How to Disable Full Row Select Functionality in Windows Vista and 7 Explorer?

In Windows Vista and 7, if you are using "Details" view in Explorer you have noticed that when you hover mouse cursor over any item, it highlights or selects the full row. This behavior is different than the previous Windows versions.

In previous Windows like XP, only the file/folder name was selected instead of the full row. So if you want the same functionality in Windows Vista and 7 i.e. want to disable the "Full Row Select" functionality in Explorer, then follow this tutorial.

Before applying this tutorial:

After applying this tutorial:

PS: Following method will only work in Windows Vista. For Windows 7, download and run the REG file given at the end of this topic.

1. Open regedit and goto:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\Advanced

2. In right-side pane, create a new DWORD value FullRowSelect and keep its value to 0

3. After applying this tweak, if you create a new folder it'll have the Full Row Select functionality disabled. But the existing folders will still have the Full Row Select functionality enabled.

4. To disable Full Row Select functionality in all existing folders as well, go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\Shell

and delete "Bags" key under it.

5. Again goto following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer\Streams

And delete "Defaults" key under it.

6. Log off and now the "Full Row Select" functionality will be disabled in all existing as well as new folders.

NOTE: If you want ready-made scripts to do the task automatically, download following ZIP file, extract it and run extracted REG (for Windows 7) or VBS (for Windows Vista) files. Thanks to "Keith Miller", my fellow MVP for creating VBS batch files for Windows Vista.

Download Script

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This article was posted in Troubleshooting, Windows 7, Windows Vista.

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9 Comments

Rob

Is there a way apply this same change to Outlook 2007 on XP and Vista? I'm constantly selecting folders I don't mean to select because the entire width of the Folder list is now a region that can be clicked to select a folder.

In Outlook 2003 you had to actually click the folder.
Ramesh

Nice Find thanx VG
VG

^^ Welcome.

@Rob
Sorry but atm there is now way to disable it in Outlook 2007 IMO.
BuckFix

Does not work with Windows 7 final?!
ExplorerSucks

Doesn't work on my retail Windows 7
BaLLZaCH

Nope, it doesn't work on my Win7 Retail either - Tried several times, verified registry , tried script -- it does not work with Win7 Retail ......... ????? IDEAS ?
linda w

Microsoft seems to have disabled the workaround that worked in Vista. They seem intent on creating a child's interface and making it mandatory.

The above reg-patch does not work in Windows 7 final (retail).

It apparently worked in some beta versions, but MS in their infinite wisdom took away the above workaround. How do we go about hacking a way toward finding a new workaround?
VG

^^ Download the Registry script given at the end of this topic. It has been updated for Windows 7 users.
Ramesh Srinivasan

Ah! The Windows 7 REG patch looks sounds familiar!