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How to adjust desktop icon labels font size, spacing, etc?
Hi all, I just installed WIn8.1 Prox64 and I'm facing the following issue. I want to be able to adjust the desktop icons' spacing (vertical and horizontal), desktop icons font size, etc. In Windows 7 this was achieved by going to Personalization/Wndow Color/Advanced Appearance Settings and then you'd have a drop down menu with many items to be able to adjust. In Windows 8.1 it seems that this list is much more limited or impossible. Am I missing something or otherwise is there a 3rd party tweaker for this? Thanks
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
OS
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Dell Inspiron 530
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E8300 @ 2.83GHz
Motherboard
Dell Inc. - ORY007
Memory
4GB DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
Sound Card
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
20" Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
Screen Resolution
1680 x 1050
Hard Drives
Hard Drive #1 HITACHI 1TB OS Installed - Hard Drive #2 HITACHI 1TB For Backups
Keyboard
Dell USB Keyboard
Mouse
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Internet Speed
DSL 3 meg
Browser
Firefox
Antivirus
Symantec(SEP)
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
Yep, it'll work for all advanced appearance settings but the color settings since those only work when using a classic theme that's not available in Windows 8/8.1.
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Yep, it'll work for all advanced appearance settings but the color settings since those only work when using a classic theme that's not available in Windows 8/8.1.
So then what settings are applied when merging the "Colors_Backup.reg" file? Thanks
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
That would be used to restore it's settings in Windows 7. It's of no use in Windows 8/8.1.
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
So then the only Advanced Appearance setting that I can backup in Windows 7 and later restore in Windows 8 is the WindowMetrics_Backup.reg file? Thanks again
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
That's correct.
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Brink, is there a list of the display properties included in the WindowMetrics_Backup.reg file?
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
The registry key below is what is exported as the WindowMetrics_Backup.reg file. You could compare the registry values to what you see in Advanced Appearance Settings in Windows 7 to help see what's listed.
HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hi Brink, I just tested the backup method and unfortunately it didn't work. The Desktop Icons spacing and Icon's text font size was not replicated.
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
Did you sign out/on or restart the computer after merging the .reg file to apply it?
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Did you sign out/on or restart the computer after merging the .reg file to apply it?
Hi Brink, yes of course I did, I followed your instructions precisely. I only merged the WindowMetrics_Backup.reg file as you said that the Windows 7 colors cannot be restored in Windows 8.1.
As an alternative to Desktop Icon Spacing adjustment I could try
your other suggested method ?
Is there an alternative to restoring the WindowMetrics or adjust the Desktop Icon font size?
OS
Windows 8.1x64 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
self made
CPU
Intel Core i7 6700K
Motherboard
Asus Z170-A
Memory
Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 2400MHz
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 530
Sound Card
Onboard Realtek HD
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 23EA53 23" LED IPS
Screen Resolution
1920x1080 32bit
Hard Drives
Samsung 256GB 830 Series SSD main+HGST 4TB 7200RPM as 2nd internal
PSU
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 850W TPG-850M
Case
Corsair Obsidian 650DW-1 Midtower
Cooling
Noctua NH-D14
Keyboard
Logitech K800
Mouse
Logitech M510
Antivirus
NIS2014
Administrator
Administrator
mvp
Yeah, that alternative would work for Desktop icon spacing as well. It's for the same WindowMetrics key in the registry, but only setting the specific IconSpacing and IconVerticalSpacing string values in it instead.
I'm not sure about the Desktop icon font size, if it won't work with the backup.
OS
64-bit Windows 10
Computer type
PC/Desktop
System Manufacturer/Model
Custom self built
CPU
Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
Motherboard
ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
Memory
64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
Graphics Card(s)
ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
Sound Card
Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
Monitor(s) Displays
2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
Screen Resolution
2560x1440
Hard Drives
1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
PSU
OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
Case
Thermaltake Core P3
Cooling
Corsair Hydro H115i
Keyboard
Logitech wireless K800
Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3
Internet Speed
1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
Browser
Internet Explorer 11
Antivirus
Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
Other Info
Logitech Z625 speaker system,
Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
Galaxy S23 Plus phone