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Microsoft continues updating File Explorer and its context menus with stuff of questionable practicality. Following the release of the "Ask Copilot" button, Microsoft is now adding AI Actions, which are enabled for some, in build 26120.4151 (KB5058486) that was released on May 19, giving you quick access to AI-powered features like background removal and blur, Visual Search, object erase, and more. Just right-click a file and select "AI Actions" from the menu. Here is what the updated menu looks like with its new AI Actions (do not ask why "Ask Copilot" is a separate thing that is not included in the new menu): As of right now, the feature is gradually rolling out to Windows Insiders in the Dev and Beta Channels. Since the rollout is gradual, not everyone with the latest build can try it without tinkering with the operating system. However, enabling it is quite easy: Ensure you are on the latest Windows 11 Dev or Beta build. Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Launch Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:54792954,55345819,48433719 and press Enter. Restart your computer. In its current form, AI Actions are only available for images (JPG, JPEG, and PNG). Future updates will bring support for Microsoft 365 files, allowing you to summarize documents, create FAQs, and more. Note that AI Actions do not require a Copilot+ PC and are available on all Windows 11 systems. Other updates for Windows 11 in the latest preview builds include the new Advanced page in the Settings app, reworked Windows Widgets, an improved energy saver, the ability to compress an image before sharing it, and more. Credit for the IDs goes to @phantomofearth on X. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Back in February, we reported on a small third-party tool called Explorer Tab Utility that aimed to address several limitations and missing features in Windows 11 File Explorer, particularly the absence of native tabs, a feature many users expect from modern file managers. This free and open-source tool has now received an update that introduces new functionality and technical improvements. As with any third-party system utility, make sure you exercise caution when installing and running this software. Prior to this update, Explorer Tab Utility provided features such as automatically converting new Explorer windows into tabs within a single window, preventing duplicate tabs for the same location, and allowing quick duplication of tabs with selected files preserved. It also added Tab History for reopening closed tabs with a simple shortcut similar to web browsers, and supported detaching tabs into separate windows. These features were configurable via customizable hotkeys. The v2.5.0 update claims to bring several new additions and refinements. Among the notable features is Tab Search, enabling users to quickly find and switch between open tabs using keyboard navigation, which can be helpful when managing numerous open folders. Another change is Session Persistence; the utility is now designed to remember open tabs and restore them even after an Explorer crash or system reboot. Folder navigation sees an enhancement, too. Users can now double-click on empty space to navigate back or up a directory. There is also an option to override the default behavior: holding Ctrl+Shift forces a folder to open in a new window instead of a tab. The update includes a redesigned interface intended to better align with Windows 11's visual style, improves security by code-signing executables, adds support for ARM64 devices, and includes various stability fixes and installer improvements. The Redesigned UI in version 2.5.0 Image credit: u/w4po77 Here is the official changelog: If you are struggling with Windows 11's default File Explorer experience, you can try out this utility by installing it directly using the winget or choco package managers with the following commands: winget install w4po.ExplorerTabUtility --interactive # or choco install explorertabutility --params "/interactive" Alternatively, you can download the latest version from the project's GitHub releases page. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of April): 1,811 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

