If you’re a Google Chrome user, you may have noticed a recent change in your browser. About a week ago, Google pushed out an update that increased the spacing between bookmarks.
Specifically, when I click one of the folders in my Bookmarks Bar, I get a drop-down list of all the links in that folder. But now I see fewer bookmarks in that list because there’s extra white space between each one.
In other words, to use a word-processing analogy, it’s like Google bumped up the line spacing from single to double.
No like!
I’m sure the programmers did this to improve readability, but you know what? I had no problem with my bookmarks’ readability before. I didn’t ask for this change, I don’t want this change, and, most infuriating of all, I can’t easily undo this change.
[Aside: Software developers really need to cut this out. Don’t they know how confusing–and potentially upsetting–it is to users when things change out of the blue, without warning and without an option to reverse those changes? I’m looking at you, Facebook. And now you too, Google. End of aside.]
Thankfully, there is a way to force Chrome back to its original bookmark spacing: You just make a small change to the browser’s shortcut. Here’s how:
1. Find the desktop icon you use to launch Chrome. If it’s on the desktop proper, right-click it and choose Properties. If it’s in your Windows taskbar (i.e. at the bottom of the screen), right-click it, then right-click Google Chrome in the menu that appears, and then click Properties.
2. Find the Target field. Click inside it, then move your cursor to the very end of the line (which should read “chrome.exe”).
3. Hit the space bar to insert a space, then paste in the following text: –disable-new-menu-style
4. Click OK, then launch Chrome.
Presto! Your line spacing should be back to the way it was before.
What do you think of this change to Chrome? For the better, or just plain unnecessary?
Contributing Editor Rick Broida writes about business and consumer technology. Ask for help with your PC hassles at hasslefree@pcworld.com, or try the treasure trove of helpful folks in the PC World Community Forums. Sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.