how do i adjust my icon spacing on windows 11

Question

how do i adjust my icon spacing on windows 11

James Potter 0

I have not been able to use negative numbers in windows metrics for spacing pruposes

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3 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Horace Wiggins 535

After I right click on my desktop and select View, I can select what I want my icons to do. See example images below.

User's image

This example image shows how mine are spaced.

User's image

Hope this helps you.

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Answer 2

DaveM121 937K Independent Advisor

The default values for IconSpacing and VerticalIconSpacing is -1128 are you unable to set those values in the registry?

1

Click your Start Button, type regedit and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor

Click View and make sure 'Address Bar' is turned on

Paste this into the Address Bar at the top and hit Enter

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

Please provide a screenshot of that registry editor window.

2

Please highlight all icons on your Desktop and provide a screenshot of the icons on your Desktop indicating the problem you are experiencing with the icon spacing.

Larry D 10 Reputation points

2026-09-30T12:25:16.2633333+00:00

The computer says HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics is invalid

Answer 3

To adjust icon spacing on Windows 11, you can modify the icon spacing settings through the system settings or the registry. However, it's important to note that using negative numbers for spacing is not supported in Windows metrics. Here’s how you can adjust the icon spacing:

Right-click on the Desktop and select Display settings.
In the Scale and layout section, you can change the size of text, apps, and other items, which can affect how icons are displayed.
For more specific adjustments, you can edit the registry:
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.
- Look for IconSpacing (horizontal spacing) and IconVerticalSpacing (vertical spacing). You can change these values to adjust the spacing, but ensure they are positive integers.
After making changes, you may need to log out and log back in or restart your computer for the adjustments to take effect.

Always be cautious when modifying the registry, as incorrect changes can impact system performance. It's advisable to back up the registry before making any modifications.