Vista - Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names

**Brink** · **OPTION ONE:**

How to Hide or Show File Names in Vista

Information

This will show you how to hide or show all file and subfolder icon names (text) in only the currently opened folder in a Windows Explorer window. By default, they are set to show file names.

Tip

If you would like to hide the icon text on a individual file or folder icon instead, then see: How to Hide or Show Desktop Icon Text in Vista

NOTE

This can be handy if the folder contains nothing but images or videos, you may only want to have thumbnails showing without text. For more about thumbnails, see: How to Turn Preview Thumbnails On or Off in Windows Explorer in Vista

WARNING

You can only set to hide or show icon file names from within the Pictures and Video folder template first. After you hide or show the file names in this template, you can then change the folder template back to what ever one you want and the icon file names will remain the same way you set them in the Pictures and Video folder template. To change folder templates, see: How to Change a Windows Explorer Folder Type Template in Vista

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE A: File and Folder Names set to Hide

EXAMPLE B: File and Folder Names set to Show

OPTION ONE:
To Hide the File Names

NOTE

Even with the file names set to hide, you can still see the file names in the Details pane when you just highlight a file or do OPTION TWO below.

1. Open the folder in Windows Explorer that you want to hide all file names in. (See Example B screenshot above)

2. If not already, temporarily change the folder template to Pictures and Video first.
NOTE: Make note of what your current folder template is for this folder. so that you can change it back to in step 5.

3. Right click on a empty area in the folder window and click on View, then click on Hide File Names to check it. (See left screenshot below)
NOTE: If Hide File Names is grayed out, then make sure that you have either Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Small Icons selected (dotted) instead of List, Details, or Tiles first. (See right screenshot below)

4. The file and folder names should now be gone. (See Example A screenshot above)

5. If you changed the folder template in step 2, then change it back to the folder template that you want or had before.

6. Your done.

OPTION TWO:
To Show the File Names again Temporarily

NOTE

This is if you have the file names set to hide in OPTION ONE above. It will not matter what folder template you are using for the opened folder window for this option.

1. Open the folder in Windows Explorer that you want to temporarily show all file names in. (See Example A screenshot above)

2. Right click on a empty area in the window and click on View, then click on either List, Details, or Tiles to dot one of them. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Hide File Names will be grayed out until you select (dot) either Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Small Icons again.

3. Your folder window will now look similar to this. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: When you select (dot) either Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Small Icons again, then the file names will be hidden again.

OPTION THREE:
To Show the File Names

NOTE

If you had the file names set to hide in OPTION ONE, then this will show you how to have them show all the time again.

1. Open the folder in Windows Explorer that you want to hide all file names in. (See Example A screenshot above)

2. If not already, temporarily change the folder template to Pictures and Video first.
NOTE: Make note of what your current folder template is for this folder. so that you can change it back to in step 5.

3. Right click on a empty area in the window and click on View, then click on Hide File Names to uncheck it. (See left screenshot below)
NOTE: If Hide File Names is grayed out, then make sure that you have either Extra Large Icons, Large Icons, Medium Icons, or Small Icons dotted instead of List, Details, or Tiles first. (See right screenshot below)

4. The file and folder names should now be back. (See Example B screenshot above)

5. If you changed the folder template in step 2, then change it back to the folder template that you want or had before.

6. Your done.

That's it,
Shawn

bigedsnh · 01-31-2009

When I show the file name in the Vista windows, only a partial part of the file name shows up, unless I have the cursor over the file name and then the complete filename will appear over that one file name. Is there any way to set the folder options so complete file names appears all of the time on all of the files?
Thanks for your time,
Ed

**Brink** · 01-31-2009

Hello Ed,

This is due to the file name being longer than the icon's vertical and horizontal spacing will allow for. You can adjust the Icon Spacing sizes in the Advanced Appearance settings (step 6) until the fill name is fully displayed.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**jeddess** · 01-31-2009

thanks brink, very useful post to get that configured , keep em coming!!!

bigedsnh · 04-06-2009

The vertical and horizontal resizing took care of my problem! The interesting thing was that at first it did not appear to have worked as the icon names were still truncated. But I then noticed that once I hovered the cursor over the truncated name to see the full name, the full name then remained.
Much appreciated!
Ed

**Brink** · 04-06-2009

Hello Ed,

Interesting. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. The window may have needed to have been refreshed (F5) for the names to show again.