This collection of tips will help you improve your experience searching for files and folders on File Explorer. On Windows 11, searching for files can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're looking for a specific document, an image buried in folders, or a file hidden deep within your system, File Explorer's search feature can be a powerful tool. That's, of course, if you know how to use it efficiently. Although you can type a search query in the search box, File Explorer includes some functionalities to make search faster and more accurate with advanced search filters, boolean operators, wildcards, indexing settings, and hidden features. In this how-to guide, I'll outline the different options you can use to find files effortlessly on File Explorer for Windows 11. How to search more efficiently on File Explorer File Explorer provides many options for a more precise search to find that specific document, video, or image. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E), browse to the location where you want to perform a search, and use these instructions: Search with filters and operators File Explorer supports advanced search filters that let you narrow down your results. Basic filters While in the search box, you can use these basic filters: kind: – Searches for files based on their general type or category. ext: –Searches for files based on their file extension. date: – Searches for files based on their modification date. size: – Searches for files based on their size. Kind filter examples: kind:document – Finds all document files (Word docs, PDFs, text files, etc.) kind:image – Finds all image files (JPGs, PNGs, GIFs, etc.) kind:video – Finds all video files (MP4s, AVIs, MKVs, etc.) kind:music – Finds all music files (MP3s, WAVs, FLACs, etc.) kind:folder – Finds only folders. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) You can combine "kind:" with other filters for more specific searches. For example, kind:image ext:.png will find only PNG image files. Ext filter examples: ext:.pdf – Finds all PDF files. ext:.docx – Finds all Microsoft Word documents. ext:.jpg – Finds all JPEG image files. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) When using this filter, remember to include the dot (.) before the extension. Also, you can use multiple ext: filters to search for files with different extensions. For example, ext:.jpg OR ext:.png will find all JPEG and PNG image files. Date filter examples: date:today – Finds files modified today. date:yesterday – Finds files modified yesterday. date:last week – Finds files modified in the last week. date:last month – Finds files modified in the last month. date:2024-03-15 – Finds files modified on March 15, 2024. date:>=2025-01-01 AND date:<=2025-02-01 – Finds files modified between January 1 and February 1, 2025. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) You can use relative dates (today, yesterday, last week) or specific dates (YYYY-MM-DD format), and you can use comparison operators (>=, <=, >, <) to specify date ranges. Size filter examples: size:>100MB – Finds files larger than 100MB. size:<10MB – Finds files smaller than 10MB. size:10MB..100MB – Finds files between 10MB and 100MB in size. size:tiny – Finds files smaller than 16KB. size:small – Finds files between 16KB and 1MB. size:medium – Finds files between 1MB and 128MB. size:large – Finds files between 128MB and 1GB. size:huge – Finds files between 1GB and 4GB. size:gigantic – Finds files larger than 4GB. You can also use comparison operators (>=, <=, >, <) to specify size ranges, and you can use abbreviations like KB, MB, and GB for kilobytes, megabytes, and gigabytes. The real power of these filters comes from combining them. For example: kind:document ext:.pdf date:last week – Finds PDF documents modified in the last week. kind:image size:>5MB – Finds images larger than 5MB. kind:video ext:.mp4 date:2025-01-01..2025-01-31 – Finds MP4 videos modified in January 2025. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Boolean operators File Explorer also supports boolean operators, simple words (AND, OR, NOT) used as conjunctions to combine or exclude keywords in a search, producing more refined and relevant results. For example: AND – report AND budget (files containing both words). OR – report OR budget (files containing either word). NOT – report NOT budget (files with "report" but not "budget"). (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) It's important to note that these operators are case-sensitive. For instance, if you want to find a document that includes the words BitLocker and Encryption, the search query should be BitLocker AND Encryption. This function can show results by matching the query with information in the title and contents of the file. Also, you can combine boolean operators for more complex searches. Use parentheses to group terms and control the order of operations. For example: (report OR presentation) AND 2025. Wildcards for partial matches Wildcards are special characters you can use in File Explorer searches to find files or folders when you're unsure of the exact name. asterisk (*) – report* (finds "report1", "report_final", etc.). question mark (?) – f?le (finds "file" and "f1le"). (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) The asterisk is the most versatile wildcard. It represents any sequence of characters, whether one character, multiple characters, or none at all. For example.: *.txt finds all files ending in ".txt" (like document.txt, notes.txt, etc.). report* finds all files starting with "report" (like report2025.pdf, report_summary.docx, etc.). *photo* finds all files containing "photo" anywhere in the name (like my_photos.jpg, summer_photos.png, etc.). This wildcard represents any single character. For example: file?.txt finds files like file1.txt, file2.txt, but not file12.txt. report_202?.docx finds files like report_2025.docx, report_2024.docx, etc. As an extra tip, you can use both * and ? in the same search term for more complex searches. Also, if you want to search for a specific phrase with a wildcard character, write the entire phrase in quotes. For example, "report*2025" will find files that start with "report" and end with "2025" but won't include files with just "report2025" in them. Finally, if you know the file extension, include it in your search to narrow down the results. For example, *.jpg will find all JPEG image files. Search by file properties Instead of just searching for file names, you can also use specific properties inside the metadata. Of course, this only works if the file includes the metadata you want. For example: author:John – Finds files created by "John." tag:important – Finds files tagged as "important." title:project – Searches for documents with "project" in the title. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) For context, metadata is like a secret layer of information hidden within your files. It's essentially "data about data," details that describe and provide context for the file's actual content. Think of it as the behind-the-scenes information that helps you understand, organize, and manage your files more effectively. Usually, when working on a file, the operating system and application can include information like created and modified dates, author, computer name, and a few other details. However, it's up to you to include additional information, such as title, subject, tags, rating, categories, etc. You can also edit the metadata information by right-clicking the file, choosing the "Properties" option, and going to the "Details" tab. Search with advanced query syntax On File Explorer, you can also use some other more advanced syntaxes to refine your search experience. For example: datemodified:last week – Finds files changed in the past week. content:Windows – Finds documents that contain the word "Windows." foldername:Projects – Searches inside a folder named "Projects." (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Search with File Explorer options If filters and operators are a bit complex, you can use the "Search options" available on File Explorer. The menu offers most of the same filters and operators shown above, but you don't have to remember any syntax, as you can simply choose the type of search you want to perform. For example, while in File Explorer, open the location you want to search the document, image, audio, video, or folder. In the search box, type the search query using keywords, such as "Windows 11," and press "Enter." Quick tip: You can always use the "Ctrl + F" keyboard shortcut to bring the focus to the File Explorer search bar. On the search result page, File Explorer will surface the available search options in the command bar. Click the "Search options" menu and choose the filter or operator to refine your search. For instance: All subfolders – Performs a search in the current location and subfolders. Current folder – Performs a search in the current location but doesn't search inside the subfolders. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Some of the available filters include: Date modified – Shows files changed in the time period you specified, such as "Today," "Yesterday," "This week," and all the way to "Last year." Kind – Filters the result by the specified type, some of which include "Note," "Music," "Picture," "Program," "Folder," "Game," etc. Size – Shows results based on the size you specified. For example, "Empty (0 KB)," "Tiny (0 - 16KB)," "Small (16KB - 1 MB)," "Medium (1 - 128 MB)," "Large (128 MB - 1 GB)," "Huge (1 - 4 GB)," and "Gigantic (>4 GB)." When selecting any of these filters, you will also notice the search query will update with the syntax as if you typed the full query manually, which can help you memorize the search term for another time. In addition, the "Search options" menu allows you to change some aspects of the search behavior. For example, if you select the "System files" option, the feature will also search and include results from the operating system installation files. When you check the "Zipped (compressed) folders" option, the File Explorer will look inside zip files to find your search terms. Finally, if you select the "File contents" option, the feature will look inside of files to find the search terms. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Save query for frequent searches If you usually perform the same search query frequently, instead of repeating the action, you can save the search to make it easily accessible from the "Quick access" section. To save a search on File Explorer, perform a search, click the "See more" button, and from the menu, choose the "Pin to Quick access" option. (Image credit: mauro Huculak) Once you complete the steps, the search query will be bookmarked in the system and appear in the "Quick access" section from the left navigation page and on the "Home" page. Enabled enhanced Indexing On Windows 11, by default, the system will only search for files and folders in the known folders, such as Documents, Pictures, and Music folders. However, if you want to find content from any location on the computer, you have to enable the "Enhanced" option. The Enhanced search option will increase the size of the indexing database and consume more system resources, but it'll allow you to search everything on your computer. To enable the Enhanced search option on Windows 11, you can open Settings > Privacy & security > Searching Windows and select the "Enhanced" option in the "Find my files" setting. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Search with AI (Copilot+ PCs) Microsoft is also working to bring AI functionalities to the Windows Search experience alongside the existing search feature with the addition of the Semantic Indexing feature. (Image credit: Microsoft) Semantic Indexing uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) with an on-device Phi Silica AI model to understand the meaning of the search term. In other words, using this new system, you can search for files, settings, and other content using natural language and not necessarily keywords present in the file. For instance, you can search for "mountain bike" to bring up pictures you may have taken while cycling. However, the keywords are not present in the file's context or metadata. Instead, the Semantic Indexing system understands the contents inside the photos. This feature is still in preview, and since it requires an NPU (Neural Processing Unit), it'll only be available for Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft is testing the feature in the File Explorer, Start menu, and Settings app. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. News posts... 2023: 5,800+ | 2024: 5,700+ | 2025 (till end of January): 487 RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

A tabbed File Explorer was a long-standing request from Windows users, which Microsoft finally delivered in the so-called Windows 11 Moment 1 update. Over the course of the next feature updates, Microsoft addressed many bugs and quirks, and it is now fixing one of the most annoying ones. If you use Windows 11, you know that despite having tabs, the operating system still opens a new File Explorer window every time you open a link instead of opening a new tab. This behavior is finally changing in Windows 11 build 22635.4515, with Microsoft allowing you to choose what happens when you click folder links. You can set File Explorer to open links in a new tab or keep the current behavior with a new window for each link. The new tab option is currently turned off by default, but you can force-enable it in Windows 11 build 22635.4515 using the ViVeTool app: Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Launch Command Prompt as Administrator and navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:49143212,52081114,48433719 and press Enter. Restart your computer. Now, you can adjust how File Explorer handles new tabs in Folder Options > General > "Open desktop folders and external folder links in new tab." Other File Explorer improvements in Windows 11 22635.4515 include the ability to toggle off the OneDrive backup notification in the address bar. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of October): 4,832 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

