If you need to select non-consecutive items to carry out any files operation like Copy, Move, Delete, Cut, etc., these boxes help you select the items. There is also a single box, on the left of ‘Name’ that will help you select or deselect all the items.
Use checkboxes to select items in Windows 11/10
You can disable or enable the checkbox to select multiple files & folders in Windows 11/10 Explorer using:
1] Using Folder or File Explorer Options
You can if you wish to, disable, or enable these checkboxes according to your preferences:
To do so, go to the Windows 11/10/8/7 Start search and type File Explorer Options or Folder Options.Click on the search results to open it.Under the View tab, scroll towards the end of Advanced settings.Here you will see a setting Use check boxes to select items.Check or Uncheck the box as per your preference and click on Apply/OK.
You will now see that the checkboxes will disappear if you have chosen not to show them.
2] Using Explorer Ribbon
You can also affect this change via the File Explorer UI itself as follows:
Open ExplorerSelect View tabSelect TilesSelect the Item check boxes option.
3] Using Windows Registry
You can also use the Windows Registry to turn on or off the use of checkboxes. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following key: Set the value of the DWORD AutoCheckSelect as follows, depending on your preference:
Turn off – 0Turn on – 1
Save and exit.
4] Using Ultimate Windows Tweaker
You can also use our freeware Ultimate Windows Tweaker to effect this change. You will see the setting under Customization > File Explorer tab. As mentioned earlier, these checkboxes work for files, folders as well as all desktop items. Works on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. TIP: Hold ALT and double-click a file in Explorer to open its Properties box. Have a nice day! Related read: How to disable the light blue border box when you hover over icon in Windows 11/10.
