Windows 7 - Single-Click or Double-Click to Open an Item

**Brink**

How to Open Items with a Single-Click or Double-Click in Windows 7

Information

This will show you how to open files and folders in Windows 7 with either a single click or double click. Double-click to open an item is the default setting in Windows 7.

Note

Select the Single-click option to open files and folders with a single left click like links on a webpage. When Single-click is selected, you have the choice to have icon titles either always underlined or only underlined when you hover the mouse pointer over the item. Allowing the mouse pointer to hover over a item will select it.

Select the Double-click option to open files and folders with a double left click instead. When Double-click is selected, a single click will select the item.

OPTION ONE

Through Folder Options

1. Open Folder Options, and click on the General tab. (See screenshot below)

2. To Single-click to Open an Item
A) Select (dot) Single-click to open an Item. (See screenshot above)

B) Select (dot) if you want to have icons titles always underlined, or only underlined when you hover (point at) over the item.

C) Click on OK.

3. To Double-click to Open an Item
A) Select (dot) Double-click to open an Item, then click on OK. (See screenshot below step 1)

OPTION TWO

Using a REG File Download

1. To Single-click to Open an Item "Underline icon titles consistent with my browser"
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Single-Click_to_Open_Item_A.reg

B) Go to step 4.

2. To Single-click to Open an Item "Underline icon titles only when I point at them"
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Single-Click_to_Open_Item_B.reg

B) Go to step 4.

3. To Double-click to Open an Item
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Double-Click-to_Open_Item.reg

4. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the desktop.

5. Right click the .reg file (On Desktop) and click on Merge.

6. Click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted.

7. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

8. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file on the desktop if you like.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**apmorency** · 01-17-2010

I have a problem with my system.
I have it set to double click to open in folder options, in fact, all other options are greyed out. But it doesn't work. A single click on anything opens or launches it.
Very annoying and I can't see any way to change it.

**Brink** · 01-17-2010

Hello Apmorency, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if running a sfc /scannow command may help. If not, then as a test, create a new administrator account to see if it works properly in it.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

**apmorency** · 01-19-2010

Thanks, tried it. Returned no errors.

There are 3 other user accounts besides the admin's. They all work normally.

**Brink** · 01-19-2010

Apmorency,

As a test, create a new administrator account to see if it workd properly in it. If so, then you can copy the contents of your old account's C:\Users\(user-name) folders into the corresponding new account's C:\Users\(user-name) folders. After everything checks out, then you can delete the old account from within the new account.

abrucewebb · 12-24-2011

While I realize this is an old thread, I've had this problem for a long time. I had tried everything I could find to fix it and nothing did including the suggestions here (although I did not try the new account suggestion). Today, I was determined to fix it.

This is what worked for me: Open "Run" and type gpedit.msc to open up the group policy editor. Navigate to User Configuration/Administrative Templates/All Settings/Turn on Classic Shell. My setting was set to Enable. I changed it to Disable. I then opened up folder options from the control panel and on the general tab clicked Restore Defaults.

This fixed the problem.

Sorry, I forgot one step: After changing the setting in gpedit, you have to open "Run" again and type: gpupdate.

Then do the folder options part.

Windows 7 - Single-Click or Double-Click to Open an Item

Single-Click or Double-Click to Open an Item

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