In late 2023, Microsoft launched a new feature update for Windows 11. The "Moment 4" update brought a lot of important changes, one of which was a modernized address bar for File Explorer. However, it also introduced a very annoying quirk: flashing OneDrive backup notifications for various folders, such as Documents or Pictures. One year after the introduction, Microsoft is finally fixing that. Windows 11 build 22635.4515, which was released earlier this week, contains a hidden feature that lets you turn off OneDrive backup notifications. In addition to turning them off completely, which is what most users will probably do, Microsoft also allows snoozing them to get a reminder in one month. With the latest Windows 11 Beta build, users can turn off the "Start backup" button in File Explorer by right-clicking (you can also tap and hold it) and selecting the necessary option from a context menu. If you choose to turn off OneDrive backup notifications in File Explorer, the flashing icon will disappear, and a simple PC (root) icon will appear instead, like everywhere else. Snoozing a backup notification turns the large OneDrive button into a smaller one, which is a much less distracting option. The ability to disable the "Start backup" button is currently hidden, but you can turn it off on Windows 11 build 22635.4515 using the ViVeTool app. Here is how to do it: Download ViVeTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Launch Command Prompt as administrator and navigate to the folder containing the ViVeTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViVeTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:47944061,48433719 and press Enter. Restart your computer. That is it. Now, you can open File Explorer and turn off OneDrive backup notifications. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of October): 4,832 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Yes, you can disable thumbnail previews if they're causing problems, or you don't want to use them, and here's how on Windows 11. On Windows 11, the modern version of File Explorer can also show thumbnails for a quick preview of the contents of a file, folder, document, image, or video. Although this feature can be usable to find files and folders faster without even having to open them or look at their name, it can make browsing slower and cause problems since the system has to scan and render image previews for every piece of content. If you keep your files and folders organized, File Explorer is taking a long time to load files, or you don't want to use this feature, you can turn off thumbnail previews in more than one way on Windows 11. If you change your mind, it's possible to turn it on again. In this how-to guide, I will explain the steps to disable (and enable) thumbnail previews in File Explorer for Windows 11. Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky, and if you do not complete the task correctly, it can cause irreversible damage to your installation. It is recommended that you of the device before p How to turn thumbnail previews on or off through File Explorer To manage thumbnail previews through File Explorer on Windows 11, use these steps: Open File Explorer. Click the "See more" menu and choose Options. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the View tab. (Option 1) Check the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option to turn off the feature. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) (Option 2) Clear the "Always show icons, never thumbnails" option to turn on the feature. Click the Apply button. Click the OK button. Once you complete the steps, the File Explorer settings will apply to turn thumbnails for files and folders on or off. How to turn thumbnail previews on or off through Settings To enable or disable thumbnail previews from Settings, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on System. Click the About page on the right side. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the Advanced system settings option. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button under the "Performance" section. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the Visual Effects tab. (Option 1) Clear the "Show thumbnails instead of icons" option to turn off the feature. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) (Option 2) Check the "Show thumbnails instead of icons " option to turn on the feature. Click the Apply button. Click the OK button. After you complete the steps, File Explorer will no longer show previews for files and folders. How to turn thumbnail previews on or off through Group Policy To control thumbnail previews from Group Policy, use these steps: Open Start. Search for gpedit and click the top result to open the Group Policy Editor. Browse the following path: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer Right-click the "Turn off the display of thumbnails and only display icons" policy and choose the Edit option. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) (Option 1) Choose the Enabled option to turn off the feature. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) (Option 2) Choose the Not configured option to turn on the feature. Click the Apply button. Click the OK button. Once you complete the steps, the policy will apply the settings to your computer to show or remove thumbnail previews. How to turn thumbnail previews on or off through Registry To use the Registry to disable or re-enable thumbnail previews on Windows 11, use these steps: Open Start. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor. Browse the following path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Right-click the Explorer key, choose New, and select the DWORD (32-bit) Value option (if applicable). (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Confirm the DisableThumbnails name for the DWORD and press Enter. Right-click the newly created DWORD and choose the Modify option. Change the value from 0 to 1. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the OK button. Browse the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Right-click the Explorer key, choose New, and select the DWORD (32-bit) Value option (if applicable). (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Confirm the DisableThumbnails name for the DWORD and press Enter. Right-click the newly created DWORD and choose the Modify option. Change the value from 0 to 1. (Image credit: Mauro Huculak) Click the OK button. After you complete the steps, you may still need to restart the computer to apply the settings. If you change your mind, you can revert the changes by following the same steps, but on steps 7 and 14, change the DisableThumbnails DWORD value to 0. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of October): 4,832 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

Windows 11's File Explorer has already received a large number of improvements and new features, but there is still one thing missing that many users want Microsoft to implement. That is the ability to display folder sizes without opening properties. While Microsoft does not seem to be in a big rush to implement that feature, a simple third-party mod brings the desired change to everyone. Important: Mind the potential risks of using third-party mods on your computer. Back up important data and never install apps from sources you do not trust or cannot verify what the app is doing. You can make File Explorer display folder sizes by downloading a Windhawk mod. If you are unfamiliar with Windhawk, it is a repository of various Windows mods that can supercharge the stock experience with much-requested features. What makes Windhawk stand out is that you can check the source code of each mod, which significantly reduces the risk of downloading unwanted stuff. However, you should still back up important data since modifications might introduce instabilities. If you want File Explorer to show folder sizes like in the screenshot above, do the following: Go to the official Windhawk website and download the installer. Install Windhawk, run it, and click "Explore." Search for "Better file sizes in Explorer details." Click Install. With the mod installed, you can choose between three options for folder size display: turned off, turned on when holding the Shift key, and always turned on. Consider these options before enabling the mod since calculating folder sizes might be slow if you have many folders with tons of files inside. To change how the mod works, open Windhawk, click "Details" next to the mod, switch to the Settings tab, and select the desired option from the "Calculate folder sizes" dropdown. Of course, you can always opt for third-party File Managers that can display folder sizes (some may even do a much better job at calculating sizes). Still, if you want to keep things as stock as possible while having some extra convenience, nothing beats Winhawk and its new small mod until Microsoft makes that a native feature. Source Hope you enjoyed this news post. Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years. 2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of October): 4,832 news posts RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend

