How I Made Folders and Files Bigger on Windows Without Changing My Screen Resolution

As someone who works long hours at the computer, I’ve come to realize how much eye strain those tiny icons and file names can cause — especially on high-resolution screens. Everything looks crisp, sure, but also way too small. Rather than lowering my display resolution (which often makes things blurry), I looked for ways to make icons and folders appear larger while keeping the resolution intact. Good news: Windows gives you a few easy tools to do exactly that.

 

Method 1: Change Icon Size from the View Menu

This is the fastest way to enlarge folder and file icons, and you can do it straight from your desktop or File Explorer. Here’s what I did:

1. Right-click on the desktop or inside any File Explorer window
2. Hover over View
3. You’ll see four size options:
   • Extra large icons
   • Large icons
   • Medium icons (default)
   • Small icons
4. I picked Extra large icons, and immediately everything became easier to see

Note: This only changes the size of icons, not text or menus. It’s ideal if you just want to make folder thumbnails bigger without affecting the rest of your system.

 

Method 2: Scale Up Text and UI Elements (Without Touching Resolution)

If you want a more comprehensive change — meaning not just icons, but also menus, buttons, and text — Windows has a built-in scaling option that works great.

Here’s what I did:

1. Right-click on your desktop
2. Select Display settings
3. At the top, under Scale and layout, you’ll see this option:
   Change the size of text, apps, and other items
4. I increased it from 100% to 125%, and noticed an instant improvement

Most people find that 125% or 150% offers a great balance between readability and usability, especially on 4K displays.

 

 

Optional: Use Custom Scaling for Fine-Tuned Control

For even more precise control, I went one step further:

1. In the same Display settings window, scroll down and click Advanced scaling settings
2. Here, I typed a custom value — in my case, 200%
3. Click Apply
4. Windows will prompt you to Sign out to apply the changes

Once I logged back in, everything from my file names to application interfaces appeared much larger — and most importantly, they remained sharp and clear thanks to the unchanged resolution.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re trying to reduce eye strain or just want a more accessible interface, these adjustments can make a big difference without sacrificing clarity. Here’s what worked for me:

• ✅ Made desktop and folder icons larger using the View menu
• ✅ Scaled up all UI elements without lowering screen resolution
• ✅ Tried custom scaling for even finer control

If you’re struggling to see small elements on screen, I definitely recommend giving these methods a try. It only takes a minute or two, but the comfort improvement is instant.

Want more Windows accessibility tips like this? Stick around — I’ve got plenty more coming.