]
"ColumnList"="prop:0(34)System.ItemNameDisplay;0(3)System.StorageProviderUIStatus;0System.DateModified;0System.ItemTypeText;0(6)System.Size;1System.DateCreated;1System.Author;1System.Category;1System.Keywords;1System.Title"
"LogicalViewMode"=dword:00000001
"Name"="NoName"