The upcoming Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, expected to arrive on March 21, will be Microsoft's first true "AI PCs." While we wait for the company to provide more details on how AI PCs differentiate from regular computers, a new report spilled the beans on parts of the upcoming Windows 11 2024 Update and its AI-powered capabilities. According to Windows Central, AI File Explorer will be one of the main selling points for AI PCs. Described as "advanced Copilot," it will offer advanced search and timeline features for everything you do with your computer. Although some might object to the idea of a Windows computer remembering every step you take, AI Explorer will open new capabilities and conveniences, allowing you to interact with your device using natural voice. The upgraded File Explorer on AI PCs should be able to understand requests like "find me that list of restaurants Jenna said she liked" or even less apparent questions like "find me that thing about dinosaurs." Copilot will then present you with everything related to your request. In addition, AI PCs will offer you actions based on what is on your current screen. For example, you will be able to edit the currently open picture with features like the recently introduced background removal in the Photos app. Although Microsoft plans to launch the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 in April and June, the new AI features are not expected until the second half of the year. Therefore, Microsoft's first AI PCs will ship without their AI magic, or at least the most exciting part of it. It also sounds like the new AI Explorer will not work on currently existing hardware, but we have to wait for Microsoft to clarify this topic. Are you excited about "AI File Explorer" coming later this year? Is AI enough to convince you to upgrade your computer? Source: Windows Central Source

For most users, upgrading from an HDD to an SSD is the best way to make even old computers run significantly faster. Still, even snappy SSDs sometimes halt to a crawl when the user tries to open specific folders with tons of files. If you are tired of dealing with those slowdowns, here is a simple trick to make things notably faster. File Explorer in modern Windows versions has a system that tries to detect file types in each folder you open to optimize specific options, like default view. This mechanism can cause significant performance issues regardless of your storage type or its speed. Therefore, forcing Windows to "consider" each folder as one containing miscellaneous items should make things a lot faster. Sadly, Windows does not have a user-friendly option to turn off file type parsing, so the only way to toggle it off is to tweak the system registry. Keep in mind that messing around with the registry could potentially break things, so proceed at your own risk and always back up important data. Press Win + R and type regedit to open Windows Registry Editor. Copy the following path and paste it into the address bar: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell Click Edit > New > String Vale and call it FolderType. Double-click the new value and change its Value Data to NotSpecified. Restart your computer. It is also worth noting that you should set your expectations right. Do this only if you often deal with folders containing large numbers of files. If you do not, this magical registry tweak will most likely change nothing for you. But you can still try to make File Explorer faster using a rather odd and unconventional method that was discovered some time ago. Source

Microsoft is getting ready to announce the rumored "AI Explorer" with its fancy AI-powered experiences, which, sadly, seems to require new hardware, namely from Qualcomm. PC peasants with 16-core AMD Ryzen chips, 24-core Intel processors, and other "traditional" x86 processors will seemingly have to deal with the current, not-so-AI-powered File Explorer. Fortunately, the latter is also getting some love from Microsoft. Newly discovered improvements (not announced yet) focus on tabs, an area that can surely benefit from some feature and performance enhancements. Windows 11 build 22635.3566, which was released in the Beta Channel earlier this week, contains a feature ID that, after enabling, allows you to duplicate a File Explorer tag. By no means groundbreaking stuff, but it is welcome nonetheless. Right-clicking a File Explorer tab in the current stable release reveals three options: close the tab, close all tabs to the right, and close other tabs. In build 22635.3566, there is a fourth option responsible for duplicating your current tab. Neat. Those wanting to try tab duplication in File Explorer should do the following: Download ViveTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin). Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window. Navigate to the folder containing the ViveTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViveTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:45262221,48433719 and press Enter. Restart your computer. The current implementation is a bit jarring and lacks some smooth animations, but at least it is now much easier to have two identical File Explorer tabs. Hopefully, Microsoft will make more improvements to the area before officially unveiling tab duplication to the public. Source: PhantomOfEarth on X Source

Microsoft, today, has released the newest build to Windows 11 Dev channel Insiders. The new build, 23590, fixes multiple File Explorer crash issues related to the Context menu, address bar, and more. There are other changes this build brings too like more natural voices, among other things. The full changelog is given below: You can find the blog post on this page on Microsoft's official website. Source

On September 26, 2023, Microsoft released the Moment 4 update for Windows 11, delivering multiple new features and changes for customers. The redesigned File Explorer is a big part of the update, and it offers a modernized UI, RAR support (and more formats), a new Gallery section, and more. However, the new File Explorer is not as silky smooth as you might have expected. The updated app has some notable performance problems, plus it ditched the ability to drag and drop files onto the address bar. In Windows 11 Moment 3 and earlier versions, you can grab a file and move or copy it to another directory by dragging it over the address bar. As spotted by Windows Latest, this convenience is no longer available—all you get now is a weird-looking stop icon. Big sad! A Microsoft spokesperson told Windows Latest that the missing feature "is not currently supported" and the company would "continue monitoring feedback." Also, very few people use drag and drop with the address bar, so Microsoft decided to cut some corners and ship the redesigned File Explorer faster by omitting parts of the old app. For those unfamiliar with the technical side of things, File Explorer in the Moment 4 update moved to WinAppSDK, resulting in more features, better accessibility, and improved visuals. Microsoft said the updated address bar has better integration with local and cloud files and lets you get more info about your OneDrive storage. Windows 11 users are no strangers to situations like this. You can probably recall Microsoft doing the same thing with the taskbar. In 2021, the company shipped Windows 11 with the redesigned taskbar and Start menu lacking multiple old features, such as taskbar regrouping, the "Show seconds in system track clock" option, and more. Hopefully, Microsoft will fix the missing drag-and-drop feature in File Explorer in future updates, like it did with the taskbar. The Windows 11 Moment 4 update is now available as an optional non-security update in the Stable Channel. Click here to learn how to install it right now. Source

With the introduction of Windows 11 23H2, Microsoft has modernized File Explorer on Windows 11, bringing a fresher look and feel to the system's integral file management tool. This update is not only visually pleasing but also comes with enhanced features and functions aimed at boosting productivity and making navigation simpler. Among the new enhancements, the redesigned File Explorer now features a modern home page powered by WinUI, which integrates the Fluent Design System into all controls and styles. The modern Windows 11File ExplorerSource: BleepingComputer For those logged into Windows using an Azure Active Directory (AAD) account, recommended files will appear in a carousel with the soon-to-be-introduced support for file thumbnails. Quick Access folders, Favorites, and Recent sections also get a visual overhaul, providing a seamless, contemporary user experience. The new File Explorer has an updated address bar that can distinguish between local and cloud folders, displaying built-in status. Particularly for OneDrive users, the address bar will also indicate your OneDrive sync status and provide a flyout for your quota. Another exciting introduction is the modernized details pane (accessed by ALT + Shift + P). This pane offers a variety of contextual information about selected files, including file thumbnails, share status, file activity, related files and emails, and more. This new feature enhances the user's ability to manage and collaborate on files without opening them A new Gallery View Microsoft is also introducing the Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to simplify access to your photo collection. The photos displayed in the Gallery are the same ones you'd see in the 'All Photos' view of the Photos app. New File Explorer Gallery viewSource: BleepingComputer The new gallery is optimized to showcase your most recent photos, and if you have the OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up, photos you take will automatically appear at the top of the view. Users can choose which folders appear in the Gallery and can even add subfolders to filter specific content. Overall, the modernized File Explorer on Windows 11 breathes new life into a tool that is central to users' daily interactions with their computers. From smart address bars to detailed file insights and easy photo access, the update greatly enhances user experience, making file management easier and more efficient. If you want to test the new File Explorer yourself, you can install the Windows Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary preview builds. Source

