Default size of windows explorer window

[artoo]

Is there a way to set a default size and position of the Windows Explorer window?

 

[Regedit32]

• Open Windows Explorer
• Click the maximize icon to reduce size of window
• Hover mouse cursor on edges of window to see arrow then left-click and adjust to size you want
• Left-click inside the top middle of window and drag to position you want on screen.

Windows will remember the last size and position so after closing Explorer, the next time you open it, it will open to the size and position you last used.​

 

[artoo]

I meant have windows Explorer always open in a default or fixed position and size.

 

[Bighorn]

I have also noticed that sometimes File Explorer [Win7 and earlier had Windows Explorer] will retain it's size and position when holding down the Ctrl key while closing. Might try a few times to "train" Windows.

 

[Norton]

As explained, by Regedit. Just follow his post. It does work.

 

[artoo]

yes but if you move or resize the window before closing it, you open the next window at that new position and size. I was trying to find a way to set the size and position of the window so no matter where you close the previous window it always opens in the same place. Another way to put it is to disable the saving of the position and size when the windows close.

 

[Norton]

Is your PC updated to the current version and build number?

Explorer (Windows 10 Pro 1709 OS 16299.248) on my PC's always open same size and same location where it was last closed. Resize Explorer, move it to the location you want it to reopen, then close Explorer in your preferred location.

 

[PhilbertHFZ]

Since nobody else seems to have understood the question, I shall take a crack at it.

In previous versions of Windows (XP era), you actually could disable the saving of window locations. It used to be under the folder options window in the view tab. Microsoft has since decided to remove that option and has given no possibility of replacing it.

I initially thought we could work around it by, for example, limiting the size of the cache that windows uses for saving this data. This was a terrible idea which I do not recommend, as it causes explorer to close and restart every time you open a new window.

I also tried an old registry workaround that I seem to recall from Windows 7:
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, create a DWORD called ClassicViewState and set it to 1. This no longer appears to function on the most recent build of Windows 10 (and I haven't tried others), but complicating matters is that I have no idea if this actually worked under Windows 7 either. At any rate, this doesn't appear to work now.

Here is what I do know:
In the registry key:
HKCU\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell
you will find entries for each resolution. You are looking for entries labeled in the format WinPos1360x768x96(1).bottom (.top, .left, .right). Search for the WinPos with your current resolution. Be warned that there may be multiple, so experimentation is advised. These reflect the "last saved size/position" of Windows explorer. DO NOT DELETE THESE.

Nothing terrible will happen, it's just your next window will open in the top left with the smallest size that an explorer window can be.

Anyway, it doesn't appear that simply denying permission to write will prevent these values from changing, which is frustrating, so you'll need to find a program that will monitor these changes and revert them. Of course, knowing what needs to be done doesn't actually get it done. Hopefully somebody more versed in the art of registry can springboard off this information.

 

[Pester]

I located this thread as I was frustrated by Windows suddenly opening every window as some small rectangle which was useless. I have recently discovered the quick-key combinations of Windows-key with a cursor key to make a window take up a left/right/top/bottom half of the screen - useful when you just want to compare two documents left & right or top & bottom. After experimenting with RegEdit32's notes, it is clear that this 'half-screen' mode is something different from non-maximized mode and is not recorded, so I have used the quick-key to get my preferred half-screen and then tweaked very slightly - closed and re-opened the window - and am now getting what I want by default - at last! Thank you.
I note this purely to inform that not all windows will close and record their size - if they are in a special mode (semi-maximized?).

 

[Pester]

Sorry - to be clear: by 'not recorded' I mean that the window size is not recorded at closure - rather than a completely unknown feature!

 

[Pester]

One further feature: While first window may open where the last was closed subsequent windows may open at a further offset (to the right and/or down) to avoid superposition.

 

[Foley user]

As explained, by Regedit. Just follow his post. It does work.

It does not work for Windows 10 / IE 11

 

[kali_tsai]

Is there a way to set a default size and position of the Windows Explorer window?

Open your Windows file explorer.
Right click the title bar, and click the "Size" button to reset the default size.

 

[davehc]

It's a VERY old thread