What Does Collapse Mean in Windows

Collapse is a term used to describe the process of hiding something or reducing its size, so it’s not visible. For example, when you expand a folder, it shows the folder’s contents. To hide the open folder’s contents, you’d collapse the folder. Tip. When hiding a window, you are collapsing a window.

What happens when you collapse a folder?

Expand/collapse symbols (+/-) appear next to folders that contain subfolders. A plus (+) symbol means that the folder is collapsed and the subfolders are hidden in the folder tree. A minus (-) symbol means that the folder is expanded and the subfolders appear in the folder tree.

How do I get rid of Windows 10 collapse?

1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder where you wish to disable file grouping.
2. Right-click anywhere in the folder.
3. Select Group by > None.