Microsoft plans to ship a new feature update for Windows 11 later this year (stand by for our feature overview coming soon). Besides some neat features like Dynamic Lighting, native RAR support, Ink improvements, Windows 11 version 23H2 will introduce a redesigned File Explorer with the Gallery feature, improved tab management, modernized UI elements, enhanced OneDrive integration and more. The update is already available for testing in the Beta Channel, meaning the release is getting nigh. However, there is one big problem with the redesigned File Explorer: performance. To put it mildly, Windows 11's upcoming File Explorer is... not fast. In fact, users may experience severe performance downgrades even when running the update on supported hardware. Gustave Monce has shown the struggle of using the Surface Go 2, Microsoft's cheapest Windows 11-compatible tablet. The funniest part (if there is anything funny about File Explorer taking 15 seconds to load) is that the original Surface Duo, a device never made to run a desktop OS, is better at handling the redesigned File Explorer. Not like it does it in a snappy manner, but the difference is appalling nonetheless. Of course, one may rightfully argue that you should not expect much from a tablet with an entry-level Intel processor, 4GB of RAM, and slow eMMC storage. The problem is that the new File Explorer is slime-like even when running on more capable hardware. Florian (@flobo09 on Twitter), a Windows Insider MVP, claims their desktop PCs with an Intel Core i5-7600K and 16GB of RAM takes whopping 21 seconds to launch File Explorer. Although not that drastic, a similar situation occurs on the HP Pavilion x360 laptop with an 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor and desktop computer with a Ryzen 5 2600. Another frustrated user says the redesigned File Explorer is "borderline unusable" on a system with a Ryzen 3400G and 16GB of RAM, and the Feedback Hub is full of similar complaints. Upgrading File Explorer to WinAppSDK may have allowed Microsoft to implement new features and improve consistency, but it clearly crippled performance beyond recognition. We can only hope developers will use the remaining few months before the Windows 11 version 23H2 release to improve the situation. If not, many will have to stick to version 22H2 until things get notably better or even remain on Windows 10, as the recent study showed how it is much snappier than Windows 11. Source

This week, Windows 11 marked its second anniversary and the end of the initial release, version 21H2, which was infamous for its lack of polish and certain features. However, Windows 11 also introduced new things, such as a redesigned File Explorer, which later received tabs support and plenty of modernized UI elements and features. The Windows 11 Moment 4 update Microsoft released to the general public in late September brought one of the biggest updates to File Explorer since the initial release. In February, we published an article detailing the top 10 features and changes Windows 11 users want Microsoft to add to File Explorer. Now, it is time to compare the requests with what Microsoft delivered. Request Changes Make File Explorer faster when performing common actions. Made it worse. Intentionally or not, Microsoft did the opposite. Although the redesigned File Explorer looks better, it suffers from severe performance issues even on the latest and powerful hardware. Revamp the Properties window and add dark mode support. Unchanged. Support more archive formats. Delivered. File Explorer in the Windows 11 Moment 4 update supports many different archive formats, such as RAR, 7Z, TAR, and more. Many think this is the best change in the update. However, those frequently working with archives may still prefer dedicated software. Our tests showed that File Explorer is much slower than WinRAR and 7Zip. Improve design consistency. Delivered (partially). The Moment 4 update introduces more modern UI bits for File Explorer, such as the address and search bar, toolbar, and more. In addition to looking better, they work better with touchscreen devices. There is a catch: the updated address bar no longer supports drag and drop. Redesign the disk storage usage indicators. Unchanged. Make File Explorer display how much space each folder takes. Unchanged. Allow dragging tabs between different File Explorer windows. Delivered. Merge context menus and remove the "Show more options" button. Unchanged. Add a "Refresh" option to the context menu. Unchanged. Let users set the "Show more options" view as the default. Unchanged. Now, here are the File Explorer changes Microsoft introduced in the Moment 4 update: Gallery. A new section where you can browse all your photos stored locally and in OneDrive. Details Pane. A redesigned Details pane with extra information about a file and related activity. Better OneDrive integration. You can click the OneDrive icon in the address bar to check your storage, sync status, backup files, and more. At the end of the day, we have three feedback pieces addressed fully or partially. The six most popular requests remain unchanged, and one took a massive step back. In addition, Microsoft introduced three new features to improve your productivity. File Explorer is now more capable, but its performance issues and the lack of drag-and-drop support for the address bar will make many users think twice before upgrading. You might not care about the latter (Microsoft claims few people use it), but you will surely notice that the new Explorer is not fast and snappy. With performance improvements being the most popular request, Microsoft failed the only job it had. Interestingly, there is no escape from the new Explorer—Moment 4 will become a mandatory update in November 2023. Whether you want it or not, Microsoft will force-update your Windows 11 PC unless you are willing to mess with Windows Update settings and stay away from security updates. Hopefully, things will change for the better. Almost every Windows 11 preview build contains File Explorer-related improvements, so maybe the hope is not lost. Source

Microsoft, today, has released the newest build to Windows 11 Dev channel Insiders. The new build, 23560, brings Copilot, fixes bugs in the File Explorer context menu and dropdowns, boosts Task Manager performance, and more. The full changelog is given below: Changes and Improvements [Copilot in Windows*] We’re beginning to roll out the ability to use Copilot in Windows with ALT + TAB. Using the ALT + TAB hotkey now displays the thumbnail preview for Copilot in Windows among the other thumbnail previews of open windows, which you can switch between by pressing Tab. Fixes [File Explorer] Fixed an issue which could make the File Explorer dropdowns and context menu unexpectedly have a transparent background sometimes. Fixed an issue where the search box wasn’t showing the correct folder name when you were in Gallery. [Taskbar] Fixed an explorer.exe crash impacting taskbar reliability. [Narrator] Fixed an issue where languages other than U.S. English couldn’t preview Narrator natural voices in Settings. Fixed an issue where Narrator wasn’t reading out the time stamps on recommended items in Start correctly. [Task Manager] Did some work to help improve performance when expanding the navigation pane in Task Manager. NOTE: Some fixes noted here in Insider Preview builds from the Dev Channel may make their way into the servicing updates for the released version of Windows 11. Known issues [Start menu] Some apps under All apps on the Start menu, such as PWA apps installed via Microsoft Edge, may incorrectly be labeled as a system component. [Copilot in Windows*] [NEW] Some Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel who are on the Home edition of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds may notice that Copilot in Windows* has disappeared from the taskbar. We’re working to resolve this issue in a future flight. The new Copilot icon is not shown currently in the latest Dev Channel builds. It will be updated in an upcoming flight – stay tuned! When first launching or after refreshing Copilot in Windows while using voice access, you’ll need to use “Show grid” commands to click in the “Ask me anything” box for the first time. You can find the official blog post here. Source

