#File explorer quick access slow series

If you select an item and right-click, you’ll see a series of icons that represent the common cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete operations. One of the most dramatic shifts away from tradition in Windows 11 File Explorer comes from the new right-click (context) menu. You can pin items to it, move them around by dragging with your mouse, and access quick shortcuts to special folders, drives, and network shares. The sidebar in each Windows 11 File Explorer window operates almost identically to the sidebar in Windows 10. There’s also an ellipses (three-dot) menu for overflow items such as mapping a network drive, selecting all items in the window, and opening options.Īlthough sometimes the act of simplifying an interface by hiding options can make it harder to use, in this case, it seems like Microsoft has struck the right balance (although your personal taste will vary). In its place, you’ll find a series of simple icons that help you perform basic tasks (such as create new folders, copy, paste, rename, and delete), sort icons, or change the view in the window below. Gone is the complex, compartmentalized ribbon interface with tabbed “File,” “Edit,” and “View” options.

A New Toolbar (without a Ribbon)Ĭompared to Windows 10, Windows 11’s File Explorer features a dramatically simplified toolbar. Also, you’ll find that the right-click context menu is quite different. In Windows 11, all File Explorer windows have rounded corners, there’s a new toolbar, and many files and apps use new icons. (Currently, there’s a known bug in the Preview release that makes the title of the window white-on-gray, but that will be fixed soon.) You have the usual features: minimize, maximize, and close buttons, a toolbar, navigation buttons, a path bar, a search bar, and a sidebar (That’s a lot of bars.), and a main area where you can change how you list out your files. But several details about how you perform that task have changed. Functionally, File Explorer in Windows 11 works almost exactly like File Explorer in Windows 10: It’s a way to interact with the files stored on your computer using a windowed interface.