November 11, 2026

Windows 10 Check Boxes on Icons: Removing the Little Boxes That Appear When You Select Files

Small square boxes have started appearing in the top-left corner of files and folders whenever you hover over or select them, on the desktop and in File Explorer. They do not seem to do any harm, but they look cluttered and can get in the way of clicking. When Windows 10 check boxes on icons appear without explanation, a selection setting has been turned on.

Item check boxes are a File Explorer feature designed to make selecting several files easier, especially on touchscreens. Instead of holding Ctrl, you can tick each item’s box.

The option is off by default on most PCs, but it turns on automatically on some touchscreen laptops and can be switched on by mistake from the View tab.

Turning it off removes the boxes everywhere straight away.

The boxes can also appear only on the desktop or only in slot mahjong File Explorer at first, because each place refreshes its view at different times.

What Usually Triggers It

Check boxes appear for these reasons:

• “Item check boxes” is ticked in File Explorer’s View tab.
• “Use check boxes to select items” is enabled in Folder Options.
• A touchscreen device or tablet mode enabled the feature.
• A theme or tweak changed the setting.

Turning the feature off does not affect how normal clicking, Ctrl-click, or Shift-click selection works.

First Steps to Try

Turn off check boxes in the ribbon.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select the View tab.
3. Clear “Item check boxes” in the Show/hide group.
4. Look at the desktop and confirm the boxes are gone there too.
5. Press F5 on the desktop to refresh if they remain.

If the Problem Continues

Use Folder Options or the registry.

1. In File Explorer, choose View > Options, then “Change folder and search options.”
2. On the View tab, scroll down and clear “Use check boxes to select items.”
3. Select Apply and OK.
4. If the setting returns, open regedit and check AutoCheckSelect under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. A value of 0 turns check boxes off.
5. Restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager.

On touchscreen laptops, leaving Tablet mode off reduces the chance of the setting switching on again.

If you share the PC with someone who uses touch, consider leaving the boxes on for their account only. The setting is stored per user, so turning it off for yourself does not affect them.

Protect Your Data First

This is a display setting and has no effect on your files. Back up the registry key if you edit it, so you can restore it if needed.

The Bottom Line

Check boxes on icons come from the item check boxes feature. Clear it in the View tab or Folder Options, and check the AutoCheckSelect registry value if the boxes keep coming back.