It appears that Microsoft is working on even more tabs for File Explorer in Windows 11. One of the upcoming updates, which is currently available for testing in the Beta Channel, contains a hidden feature for File Explorer's Home page. Enabling it will place three new tabs under the Quick Access section, allowing you to quickly switch between recent files, favorites, and shared files. In addition, each section now features additional graphics and a brief explanation of what you can expect to show up there. The thing was spotted by the ever-giving source of Windows 11 insights, @PhantomOfEarth on X: The official release notes do not contain a single word about the updated Home page for File Explorer, so getting it to work on your system requires a bit of tinkering with everyone's favorite ViVeTool app. Here is how to do that: Download ViVeTool from GitHub and unpack the files in a convenient and easy-to-find folder. Press Win + X and select Terminal (Admin). Switch Windows Terminal to the Command Prompt profile with the Ctrl + Shift + 2 shortcut or by clicking the arrow-down button at the top of the window. Navigate to the folder containing the ViVeTool files with the CD command. For example, if you have placed ViVeTool in C:\Vive, type CD C:\Vive. Type vivetool /enable /id:45130483 and press Enter. Restart your computer. If you change your mind and want to turn off the updated Home page, repeat the steps above and replace /enable with /disable in the command on step 5. Do you like the new Home page for Windows 11's File Explorer? Source

The Windows Insider channels are where Microsoft experiments with new features and changes before they are made generally available to the public. However, while at most times, the company tests new additions, sometimes Microsoft also does away with some old features as they may be running on legacy code in an effort to modernize the OS. Recently, Microsoft announced it was removing several File Explorer folder options on the Windows 11 Dev channel as it outlined nine such folder options. In its Build 23481 blog post, the tech giant stated: We are removing a handful of old settings under Folder Options in File Explorer as part of an effort to clean up the number of settings for File Explorer. Many of these are legacy settings that have been around for ages and are not being regularly used by people on Windows 11. The following settings will no longer appear under Folder Options in File Explorer: Hide Folder Merge conflict. Always show icons, never thumbnails. Display file icon on thumbnails. Display file type information on Folder tips. Hide protected OS files. Show drive letters. Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items. Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour. Use sharing wizard. However, this appeared to have not gone down too well with the community as with the latest Dev build, the company notes that it is rolling back the changes due to the feedback it has received. In the Build 23486 blog post that was released earlier today, Microsoft said: Thank you to all the Windows Insiders who gave us feedback on the Folder Options changes in File Explorer that removed a handful of old settings in Build 23481. We’ve rolled back this change. As is normal for the Dev Channel, we will often try things out and get feedback and adjust based on the feedback we receive. For those who do not wish to update to the latest Dev build yet but want to have those Folder options, you can check out this article here. And in case you missed it, Windows 11 Beta channel users also received a new build today. The new build brings new Network settings options and also fixes a compatibility issue related to the registry. Source

You don't have to say good-bye to legacy File Explorer features after all. What you need to know Microsoft just released Windows 11 Build 23486 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. The update adds support for signing in with passkeys on apps and websites using the native Windows Hello experience. Microsoft also backtracked on its previous plans to remove select legacy File Explorer features. Microsoft just released Windows 11 Build 23486 to Insiders in the Dev Channel. The update includes several improvements to the passwordless experience on Windows 11, such as being able to log in to websites with passkeys through Windows Hello. But perhaps more important than what Microsoft added in the build is what the update's change log specifies is no longer being taken away. Microsoft will no longer remove a group of legacy File Explorer features that it previously said were on the way out. "Thank you to all the Windows Insiders who gave us feedback on the Folder Options changes in File Explorer that removed a handful of old settings in Build 23481. We’ve rolled back this change. As is normal for the Dev Channel, we will often try things out and get feedback and adjust based on the feedback we receive," said Microsoft. As noted by the company, the Dev Channel is a place to experiment with new ideas and feature sets. When Microsoft announced its plans to remove select legacy File Explorer features, I noted that the company could change its mind. Microsoft was going to remove the following features, but will now leave them in: Hide Folder Merge conflict. Always show icons, never thumbnails. Display file icon on thumbnails. Display file type information on Folder tips. Hide protected OS files. Show drive letters. Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items. Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour. Use sharing wizard. Moving back to what's new; here's Microsoft's summary of the improvements to passkeys. The Windows Blog post goes into depth on how to set up these features: Enroll and use passkey to sign into apps and websites: We are improving the passkey experience for Windows users. They can now go to any app or website that supports passkeys to create and sign in using passkeys with the Windows Hello native experience. Once a passkey is created, users can use Windows Hello (face, fingerprint, PIN) to sign in. In addition, users can use their phone to complete the application logon process. Manage passkeys saved to your Windows device: We are giving users a fundamental control over how they can manage the passkeys saved to their Windows device. They can now view and delete passkeys saved for their favorite apps/websites from Windows settings. Windows 11 Build 23486: Changes and Improvements File Explorer Thank you to all the Windows Insiders who gave us feedback on the Folder Options changes in File Explorer that removed a handful of old settings in Build 23481. We’ve rolled back this change. As is normal for the Dev Channel, we will often try things out and get feedback and adjust based on the feedback we receive. Dynamic Lighting New Effects are now available for Dynamic Lighting via Settings > Personalization > Dynamic Lighting. Check out Wave, Wheel, and Gradient. Emoji Unicode Emoji 15, which began rolling out with Build 23475, is now available to all Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel. Settings We are improving the user experience when changing time zones, including cases of low confidence in location data. It displays a non-dismissible notification for accepting or rejecting the change and prompts the user for confirmation before adjusting the time zone. We are also improving the user experience while changing the time zone via Settings > Time & language > Date & time. If location settings are disabled, a warning is now shown to the user, urging them to enable location settings to ensure accurate time zone adjustments. This warning provides helpful information to the user, helping them understand why their time zone may not be correct and guiding them towards resolving the issue. Source

