How to Enable or Disable Pop-up Description for Folder and Desktop Items in Windows 11

aryan dhiman iGLLtLINSkw unsplash
aryan dhiman iGLLtLINSkw unsplash

This article describes steps one can take to turn on or off a Pop-up description for folder and desktop items in Windows 11.

By default, Windows displays Tooltips and Infortips, collectively described as tips. These small pop-up windows concisely describe the object being pointed to, including command buttons, folders, and desktop items.

Tooltips are used for File Explorer. When you hover your mouse over a folder or desktop item, it provides basic property details such as Date created, Size, Folders, and Files within the folders.

This can be handy when you want to know what is in a folder without opening it. It’s enabled by default in Windows 11.

If you want to use it and it’s unavailable, you can use the steps below to turn it on. If you don’t want it, the steps also show you how to disable it.

Show or hide Pop-up descriptions for folder and desktop items via the file explorer folder option

As described above, Windows provides basic property details such as Date created, Size, Folders, and Files within the folders when you hover over an item.

Here’s how to enable or disable it in Windows 11.

First, open the File Explorer Folder Options.

Open File Explorer or use the keyboard shortcut (Windows key + E), then click the Options button (3 dots) on the menu bar.

windows 11 file explorer folder options onedrive
windows 11 file explorer folder options onedrive

On the File Explorer Folder Options window, under the View tab, Check or uncheck the box next to “Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items” to enable or disable the feature.

windows 11 show pop up description for folder and desktop items
Windows 11 shows pop up descriptions for folder and desktop items

Turn on or off show pop-up descriptions for folder and desktop items via the registry editor

Another way to show or hide pop-up descriptions for folder and desktop items is to use the Windows Registry editor.

Open the Windows Registry, and navigate to the folder key path as listed below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

If you don’t see the Advanced folder key, right-click on the Explorer parent key, then create the subkey (Advanced) folder key.

windows 11 show pop up description for folder and desktop items in registry
Windows 11 shows pop up descriptions for folder and desktop items in the registry

On the right pane of the Advanced folder key, right-click and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Next, type a new key named ShowInfoTip.

Double-click the new value name (ShowInfoTip) and enter the Value data of 1 to show a pop-up description for folder and desktop items.

Value data of 0 will hide a pop-up description for folder and desktop items.

windows 11 show pop up description for folder and desktop items in registry value data
Windows 11 shows pop up descriptions for folder and desktop items in registry value data

That should do it! Log out and back in or restart for the changes to apply.

windows 11 show pop up description for folder and desktop items in file explorer
Windows 11 shows pop up descriptions for folder and desktop items in file explorer

Reference:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/uxguide/ctrl-tooltips-and-infotips

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to enable or disable pop-description for folder and desktop items in Windows 11. Please use the comment form below if you find any errors above or have something to add.

Posted by
Richard W

I love computers; maybe way too much. What I learned I try to share at geekrewind.com.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: