[Solution] File & Folder Names are not Visible in Windows Explorer

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After received a few mails about this problem, today I decided to write this small tutorial.

Many Windows users face a problem in Windows Explorer, when they can't see file or folder names under a specific folder. Only file and folder icons are visible but their names are hidden.

Here is a small step-by-step tutorial to fix this problem:

For Windows XP:

Open the problematic folder, Press and hold SHIFT key, right-click in empty area and select "View -> Thumbnails". It'll toggle the file/folder names.

Actually its a feature to show/hide file names while in Thumbnails mode.

For Windows Vista and 7:

Open the problematic folder, right-click in empty area and de-select "View -> Hide File names". If the option is not available, then press and hold SHIFT key, right-click in empty area and select "View -> Medium Icons".

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This article was posted by VG in following section: Troubleshooting, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

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sd

Thanks so much for the solution!! I could not have figured this out!! It happened accidentally and I had no clue how to see the names again in XP!! Thanks a lot!!
Shubha
Wasim

Hi,
I have Windows Vista and under my second drive I can't see file or folder names when the view is set to Small Icons, medium, large or extra large, but the names are visible when set to List, Details or Tiles.
Any idea how to fix this.
Thanks
Bobby

I've been having this problem for quite a while on the main directory of one of my storage hard drives. This didn't fix it though. I'd just back it all up and format my drive, but I have about 100 gigs of important files, and this isn't so much a real problem, and it's definitely not as annoying as taking the time to burn 30 DVDs...Still, it would be nice to figure out what's going on.
avongugg

I tried the shift and right mouse click trick in XP and it did not do anything, no such thing as View as a choice, please help...
spitraberg

you can rename that folders ,
but for drive and folder's right click did not do anything
Tank

Firstly, this tip is for when you are viewing files in Windows Explorer (either run Start\All_Programs\Accessories\Windows_Explorer or click on My Documents or My Pictures). In Explorer you need some white space between or below the icons. If you right-click on an icon it will open the menu list "Open, Print, Edit,..." etc. If you right click on the white space you get the menu list ", View, Arrange Icons By, Refresh,..." etc where may or may not be access to your video card driver settings (for ATI cards for example it will be "Catalyst Control Centre"). Hover your mouse over the view menu and a list will expand to the right "Filmstrip, Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, Details". Note that these are the same options when you click on the View menu at the top of the Explorer window.

For Windows XP, clicking on Thumbnails does not toggle the file names on and off as described by Vishal. The trick is to hold the shift key down and switch between Tile view and Thumbnail view. Switch between them normally and the Thumbnail view stays the same. Switch between them while holding down the shift key and the file names in Thumbnail view will toggle on and off. You do not have to right click on the white space. The shift key trick also works when using the View menu at the top.
Tank

Ah well, I included some text in angle brackets, but the web site stripped it out as web code. The middle sentence should have read:

If you right click on the white space you get the menu list “[Video settings], View, Arrange Icons By, Refresh,…” etc where [Video settings] may or may not be access to your video card driver settings (for ATI cards for example it will be “Catalyst Control Centre”).
Doug

Thanks very much for the tip. However there is one thing to add. I'm using XP and I had the same experience as avonglugg, but after playing a bit, I went into one of the other views, say Tiles, and at that point used the shift-rightclick-Thumbnails clue and Bob'syouruncle it worked.
Rich

Thank you for this :), it was driving me crazy!
Kabir

Thank You very much.