Microsoft has published details about a newly found bug in Windows 11. It affects all Windows 11 versions (21H2 and 22H2) by breaking a specific part of File Explorer and causing higher-than-usual CPU usage after installing KB5026372, released on May 9, 2023 (the May 2023 Patch Tuesday update). According to Microsoft, the problem appears when users try to check Effective Access permissions in the "Advanced Security Settings" dialog for shared files or folders. Clicking the "View effective access" button can result in Windows displaying a "Computing effective access..." message without query results. In addition, File Explorer will continue taxing the CPU, even after closing the Advanced Security Settings dialog. After installing updates released on May 9, 2023 or later updates, you might be unable to view Effective Access in the "Advanced Security Settings" dialog for shared files or folders. On affected devices, when the "View effective access" button is selected, you will receive the message "Computing effective access...." but the results of the query might not be displayed and explorer.exe might continue to use CPU after the Advanced Security settings dialog is closed. This issue is unlikely to be experienced by consumers using Windows devices in their home. Fortunately, the bug is easy to mitigate and is unlikely to affect "regular customers" using Windows 11 PCs in their homes. Microsoft says you can temporarily resolve the issue by restarting your computer or signing out and then back in. Note, however, that just locking Windows will not fix the problem. The bug affects Windows 11 client versions 21H2 (the original release) and 22H2. It may also pop up on systems running Windows Server 2022. Microsoft is already working on resolving the bug and promises to release a permanent fix later this month. In case you missed it, Microsoft recently removed several legacy folder options from File Explorer in the latest preview build from the Dev Channel. You can learn more about this upcoming change here. Source

Windows is a complex piece of software with a long history, and it is no secret that even the latest versions still have massive chunks of legacy code and features that very few people need or use. With each release, Microsoft is trying to make its OS more modern without breaking its core features or upsetting customers with unnecessary changes, which often results in old features being removed or notably reworked. That is precisely what is happening in the latest Windows 11 preview build from the Dev Channel. Windows 11 build 23481 removes several legacy File Explorer settings. Microsoft says the affected options have been around for ages and are no longer regularly used by Windows 11 customers. Therefore, Windows developers decided that the active File Explorer redesign presents a good opportunity for a cleanup. Here are the features Microsoft wants to delete: Hide Folder Merge conflict. Always show icons, never thumbnails. Display file icon on thumbnails. Display file type information on Folder tips. Hide protected OS files. Show drive letters. Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items. Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour. Use sharing wizard. Windows has a massive user base, with more than one billion people using the OS for their daily needs, so it is evident that some will be upset about the change. If you are one such customer, good news: the removed features are still accessible, but turning them on or off now requires more time and effort. How to enable missing Folder Options in Windows 11 build 23481? Note that the following steps will take effect in your current Windows profile. Also, accessing Windows Registry Editor requires administrator privileges. Back up important data before proceeding since editing the wrong registry keys may result in catastrophic software damage. Press Win + R and type regedit, then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Now open one of the listed below values and change its value data from 0 to 1 to enable a feature or 1 to 0 to turn it off. If a key is missing, click File > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and rename the value accordingly. Hide Folder Merge conflict - HideMergeConflicts Always show icons, never thumbnails - IconsOnly Display file icon on thumbnails - ShowTypeOverlay Display file type information on Folder tips - FolderContentsInfoTip Hide protected OS files - ShowSuperHidden Show drive letters - ShowDriveLettersFirst Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items - ShowInfoTip Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colour - ShowEncryptCompressedcolour Use sharing wizard - SharingWizardOn Note that you might need to restart your computer after changing data for a specific value in Windows Registry Editor. Are you upset that Microsoft wants to remove parts of Folder Options in Windows 11? Let us know what you think in the comments below. Windows 11 removes several File Explorer options, here is how to restore them

File Explorer, the default file management tool of Windows 10 and 11 systems, opens Home, This PC or a OneDrive folder by default when launched. While these are the three default options that users may select between, there is also a hidden setting to open the Downloads folder on start of File Explorer. The following paragraphs provide step-by-step instructions on changing the startup location of File Explorer on Windows 11 to that hidden option, and to one of the three default options. Switch between Home, This PC and Personal folders The built-in options are accessible via File Explorer's Folder Options. Open File Explorer on the Windows 11 device. Select the three-dots menu and then Options from the context menu that opens. The setting "Open File Explorer to" determines the startup location of File Explorer. Select one of the available options and then OK to apply the change. The three options are: Home -- This displays Quick Access folders, pinned files and recent files when launched. Microsoft is working on adding more content to it, including work-related content for Enterprise and Education accounts. This PC -- displays all connected drives and devices. Personal -- The user's personal or work OneDrive folder. Some Windows 11 users may prefer to set a different startup location for File Explorer. While there is no way to set a custom folder, there is at least a hidden option to make the Downloads folder the startup folder on the system. Making the Downloads folder the default File Explorer folder on startup Note: this change requires making an edit to the Windows Registry. While it is perfectly save, it is recommended to create a backup of the Registry or the entire system before proceeding. Here are the required steps: Open the Start Menu on the Windows 11 device, type regedit.exe and select the Registry Editor result. Confirm the UAC prompt with a click on the Yes button. Paste the following path into the location field in the Registry Editor window: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced Right-click on Advanced and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value. Name it LaunchTo. Double-click on the Dword and set its value to 3. The change takes effect immediately, a restart of the PC is not required. If everything was done correctly, File Explorer should launch the Downloads folder from now on whenever it is opened. You can undo the change at any time by deleting the LaunchTo key, or by using the built-in options menu to set the start location to one of the three defaults. Now You: if you could choose freely, which location would you select to launch at File Explorer start? Display the Downloads folder when you open File Explorer in Windows 11

Microsoft announced tabs for File Explorer in Windows 11 earlier this year, but it took the company a while to release the first public preview. Tabbed File Explorer is currently available to some insiders in build 25136 from the Dev channel, and no software trickery is required to access it. Less lucky insiders need to utilize the popular Vivetool app to enable the long-promised tabs. Limited feature rollout is the unfortunate reality of the Windows Insider program. How to turn on tabs in File Explorer in Windows 11 build 25136? Before enabling Tabbed File Explorer, you need to update your computer to Windows 11 build 25136 from the Dev channel. Earlier preview builds also had a hidden config responsible for enabling tabs, but it no longer works. Important: Proceed at your own risk. Enabling hidden features that Microsoft is not ready to ship can cause instabilities and bugs. Also, we do not recommend installing builds from the Dev channel on your primary machine. Download Vivetool from its repository on Github using this link. Extract files wherever convenient, for example, on the drive C. Press Win + R and type cmd, then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter. This command will launch Command Prompt as Administrator. Type CD with the path to the Vivetool's folder and press Enter. For example, CD C:\Vivetool Type vivetool addconfig 37634385 2 and press Enter. Restart your computer to apply the changes. Once your computer boots back, launch File Explorer to check out its tabbed interface. Note that you might not get the redesigned navigation pane after enabling the config. If you want to disable Tabbed File Explorer in Windows 11 25136, repeat the steps above and use the delconfig 37634385 command on step 4. Guide: How to enable tabs in File Explorer in Windows 11 build 25136

