Item checkboxes cannot be disabled on windows 11

Anonymous
2021-10-11T01:44:28+00:00

I recently upgraded to windows 11 on my laptop, and I can't disable item check boxes in the file explorer.

Disabling item check boxes works on the desktop, but not in the file explorer (see attached screenshot).

I have tried disabling "Use check boxes to select items" in folder settings, and changing the value of HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\AutoCheckSelect to 0 in the registry, both of which do not solve the problem.

Any help would be much appreciated :)

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. SD - IA 179.4K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2021-10-11T02:19:29+00:00

    Hi Yong,

    I am Sumit here to assist you with this question.

    Is it a Touch device?
    I have seen a couple of reports where item checkboxes cannot be disabled on Touch devices.

    File Feedback as well:
    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/for...

    Edit 02/16:

    This is by design if the device is in tablet mode. Quoted from a Microsoft employee I talked to:

    If the device is in a tablet posture (for example, the keyboard is folded back), then it's expected.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-01-05T05:18:46+00:00

    Does Microsoft accept this is an issue that they will fix?

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  3. Anonymous
    2021-12-21T03:11:44+00:00

    I FIXED IT!!!!

    I purchased three Windows 11 devices for family members for Christmas. I performed clean installs on all of them. Two of them are 2-in-1 units. One installed perfectly without issue. The other installed almost perfectly, with the exception of this issue.

    The checkboxes cannot be disabled and compact mode cannot be enabled.

    Windows 11 determines if a unit is in tablet (touch) mode and sets checkboxes ON and compact view OFF, all on it's own. Which makes sense. And is great, when it works. But like you, mine was stuck in this mode despite having a keyboard connected and not rotated.

    After trying to force it into "laptop mode", I finally started disabling services and killing processes.

    First I updated all of the drivers by going to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced Options and installing Optional Updates which included drivers and BIOS... then rebooted.

    Finally in the registry, set to run on startup is the "Realtek Audio Universal Service". I deleted this registry entry and BINGO!!! It works.

    Right click on the Start button and click RUN.

    Then type "regedit" and hit enter.

    Select and highlight the HKEY_CURRENT_USER node and then type CTRL+F or Edit>Find.

    In the "Find what" box, enter "run" with the quotes.

    Check Keys, uncheck Values, uncheck Data, and check "Match whole strings only".

    When you come across an entry with value="RtkAudUService"... delete it.

    Restart.

    Fixed.

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  4. Anonymous
    2022-02-16T23:26:17+00:00

    It basically disables the 2 in 1 capabilities of your device and tells Windows that it's just a laptop. Not the best solution if you actually want to use your device in tablet mode.

    The root of the problem is that Windows 11 took away the user's ability to manage Tablet Mode. Windows 11 now decides when it's in tablet mode through detection. There is obviously a serious bug in how it does the detection.

    Forcing your device to behave as a laptop takes away whatever benefits you may have had in buying a 2 in 1 device in the first place.

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-02-16T22:28:52+00:00

    I can tell you that I have a Surface Pro 8 with a Logitech wireless keyboard attached, and I still have checkboxes all over.

    I can expect that with the onscreen-keyboard, but with external keyboard it should NOT happen.

    Personally speaking, I would remove the checkboxes in any case, as even in tablet mode I like to double-click my icons as I use to do with my mouse.

    ...but this is not an option for us users....

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