Windows 11's File Explorer Will Soon Be Faster, Easier to Navigate
Microsoft is making some subtle changes to File Explorer to simplify and speed up navigation.
The changes, spotted in the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build , will redesign the menu that appears when you right-click to make it shorter and hide select actions in new submenus.
For example, the new design moves image file options—including Compress to…, Copy as path, Rotate right, Rotate left, and Set as desktop background—into a Manage filemenu.
That takes Microsoft's options in the first menu from 16 to 12. There will likely be a learning curve for some users, but Microsoft says the changes will make it easier to use. It also notes that it may eventually change the name from Manage fileto something else.
The current menu (left) and the changes.
There are other changes depending on the file type. The option for uploading cloud-based options now includes a submenu for Always Keep on this Deviceand Free Up Space.
As part of the update, Microsoft also preloads elements of File Explorer to improve speeds. "This shouldn't be visible to you, outside of File Explorer hopefully launching faster when you need to use it," Microsoft says.
The feature can be disabled under File Explorer's Folder Options> View> Enable window preloading for faster launch times. If you've got an older computer that can sometimes struggle with Windows 11, this should make the options within File Explorer easier to use. It probably won't make a major difference if you've got a more powerful machine.
An exact release date for both features to reach the final version of Windows 11 remains unclear.
