[Tip] How to Always Show Scrollbars in Windows 10 and 11

This article will help you in enabling and always showing full scrollbars in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems.

NOTE: This tutorial was initially posted for Windows 10. We have updated the article to include new method and screenshots applicable to Windows 11 operating system as well.

This is one of the most annoying things present in Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. If you are working in a UWP app (also known as modern/metro/universal/XAML/Windows Store app), Settings app, Start Menu or other programs, you’ll notice that the scrollbar is set to auto-hidden. In other words, the scrollbar is not displayed by default but when you move your mouse cursor, a tiny or thin scrollbar appears and when you hover mouse cursor over it, the full scrollbar is shown on screen. So basically the scrollbar appears when you interact with it.

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Following animated image shows this new scrollbar in action:

Overlay_Minimal_Scrollbars_Windows_10_11.gif

This is a new type of scrollbar which is called overlay scrollbar. It displays in minimal form by default and when the user hovers the mouse cursor over it, the scrollbar is shown in full size.

This auto-hidden attribute makes everything slower and many times we don’t have any idea that there are some extra options/content exist in a window as the scrollbar is automatically hidden.

In my opinion the scrollbars should be always shown in all programs windows so that the user can know that the window contains extra content inside it which is currently hidden due to less space on computer screen.

It irritates me a lot when I have to wait for a moment to show full scrollbar on screen by hovering mouse cursor over the tiny scrollbar. The animation and this slow process kills me.

But in newer Windows 10 versions and Windows 11, there is no need to wait for scrollbars to appear on screen. Now you can disable the automatically auto-hidden feature of scrollbars and force the scrollbars always appear on your computer screen.

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Microsoft has added a new option to always show scrollbars in all apps, Settings app and Start Menu.

If you also don’t like the auto-hidden scrollbars and want to make them always visible, following steps will help you:

Always Show Full Scrollbars in Windows 10

1. Open Settings app from Start Menu or by pressing WIN+I keys together.

2. Now go to “Ease of Access -> Display” section.

PS: Alternatively, You can directly launch this page using “ms-settings:easeofaccess-display” command in RUN dialog box as mentioned here.

3. Now in right-side pane, look for following option:

Automatically hide scroll bars in Windows

This option is enabled i.e. set to ON by default.

4. Set the option to OFF and the scrollbar will become always visible everywhere in Windows 10.

Show_Hide_Scrollbars_Windows_10.gif

In future, if you want to restore the default behavior of scrollbars, set the option to ON again and the scrollbars will become auto-hidden.

Always Show Full Scrollbars in Windows 11

1. Open Settings app from Start Menu or by pressing WIN+I keys together.

2. Now click on “Accessibility” section or tab present in left-side pane.

3. In right-side pane, click on “Visual Effects” option.

4. Now look for following option:

Automatically show scrollbars

This option is disabled i.e. set to off by default which makes the scrollbars hidden.

5. Set the toggle button given next to the option to ON and the scrollbar will become always visible everywhere in Windows 11.

Always_Show_Full_Scrollbars_Windows_11.png

In future, if you want to restore the default behavior of scrollbars, set the option to OFF again and the scrollbars will become auto-hidden.

Also Check:

[Tip] Restore Full Classic Scrollbars in Mozilla Firefox on Windows 11

[Tip] Enable Windows 11 Style Overlay Scrollbars in Microsoft Edge

Published in: Windows 10, Windows 11

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. ^^ The option is available in newer Windows 10 versions such as April 2018 update version 1803.

  2. Excellent tip, but it took some finding: because it seems to be on a different screen in my (horrid) settings. If you search for ‘scroll bars’, – then on my system it was the second option down.

    I really do think that I hate windows, but it works.
    – This confused user just wishes Micky-Soft would stop mucking about with it.

    Thanks again, ..

  3. Ahhhh, LOVED the tip! Now all that this old guy needs are dark, easy to see scrollbars. Maybe….someday.

  4. Hi,
    via registry, on my N win10 O.S.

    For dynamic scrollbar off=0 on=1
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility]
    “DynamicScrollbars”=dword:00000000

    For transparency of left panel off=0 on=1 :
    [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes\Personalize]
    “EnableTransparency”=dword:00000000

    No reboot , only f5 kay that’s all

  5. Thanks;
    I have a website that I visit often, for whatever reason, the scroll bars are never there. Your suggestion fixed my problem. Thanks again

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