How to Remove Item Check Boxes in Windows 10 File Explorer

If Windows 10 displays small selection squares beside files or folders, turn off Item check boxes in File Explorer. Open a folder, select View on the ribbon, then clear Item check boxes in the Show/hide group. The squares disappear while regular file selection still works. If the ribbon control is missing or squares also appear on desktop icons, use the classic Folder Options setting below.

What Windows item check boxes indicate

Windows item check boxes are optional selection controls. Clicking the small square beside a file or folder adds that item to a selection, which can help when choosing several items at once. Turning the feature off changes how selection is shown; it does not delete files, move folders, or change what is stored on the PC.

A colored highlight around a file is the normal selected state, not an item check box. Microsoft describes the check boxes as controls for selecting files and folders in its File Explorer guide.

Turn off Item check boxes from the Windows 10 ribbon

Use these steps when the squares appear beside items in a File Explorer window:

1. Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows logo key + E, or select its folder icon on the taskbar.
2. Select the View tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Show/hide group at the right, look for Item check boxes. If its box is checked, select it once to clear the check mark.
4. Look at the file list again. The selection squares should be gone. If the control was already unchecked, do not click it, because that would turn the feature on.

The ribbon control is a toggle: a check mark means the feature is enabled. You do not need to restart Windows or change folder contents.

When the squares also appear on desktop icons

The classic Folder Options control is the better route if the boxes appear in more than one Windows view. A manufacturer support guide also documents item check boxes on desktop icons, not only in file lists. If the small squares appear on the desktop, turn off the Folder Options setting and then check the desktop again.

Turn the setting off in Folder Options

1. In File Explorer, select View, then Options.
2. Choose Change folder and search options from the menu. In some Windows 10 builds, selecting Options opens the dialog directly.
3. In Folder Options, select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, find Use check boxes to select items.
4. Clear that check box, select Apply, and then select OK. Check File Explorer and the desktop if both were showing selection squares.

Microsoft’s File Explorer instructions list the View-tab option for Windows 10. This classic setting also gives you a clear place to confirm that the feature is off.

If a square is still visible

Check what kind of mark you are seeing. An item check box is a small square next to a file or folder that can be checked to select it. A colored row highlight simply shows which item has focus. A sync badge, shortcut arrow, or another icon overlay is a different indicator, so turning off Item check boxes will not remove it.

If the item-selection boxes return after you change the setting, reopen Folder Options and confirm that Use check boxes to select items remains cleared. On a work-managed PC, a policy or profile setting may restore a preference; ask the device administrator if the option repeatedly changes back instead of editing the registry.

You can still select several items without check boxes: hold Ctrl while selecting separate files, or select the first item and hold Shift while selecting the last item in a range. The standard selection highlight remains available after the check boxes are disabled.

Windows 10 support note

These steps apply to Windows 10 installations that still have File Explorer. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so general technical assistance, feature updates, and security updates are no longer provided through standard support. See Microsoft’s Windows 10 end-of-support notice for current options.