Disable checkboxes in file explorer

Question

After the upgrade to Windows 11 on my ASUS UX360UAK Laptop (with touchscreen), I can't get rid of the explorer check boxes. Neither via View Settings nor with the corresponding entries in the registry I am able to hide the explorer check boxes (see attached picture). I guess the problem arises due to a possible tablet/touchscreen mode on the particular laptop. Non of my other computers show a similar behaviour.

Anybody encountered the same and found a solution?

Regards, Ralph

****Original Title: Windows 11 explorer checkboxes permanently displayed****

Answer 1

I got a 2in1 Dell Laptop. I did a clean install of a Dell issued copy of Windows 10 Pro after a SSD change. After an immediate subsequent upgrade to Windows 11 Pro I had the same issue.

I coudn't disable the checkboxes. I couldn't switch to compact view. I checked the registry keys - they all were set correctly. But as it is a tablet mode issue I circumvented the problem.

For everyone who uses a 2in1 and uses it as laptop try the following:

• Open Registry Editor
• Go to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ImmersiveShell
• Set DeviceConvertible to 0
• Sign out and back in to your account

Voila, no more checkboxes and compact view also works. This cost me 3 hours of my day. By now I can send Microsoft an invoice for 100s of hours of unpaid work due to their bugs...

Answer 2

My solution was to reinstall Windows 10 OEM (shipped with tablet) then upgrade to Windows 11.

The only problem is that if the keyboard is connected from boot I have to remove the keyboard and reattach to remove the checkboxes.

The checkboxes seem to be enabled in tablet-only mode. Hopefully MS can fix this to check for the keyboard attachment during boot.

See if you can get the factory image of the system that came with your laptop then do the upgrade to Windows 11.

I did not follow through with all Windows 10 updates. Only drivers I allowed to update then I moved directly to W11

Answer 3

Thank you for your reply and the inputs.

The thing is, that on my ASUS I cannot detach a keyboard. It's a touchscreen, foldable laptop.

MS should fix this with introducing a working option to display checkboxes or hide them.

Answer 4

Same issue on my Asus Flipbook UX461. In desktop mode I can easily enable and disable checkboxes, and the checkbox only shows for a specific item when I hover the mouse over it. As soon as I flip it over to tablet mode, checkboxes are always enabled and also visible all the time for all items, even when in the view settings checkboxes are set to disabled.

Guess we'll have to live with it until this is fixed. Not a major issue though.

Answer 5

Hi Stef

Thanks for your contribution. Lucky you.

Unfortunately I don't have the chance to hide the checkboxes, not even in "desktop mode" as you call it, i.e. with keyboard normally used in laptop cofiguration. This means, keyboard and display build a 100 degree angle. Checking/unchecking the checkbox option makes no difference. Icons/folders in explorer take up a lot more space with this silly checkbox thing.

This really bothers me!