In terms of cosmetic improvements, Windows 11 is a big upgrade. It comes with a new Start Menu, Fluent Design elements, new inbox apps, rounded corners and more. In addition to these design overhauls, Windows 11 also comes with a new File Explorer and Settings app. File Explorer is getting a new header menu, modern context menu and minor improvements. On the other hand, the Windows Settings app has been completely redesigned with a new layout optimized for all form factors, and it also comes with new customization options. Settings app Windows 11 Settings app interface has been updated with a new sidebar on the left side. The sidebar is visible when you navigate between different pages, so you can easily go back to a particular page. Microsoft has finally enabled breadcrumbs support in the Settings app to help users navigate between different pages of the app. Windows 11's Settings app features a new personalization page, new network connections, a power usage page, and more. Additionally, Microsoft is making it difficult to change default apps like your default web browser. The default apps page within the Settings app now requires you to select apps for all file formats. For example, if you want to switch to Chrome or Firefox from Microsoft Edge, you'll need to manually configure the browser for various URLs, such as HTML and HTM. File Explorer Windows 11 doesn't come with a tablet mode, so File Explorer has been optimized for touchscreen devices. The existing interface has been updated with additional padding and Fluent icons to optimize the File Explorer for both desktop and touch users. These changes include a new context menu that will help users with touchscreen, so they can easily interact with files, select or delete/rename files, as shown in the below screen. Microsoft is replacing the Windows 8-era ribbon toolbar with a redesigned top menu called "command bar" allowing you quick access to commonly used actions like share, delete, rename, etc. The new menu uses the Mica effect, which is an opaque, dynamic material that incorporates theme and desktop wallpaper to paint the background of File Explorer. The ... menu now lets you access the advanced configuration options available in Windows 10's File Explorer. In addition to these design improvements, Microsoft has also enabled support for CTRL + Left / Right arrow when changing the name of the files. This lets you move the cursor between words in the file name, as well as CTRL + Delete and CTRL + Backspace to delete words at a time, like other apps and tools. Microsoft has also updated the context menu and icons to match the rest of the operating system. Hands on with Windows 11's new Settings and File Explorer

Windows 11's general availability is just a couple of weeks away, and while we have covered its main features from a bird's eye-view already, we have also been diving deeper into the capabilities on offer to provide our thoughts on the changes via our Closer Look series too. So far, we have taken a look at Search, Widgets, the Start menu, Snap Layouts and Snap Groups, the Taskbar, quick settings and notifications, Virtual Desktops, power and battery settings, and default apps configurations in Windows 11. Today, we'll be taking a look at a crucial part of the OS - from an end-user perspective -, namely, File Explorer. For the purpose of this hands-on, we'll be taking a look at Windows 11 build 22000.194 that was released to the Beta Channel a couple of days ago versus a publicly available and up-to-date Windows 10 (version 21H1 build 19043.1237). As usual, it is important to note that the OS is still under active development so it's possible that some of the features we talk about may change by the time of Windows 11's general availability. File Explorer in Windows 10 Instead of discussing the features and capabilities present in Windows 10 this time, I just want to focus on the UI of File Explorer. This is because it will take me a lifetime if I start writing about each and every feature. Frankly, I'm not even aware of all the capabilities it offers, and that's because my usage of File Explorer is highly dependent on my use-cases. There might be faster and better ways to perform the activities I do in File Explorer, but I don't Google (or Bing, or anything else for that matter) the most optimal way to complete a task on the software, unless I am blocked. So, I'll just briefly talk about the UI. File Explorer offers a ton of customization options on this front, you could have checkboxes next to each item, file previews, file extensions, thumbnail size, sorting and filtering techniques, and whatnot when it comes to UI. There's also a ribbon which shows you categories like File, Home, Share, View, and more, depending upon the file you have clicked on. I find it quite satisfactory to use and I think it's a powerful utility to have. File Explorer in Windows 11 Coming over to File Explorer in Windows 11, the first thing you'll likely notice is the new icons for Windows folders like Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos. This extends to other system icons like that for devices and drives as well as user-created folders. The new File Explorer also contains rounded corners, which is a design staple for Windows 11. I personally like the design revamp because it just feels fresher. Another thing you'll likely notice is that Microsoft has done away with the traditional File Explorer ribbon, which has now been replaced with a set of quick action buttons. Depending upon the file you have clicked on, you'll see a set of quick action items such as New, Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Share, Delete, Sort, and View. This has all the options I need for most use-cases so I'm not bothered by this change at all. In fact, it simplifies the UI for me so I can quickly perform common tasks. File Explorer ribbon drop-down in Windows 11 But if you're thinking about how you would perform other more advanced tasks, fret not. Microsoft has added a drop-down in the same quick actions pane that offers you some more customization, and groups other in the "options" category. More options for File Explorer in Windows 11 While I haven't done a one-to-one comparison between all the configurations present in Windows 10 versus Windows 11, but I was able to most of the options I was looking for. As stated previously, I have never used all the utilities available in File Explorer anyway, but Microsoft hasn't detailed any functionality being deprecated from File Explorer in Windows 11. So if the company did remove any functionality behind-the-scenes without announcing it, I am yet to find it. Context menu for File Explorer in Windows 11 There is a new context menu (or "right-click menu", depending upon what you call it) and just like the simplified ribbon in File Explorer, you'll see a set of quick actions like Cut, Copy, Rename, Share, and Delete in the pane at the top followed by some other functionalities below it. All the other options that you are likely used to on Windows 10 have been moved to the "Show more options" setting. That said, this is not a File Explorer-specific setting but is similar across the desktop's context menu too. As such, I plan to cover it separately in a dedicated Closer Look article in the near future. That's pretty much it when it comes to File Explorer in Windows 11. No new functionalities to speak of (or nothing that I have found yet) but a bunch of design changes that I welcome. The UI is much more simplified and easier to use, especially for people like myself who only use the most common functionalities. That said, if there was one new capability I would really appreciate in File Explorer, that would be the ability to have tabbed instances in the same app. I think this would enhance my productivity tenfold. Microsoft announced this interface revamp under the brand name "Sets" back in 2017, but the project was shelved in 2019. It isn't a part of Windows 11 either, which is a bit disappointing. I wasn't expecting it to be there at all, but given the mockups and general enthusiasm we have seen for the feature online, I really hope Microsoft considers starting development on it again. Closer Look: File Explorer in Windows 11