How to display the full name string of files and folders in Windows 7

I have Windows 7 64bit, and I cannot find a way to show the full name string of files and folders when I am in "View > Small Icons or Medium Icons".

On Vista, for example, when you clicked once on a file or folder with a long name, the full name was expanded and was displayed. Now, with Win 7 64bit, it is only displayed if you try to rename the file or folder.

Here is a small video, too

1. I want to keep small or medium icon size View. Not large or very large.
2. I want to keep Icon View, and not change it to detail View

Solution 1:

Some of these people are answering questions that you are not asking. I think they believe you have a problem finding the full path of your files/folder. Anyway, I think I may have a solution for you. If you right click the desktop-> personalize, then click "window color", then "click advanced appearance settings.."; from there you can try and mess around with the icon size, icon spacing vertical/horizontal, plus a few other ones. I had a problem with the way my icons were being displayed and this was the only area I found in Windows 7 64 bit where you could change/edit icon settings. Hope this helps.

Solution 2:

Unfortunately that's just not the way it works in Windows 7 anymore, and there doesn't seem to be an in-built way to adjust the Explorer row heights (or alike) for these icon sizes.

If you hover over a file with the mouse, the tooltip will tell you the full file name:

Here's the rules to how the text is displayed (according to a Microsoft TechNet moderator):

• For "Extra Large Icons", "Large Icons", and "Medium Icons", the file name display length is depended on the icon size.
• For "Small Icons" and "Titles", the file name display length is fixed.
• For "Content", the file name display length is depended on the width of the Windows Explorer window.
• For "List", the file name display length is fixed and also is depended on the width of the Windows Explorer window.
• For "Details", the file name display length can be changed by dragging the column border. In this view, you can try "Size Column to Fit".