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

Hi Ralph,

Yes I meant 'laptop mode', so when I use my Flipbook as a normal laptop. As soon as I fold over the screen to use in tablet mode, the checkboxes automatically appear. They do take up more space, that's exactly why I tried to get rid of them, but to no avail. Sorry to hear your problem is more persistent. Hopefully Microsoft will come up with a fix because this seems to me a problem that can't be solved through settings, registry or any such obvious thing, and I don't want to spend too much time on it. W11 is stil a work in progress.. (and so is W10....)

I'm guessing you have the latest version of Asus Fliplock (mine is 1.0,22) installed? This is the app that controls if your keyboard is active/inactive when you flip over the screen. It also controlled tablet mode set or not set, back in W10 (if you had tablet mode activated, but that's gone as a setting in W11 and is now 'incorporated' hence the checkboxes).

I remember this app sometimes hung so I couldn't use my keyboard when switching from tablet to laptop mode (by flipping the screen) Could it be your Flipbook is stuck in tablet mode? The way I used to solve this was by folding it back in laptop mode and restarting. Haven't had this issue in a while though. I think the problem was due to flipping the screen when the pc was in sleep mode.

Answer 3

Dear Vineet,

Please escalate this issue. I own a HP x360 laptop and have been having this issue from the moment I signed into my laptop after upgrading to Windows 11 for the first time. And this was in October. Having waited for this long and still no solution or acknowledgement from Microsoft is really bad. I think one can imagine how annoying this issue is. So please escalate this. I can see plenty of threads online about this issue in Windows 11 and none of them seem to have a solution.

Answer 4

This issue just showed up on my Surface Pro 6 (Windows 11 Last update KB5008353). When the keyboard is removed the check boxes show up and can't be removed by any method listed here. Attach the keyboard again and they disappear.

Answer 5

I have a Lenovo Yoga x1 3rd gen. which is touchscreen and used a ton in tablet mode with attached keyboard and mouse. Cannot get rid of checkboxes using correct steps as above users. Please fix, Microsoft - checkbox view does take up so much more room. Is nice feature, but I would like the true option not to use it on my 14". Thank you and we all look forward to hearing from you soon!

*By the way, I LOVE Windows 11 otherwise! Very pretty and fun features, changes. I loved Windows 10, too. It's fun to have a change sometimes like Windows 11. I appreciate all of your hard work and talent and look forward to you all being able to meet and solve the challenge above! God bless you all.*