Windows 7: Copy/Move Uses Large Icons

I hope I can explain this properly.

In Windows 7 Professional x64, I have specified the size of icons appearing on my desktop (about half way between 'small' and 'medium'). This works very well and consistently.

However, when I move or copy a file to the desktop via right-click, or when I create a shortcut on the desktop via right-click, Windows creates a large size image of the file icon for me to drag and drop. Not only is the icon itself large, but it includes a substantial amount of space on all four sides of the icon. My file and folder icons in Windows Explorer are not even close to that size.

This causes a problem when I have several Windows open, because in that case I may be moving/copying/shortcut-ting to a relatively small area on my desktop, and the icon I am moving/copying/shortcut-ting doesn't fit into that small space because the icon, including the area around it, is so large. Consequently, Windows moves it to some other place on my desktop, where it finds enough space, and then I have to go looking for the icon.

This problem is particularly annoying when I have several files to move or copy, in which case Windows may scatter the moved/copied icons all over my desktop.



How can I reduce the size of the icon that appears for drag-and-drop, as well as the selected space around it?

I suggest you turn off the "align icons to grid" and "auto arrange icons" options, to give you complete 100% control over where you want your desktop icons to live. Windows will not interfere at all.

Right-click on desktop, move the mouse over View to get the flyout, and uncheck these two options.



Note that this won't solve your "large icons" issue when you perhaps would want them to be somewhat smaller. But it will give you 100% control over icon placement and will never see Windows move it somewhere you don't want it to go. Wherever you put it... that's where it will stay, unless YOU drag it somewhere else.

Will that allow me to place dragged-and-dropped icons where I want them to be on the desktop, even if the large image shown by drag-and-drop doesn't seem to fit in that space?

You can put them ANYWHERE YOU WANT.

That's what un-checking those two options means... let the user, not Windows, determine where icons go. I believe you can even force them to overlap a bit, if necessary and desirable.

But you will have 100% complete control. Just try it... you'll like it, I'm sure.

There was no check mark next to 'Auto arrange icons' to begin with, so that wasn't the problem.

Removing the check mark from 'Align icons to grid' was the solution. It doesn't make the move/copy/shortcut icon any smaller, but it does allow me to place the icon exactly where I point my mouse pointer, no matter how small the space.

Thank you!

Glad you got it resolved.