File drag and drop in Explorer obscured by icon

I have an issue with copying or moving files between folders in Windows Explorer using Home Premium 7. I installed Windows 7 a year ago and faced this issue. I got rid of it, but don’t recall how. In the last few days, it has returned----I don’t know why.


When I grab a file with the mouse and drag it to the left to another folder, an icon appears on top of that file. The icon is totally unnecessary and obscures my view of the destination folder. This often causes the file to drop into the wrong folder. The icon changes depending on the type of file being moved.

In the screenshot below, I am attempting to drag a Word file from the right side of Explorer to another folder on the left side. Notice the postage stamp-sized “Word” icon with the large “W” that covers up portions of the directory tree.

How do I get rid of that completely pointless icon?


I thought it was some setting in folder view options, but I have played with those settings to no effect.

Help??!!??

Click Start, type: Advanced system settings. Under Performance, click 'Settings'. Under Visual Effects/Custom, uncheck: 'Show window contents while dragging'. Click Apply and OK.

However, this will only change the appearance of the window when its dragged. The only way to completely turn it off would be to uncheck the box 'Use visual styles on windows and buttons'. But that would make 7 look like XP.

Hoppy:

I understand what Windows is trying to do, but being a Luddite, I tend to use my own eyes to ID the target folder—it needn’t tell me.

Bill:

I had to use your second method “uncheck visual styles” to get rid of it---which is fine by me. That was it---I had just completely forgotten how to do it.

For whatever reason, the checkmark next to “show Windows contents when dragging” was already unchecked----yet the contents (the icon) still showed.

I’m happy to let Windows 7 “look like” XP if I have to in order to get rid of that distraction.

I’ve made a Word file to remind me how to fix this on the next occurrence. I have been fiddling with desktop preferences/themes/wallpaper in the last few days and this may be how that setting went away, causing the issue to return.

Thanks to both of you.

ignatzatsonic said:

Hoppy:

I understand what Windows is trying to do, but being a Luddite, I tend to use my own eyes to ID the target folder—it needn’t tell me.

Bill:

I had to use your second method “uncheck visual styles” to get rid of it---which is fine by me. That was it---I had just completely forgotten how to do it.

For whatever reason, the checkmark next to “show Windows contents when dragging” was already unchecked----yet the contents (the icon) still showed.

I’m happy to let Windows 7 “look like” XP if I have to in order to get rid of that distraction.

I’ve made a Word file to remind me how to fix this on the next occurrence. I have been fiddling with desktop preferences/themes/wallpaper in the last few days and this may be how that setting went away, causing the issue to return.

Thanks to both of you.

"Show window contents while dragging" wouldn't have anything to do with this situation. That only refers to when you move an explorer window on your screen. Either it will show as an empty box while you drag, or you will see a transparent image of the contents (folders, files, etc.) as you drag. It doesn't apply here at all.

Also, the icon is not showing anything related to the folder you intend to drop in (don't understand all the bad information given in this thread). It just shows the type of file you are moving. In this case, it is a Word document, so it shows a Word icon. Simple as that.

Lastly, the icon is transparent, so to say it's "blocking" you from seeing where to drop the file makes no sense. You can see right through it, even in the screenshot you provided.

Well said, MacGyvr, agreed. The toggle for "Show window contents while dragging", indeed, does not affect the issue at hand.

I prefer the new way but, as previously mentioned, to each their own. I'm glad ignatzatsonic was able to resolve the issue experienced and make Win 7 work to his liking. :)

Heck, I use Classic Shell so my start menu looks like XP (I still get Aero and skins) along with Classic Explorer so my Explorer windows still have a bit of the XP functionality left in them, as well.