Windows 10: Auto-Define Column Width Dynamically in File Explorer: Size all columns to fit (as a...

Size all columns to fit (as a default view).


I thought the former question asked was a fairly straight-forward question, especially since I typed the request into Google almost verbatim so of course a) the question was, indeed, straightforward; b) from the fact that there are and have been MANY people out there in the "Microsphere" with the same ridiculous and unreasonable request for this no-brainer change should BE the default; I say this:

I should chalk this up to yet another demonstration of the contempt that corporations have for their customers. I've been a cheerleader for Microsoft since 1991 (Hewlett-Bell running Windows 3.1). As a graphic designer with roots in DOS, I have defended Microsoft against Apple, Linux, Adobe, Google/Android, OpenSource and others. In spite of this, and with a few hiccups, I've remained a staunch supporter. I adore Windows 10 - best version yet - but at this late stage in the game, it's baffling to see Windows representatives waffling on such an easily-solved issue. (In fact, I would call this a no-brainer.)


Since a verbose vernacular appears to be the norm when replying to outrageous corporate representatives, I thought I would take an extra step and recount an old but familiar incident: During the early years of Windows, one of the most engaging and fun aspects was personalization. Picking colors and later backgrounds, wallpapers and themes; app menus that allow customization at every level imaginable. When icon packages became popular, I ate them up. What fun! The Theme setting will allow me to make these changes GLOBALLY, how cool is that? Oh, I can actually RE-NAME My Computer, Documents, Network, and Recycle Bin. Except... wait for it... if I want to change ANYTHING about the Recycle Bin, I have to dig into the registry in order to make the change "stick."


Really Microsoft? Really??


Please allow us to make cosmetic changes much MUCH more easily! Let me change my Recycle Bin name and icon without a registry hack! Allow me to make basic system-wide changes to the GUI - for example, changing what Windows thinks is "default" for any interpretation of the term. (Default settings are supposed to HELP users, right?) Then allow us to write our own default terms. Making columns auto-fit should be an easy tweak to the OS - why keep asking us to find a third-party app?


Finally, while I'm at it, why oh why isn't there a "recently-used" option in Character Map? There are maybe three oft-used symbols for which I have memorized ALT-000 values for, but there are a lot more that use less often that, nevertheless, irritate the crap out of me when I have to spend five minutes just trying to get CharMap to return what I want. My default font is Calibri for a reason: it has almost every weird symbol I need. There are a few I know off the top of my head: é • come to mind; now I can't think of any others. But I DO use other symbols fairly often: the degree sign ° for recipes, for instance.

If a programmer had just FIXED these few little issues in the OS code, we could all move on to more important matters. So what is it going to take for Microsoft to just say "thanks, that's a great idea, we will implement it with a hot fix in the next month." Hard or difficult? I don't think so.


Gretchen Zeigler

:)

 

File Explorer: Size all columns to fit (as a default view)

Hi,

To clarify your concern, we'd like to know if you're trying to change the width of all columns to fit their contents in a folder. If yes, kindly follow the steps below:

• Open the folder with a details layout view that you want to change the width of columns to fit.
• Click on the View tab.
• Click on Size all columns to fit in the ribbon.
  
  
  
  
  

Let us know how it goes.

 

Column Width in List View in File Explorer

I went through all of the above steps, but sadly this doesn't work when viewing folders in *list* view. Any idea how to adjust the column widths there?

Up until a couple of months ago the column widths were always simply equal to the longest name in the column or the longest name in the folder. Now there is a couple of extra centimetres in there for no discernible reason.

 

File Explorer Columns

I believe he is referring to the 'Name' column in the File Explorer window. That is what I'm looking to expand as well.

When I double click on the separator between the Name and Date Modified columns, it will size the column to fit. This is helpful where there are a series of files names that start out the same but are different at the end. The issue is that I need to do
this in each folder that I open (even if I hit the Size All Columns to Fit button), and once I've close the file explorer and re-open it, I'll need to repeat this again.

I would like to be able to set the column width for the Name column, and save it. Even when I shut down the computer and restart it, I want it to come back up at the same width that I had set it before. That is what 'customizing' is after all.

I've just tried right clicking on an empty space on the title bar(?) - that shows Name, Date Modified, etc. - clicked on More in the menu that comes up, and changed the value of the (Width of Selected Column in Pixels). I have no idea how
permanent that fix will be. I'll try restarting, and update here if it works or not.

Edit: Didn't work. Does one have to go into the Registry to make this change?