possible to change list item height/spacing?

T

tweaker

New member
I was wondering if there's any registry val that controls the list item height and spacing of explorer folder windows, when using the List view mode?

For a while I thought something was off but wasn't sure exactly what, it felt like I was seeing less files and had to scroll more, or make windows bigger. Upon closer look that was correct, previous windows versions had smaller height (and no spacing) in list mode, using the screen real estate more efficiently. It has been a bit difficult to do searches, as the search terms are too generic to come up with anything useful.

Picture attached for clarification.
 

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w7-64, w2k
I'll answer myself to document the solution (or at least a solution). After not having found any registry keys, I went through some stylesheets in the usual suspects dll files.

It's done by editing a view values in an embedded xml resoure of ExplorerFrame.dll. The resource in question is xml stylesheet found under "UIFILE" / 40960. (I won't go into the editing specifics, there are plenty of those around the net in relation to customizing icons or disabling the Folder Band by editing dll resources.)

In the following 3 sections
<UICollection resid="collection.list.groups"
<UICollection resid="collection.list.ungrouped"
<UICollection resid="collection.list.insidegroup"

changing:

padding="rect(14rp,0,0,0)
to
padding="rect(0,0,0,0)

columnwidth="20rp"
to
columnwidth="17rp"

itemspacing="size(10rp,1rp)"
to
itemspacing="size(6rp,0rp)"


and the really compact list is back (yes it's win7, changed the folder icons since last screenshot :) )
 

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thanks Tweaker! i've been looking all over google for a solution for the spacing issue and i found this thread. :)

for those interested, here's what i did:
- i edited my ExplorerFrame.dll file with Resource Hacker (freeware tool) using the values Tweaker mentioned above. Since the text is basically one big blob, it was a little tedious to find the stuff i needed to edit, but thankfully Resource Hacker has a "find" command.
- replaced my ExplorerFrame.dll file in windows/system32. If you have trouble replacing the file, basically what I did was I took ownership of the file and renamed it (to ExplorerFrame.bak) then copied my modified ExplorerFrame.dll into system32)
- log off and log back in and that's it

question to admins or anyone: Am I allowed to attach or post a link to the ExplorerFrame.dll file that I edited?


Tweaker, do you know which values i need to edit to decrease the vertical spacing in details view? I tried looking through the DLL but all that text is so confusing...i tried changing some values that look like they might work but to no avail.
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 64-bit
If I had to guess it would be

height="22rp"

there's only one occurence of that (inside a <style resid="details"> block), and 22 pixels is exactly the line size in details view. But I can't say for sure that it will work.


edit: for reference 17 would be the old windows height
 

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OS
w7-64, w2k
Tried it myself, and there is another padding tag so if you really want to squeeze it down to the original 17 size (only changing height to 17 will leave them at 19) you have to change the following too

search for: <UIItem resid="item.details"
following that there will be a
padding="rect(0,1rp,2rp,2rp)
which is changed to
padding="rect(0,1rp,2rp,0)
or if you don't want tall icons to cover the bottom pixel line of selections (this makes line 18 pixels instead)
padding="rect(0,1rp,2rp,1rp)


also to get rid of the oversized left window margin you can

search for: <UICollection resid="collection.details"
following that there will be a
padding="rect(14rp,0,0,0)"
which is changed to
padding="rect(0,0,0,0)
 

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OS
w7-64, w2k
thanks, yeah i had fiddled around with those values already when i was looking to change the spacing in details view...basically i was editing everything that looked like it had something to do with details view :)

where you can change the left margin, i left it at padding="rect(2rp,0,0,0)" so it'll sort of match the margin of my list view.

and is it just me or is the folder tree on the left pane more spaced-out too? (it's not as annoying as the spacing was on the right pane, though, so it's not a big deal)

windows is really inconsistent when it comes to the UI, eh? well except for the fact that they basically spaced everything out (maybe for touchscreen users).
 

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OS
Windows 7 64-bit
Yeah the tree view has a larger line size aswell. I have all other panes hidden though, so haven't looked into changing any of those. Allthough they're also used in the File open/save dialogs, so who knows, maybe I'll have a look one day :)
 

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OS
w7-64, w2k
Hi,

I would like to do this, and, indeed, I used the Resource Hacker tool, took control of the .dll file and replaced the settings as described. However, I mucked it up and when I logged off and on, Windows failed to start the explorer and I had to repair using the Windows 7 disk. :(

Is there an idiot's guide or could someone upload the .dll? Please can someone help as I'd like the spacing to be back to XP too!

Thank you!!
 