CGrimes · 04-11-2009

The folders in my Music folder used to display the names underneath them, but now they won't. I have followed your tutorial for displaying the file names but when I go to View, there is not an option for "Hide file names" like there is in the Pictures folder. Why is this an option for hiding in the Pictures folder and not the Music folder? How can I get the names to display underneath when I'm viewing them in the Large Icon. When I view them in the Tiles setting, the names are there, but not in the Large Icon setting?

Thanks,
Carolyn

**Brink** · 04-11-2009

Hello Carolyn, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Under OPTION TWO, you will need to do step 2 first to change the folder template of the C:\Users\(user name)\Music folder. Afterwards, you should be able to see the "Hide file names".

Hope this helps,
Shawn

CGrimes · 04-11-2009

Hi Shawn,

No, it doesn't work. I have followed every step and the "Hide file names" option is NOT there. I wish I could show you what mine looks like but I don't know how. The "Hide file names" is only an option in the Pictures folder.

Thanks for helping me with this. I have spent HOURS trying to figure out why my file names are no longer on my music folders. Like I said before, the option to "hide file names" is simply not there on my music folder. I do what you say in step 2 of option 2 and this is what I have:

Extra Large Icons
Large Icons
Medium Icons
Small Icons
List
Details
Tiles
Auto Arrange
Align to Grid

There's no "Hide File Names" which should be just above "Auto Arrange".

I can't for the life of me figure out what happened! I guess I will just have to live with the fact that I can only use the Tiles in order to see the file names.

Thanks for your help, though.

Carolyn

**Brink** · 04-11-2009

Carolyn,

Check to make sure that you are doing this from the C:\Users\(user name)\Music folder location and not from the Start menu location instead.

You will need to temporarily change the folder template of the C:\Users\(user name)\Music folder to be Pictures and Video instead of Music Details.

You should then see the View - Hide File Names to click on it to uncheck it.

Afterwards, change the folder template back to Music Details.

If you still cannot change it in the Music folder, then check with OPTION THREE in the tutorial below to make sure that the Music folder is set with it's default location in the registry. The download will be the easiest way to make sure.

Personal User Folder - Restore Missing Folder

Hope this helps.

01-31-2009
bigedsnh Vista Home Premium 32bit 4 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names When I show the file name in the Vista windows, only a partial part of the file name shows up, unless I have the cursor over the file name and then the complete filename will appear over that one file name. Is there any way to set the folder options so complete file names appears all of the time on all of the files? Thanks for your time, Ed
My System Specs

01-31-2009
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 25,919 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names Hello Ed, This is due to the file name being longer than the icon's vertical and horizontal spacing will allow for. You can adjust the Icon Spacing sizes in the Advanced Appearance settings (step 6) until the fill name is fully displayed. Hope this helps, Shawn
My System Specs

01-31-2009
jeddess Vista Home Premium 32bit 55 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names thanks brink, very useful post to get that configured , keep em coming!!!
My System Specs

04-06-2009
bigedsnh Vista Home Premium 32bit 4 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names The vertical and horizontal resizing took care of my problem! The interesting thing was that at first it did not appear to have worked as the icon names were still truncated. But I then noticed that once I hovered the cursor over the truncated name to see the full name, the full name then remained. Much appreciated! Ed
My System Specs

04-06-2009
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 25,919 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names Hello Ed, Interesting. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. The window may have needed to have been refreshed (F5) for the names to show again.
My System Specs

04-11-2009
CGrimes Vista Home Premium 32bit 4 posts	Re: Folder Window Icon Text - Hide or Show File Names The folders in my Music folder used to display the names underneath them, but now they won't. I have followed your tutorial for displaying the file names but when I go to View, there is not an option for "Hide file names" like there is in the Pictures folder. Why is this an option for hiding in the Pictures folder and not the Music folder? How can I get the names to display underneath when I'm viewing them in the Large Icon. When I view them in the Tiles setting, the names are there, but not in the Large Icon setting? Thanks, Carolyn
My System Specs

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