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Windows 7 64-bit
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Fast!!
I'm not sure about the legal issues with distributing system executables and libs so I'll refrain from that. Did you use the latest res hacker, version 3.5.x? I'm not sure if older versions even load 64-bit dll's, but if they do it might be possible that messed something up.

As for making it fool proof. One solution, which would require a little extra work but pretty much super safe, would be to install windows under Virtual Box. Bascially so you can run windows inside windows as if it were just another app. There you can mess around without being afraid, if something goes wrong you can just restore from a snapshot. Once you have a working dll inside there you can copy it out to your real windows.
 

My Computer

OS
w7-64, w2k
I noticed that for some reason my edited version is 1.42 Mb, but the original is 1.77 - something not quite right there perhaps? I'm using 3.4.0.79, the latest version according to the official website, and yes, I am using 64-bit Windows 7.

Something odd going on?
 

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Windows 7 64-bit
Screen Resolution
Big!!
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Fast!!
I tried the 64 bit version, but the file is still significantly smaller when I save it. Needless to say, it didn't work when I replaced the .dll. Can't really think why. Any help would be great, as I'd love to restore the spacing, but at the moment, it's causing me headaches aplenty.
 

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OS
Windows 7 64-bit
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Fast!!
smeghead, i remember my first time saving the file it ended up being 1.42mb (or something close to that) too, but good thing i noticed so i didn't copy it over. so i edited the file again and it saved out as 1.77 and everything was fine.

i haven't been able to recreate a 1.42mb file, though, so i'm not sure what caused it. i basically ignored it since it only happened once to me and everything was ok afterwards. you can try another resource editor, but the other ones i tried had no "find" command so it was a pain to find the entries i wanted to edit and i gave up.
 

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OS
Windows 7 64-bit
All sorted now, thanks to Tweaker! :D
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 64-bit
Screen Resolution
Big!!
Internet Speed
Fast!!
Still getting 1.42 MB

Even with Resource Hacker 3.5.2.84, I still get a 1.42 MB output file. I am running on a 64 system.

So, what other tool is there that you'd recommend?

Could someone just upload a ExplorerShell.dll that has already been hacked? That would be easier anyway.
 

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Dell D820
OS
Win 7 Pro 64
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66 GHz
Motherboard
Intel 945 chipset
Memory
4 GB
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia Quadro NVS 110
Sound Card
SB Live 24 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
internal and Samsung Syncmaster
Hard Drives
Seagate Momentus 500 GB
Nooton, I've since read that if you use "Save As" then the file is saved as a 32-bit file (hence the filesize being smaller), but if you use "Save" then the latest version should save it as a 64-bit file. I've not tried it myself, but it might be the fix you need...
 

My Computer

OS
Windows 7 64-bit
Screen Resolution
Big!!
Internet Speed
Fast!!
That does indeed fix the ResHacker issue. Essential tip! I guess that's why they call it beta.

This does work for me, sort of. I do get new XP-style spacing in my 32 bit virtual tester. But in the 64 bit daily driver, making those changes, first testing after just the System32\ExplorerFrame.dll and then with both that and SysWOW64\ExplorerFrame.dll as well, it so far has not worked.

Hmmm....I'll keep thinking. Surely the answer will come at 3:30 tomorrow morning and I won't be able to sleep until it is done. Any ideas?

One tip, if you have mangled your ExplorerFrame.dll so that Explorer.exe won't run when you first log in, no worries. Do control/alt/delete and go into Task Manager. Click on new task and do cmd. Then use DOS to move your backup back over the top of your bad file. Then back in Task Manager, click on new task and do explorer, and your desktop will launch underneath you.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell D820
OS
Win 7 Pro 64
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66 GHz
Motherboard
Intel 945 chipset
Memory
4 GB
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia Quadro NVS 110
Sound Card
SB Live 24 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
internal and Samsung Syncmaster
Hard Drives
Seagate Momentus 500 GB
Okay, It is working. I was confusing my List view (which I never use) with my details view (which I always use). It is all working now. Thanks to you above.
 

My Computer

Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
Dell D820
OS
Win 7 Pro 64
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 1.66 GHz
Motherboard
Intel 945 chipset
Memory
4 GB
Graphics Card(s)
nVidia Quadro NVS 110
Sound Card
SB Live 24 USB
Monitor(s) Displays
internal and Samsung Syncmaster
Hard Drives
Seagate Momentus 500 GB
hey guys please help me!!!
i tried everything you wrote... now my pc doesnt start anymore :D
i tried to replace the explorerframe.dll with "originals" i found on the net..didnt work :(
my os is windows 7 64bit, could anyone pleeeeeeeeeaaasseeeee send me the small- line spacing modified dll???
please please please dont know what to do ...
 

My Computer

OS
win7
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