After years of using File Explorer, many people are finally moving on to a better third-party file manager. But the change brings a new perspective: File Explorer is still an important part of Windows, and with a few smart updates, Microsoft could make things even better for users.
1. Improved tab support
Windows 11 finally introduced tabbed browsing in File Explorer, a long-requested feature that lets you easily navigate between different folders without opening a new window each time. However, the current implementation feels a bit unfinished. There's no option to pin frequently used tabs, no shortcut to reopen closed tabs, and tabs don't restore after a restart.
With the March 2025 Update, Microsoft has partially addressed the issue by introducing an option to restore open tabs and windows after restarting or signing in. Unfortunately, this feature only works after a full system reboot. If you accidentally close File Explorer and reopen it, your tabs will still be gone.
2. Dual Pane View
Dual Pane navigation is another big omission in File Explorer. With two side-by-side panes, you can quickly drag and drop files or folders between different folders without having to open multiple windows. It also makes it easy to compare the contents of two folders to clean up duplicates and manage backups. This feature alone can significantly improve productivity for power users.
Apps like File Pilot and Opus Directory handle multitasking well. Your tabs are saved, there's an easy way to pin frequently used folders, and you can create multiple panels in a single window at will. File Explorer could learn from these implementations to provide a more rich experience.
3. Improved preview and file viewing options
File previews in File Explorer are inconsistent and can’t compare to what third-party file managers and even those for PowerToys Peek offer. While it supports common formats like images, text, PDFs , HTML , and .reg files , using the feature can be a pain.
This feature struggles with less common file types, and in my experience, it often fails to preview even text and PDF files. A more reliable preview option is a handy way to quickly sift through files without opening them or using a third-party app to preview their contents.
4. Make searching faster
File Explorer is relatively slow compared to third-party alternatives like File Pilot . The search function is slow and takes a long time to display results, especially when scanning large folders or external hard drives. There are many factors that contribute to slow searching, including the lack of system-wide indexing unless it is manually enabled for specific folders.
Sure, you can rebuild the entire search index to improve Windows search speeds, manually add folders and file types to the indexing options, and tweak non-indexed locations to disable metadata searching to find files faster. However, most people will never make these settings and end up with slow search, forcing Microsoft to implement a more robust solution right out of the box.
5. Advanced file metadata support, filtering, and sorting
File Explorer lets you find files faster using filters like date, name, size, and type (file type). However, it is less intuitive and most people never use these filters because they are hidden in the settings. Microsoft could improve this by adding advanced multi-criteria filters that combine multiple filters, the ability to save filters, and instant live filtering to show only a specific file type.
File Explorer also needs improved file organization tools. It lacks color-coded folders, tags, and custom labels to easily distinguish files at a glance.
6. Provides advanced customization features
While File Explorer’s revamped design is appreciated, it offers limited customization of the toolbar and menus. You can’t add, remove, or rearrange toolbar icons, nor can you customize the context menu to fit your workflow. If you want to hide a section, you can do so temporarily, as it will re-enable the next time you open the window. Meanwhile, third-party apps like Files let you hide any section you want and, crucially, remember your choices.
Microsoft could borrow a feature from File Pilot, which lets users pin their most-used actions (like rename, properties, and open with) to the top of the menu. Likewise, Directory Opus-style customizable toolbars, custom labels, and tags can help speed up repetitive tasks by putting commonly used commands at your fingertips.
7. Faster file transfers and better error handling
File Explorer can be sluggish, especially when moving large numbers of files and transferring between drives. It also suffers from poor transfer queue management, with multiple transfers happening at once and slowing things down, making it frustrating during backups or large projects.
If an error occurs, the operation will simply pause or abort instead of being able to retry, resume, or skip problematic files. Applications like Opus Directory offer faster transfers with multiple streams and the ability to manually adjust buffer sizes to work with large files.
Imagine being able to instantly find any file on your computer with just a few keystrokes! File Explorer offers powerful search tricks that make locating files a breeze.
This guide will show you all the steps needed to show the Recycle Bin in File Explorer, regardless of whether you are using Windows 10 or Windows 11.
This tutorial will show you how to rearrange columns for a folder (directory) when in details view in File Explorer for a personal account in Windows 11 and Windows 10.
It's easy to preview files without opening them in Windows 10 thanks to the Preview Pane feature in File Explorer. You can see thumbnails of most images, videos, audio files, and some text-based documents.
Learn how to change the Default Folder View of Search Results on Windows 10 to enhance your file exploring efficiency. Follow our step-by-step guide to easily set your preferred view.
Microsoft is betting big on artificial intelligence and a partnership with OpenAI to make Copilot a reality.
File Explorer on Windows 11 is considered by most users to provide a good experience.
If you're a user of both systems, many people still come back to File Explorer because of its simplicity and more user-friendly features.
Most Windows users spend a lot of time in File Explorer. However, there are specific features that people rely on to streamline their workflow and increase productivity.
Many Windows 10 users have reported that in the process of loading data, they often encounter File Explorer hangs causing the File Explorer window to completely freeze. Especially when the number of files is large and the computer configuration is weak.
Windows File Explorer will display a notification whenever the user is trying to delete a file that is currently opened by another program or system. At that time, you cannot open, edit or delete this file. They are still running in the background and have been closed improperly.
In this article, we will guide you how to regain access to your hard drive when it fails. Let's follow along!
Dental floss is a common tool for cleaning teeth, however, not everyone knows how to use it properly. Below are instructions on how to use dental floss to clean teeth effectively.
Building muscle takes time and the right training, but its something anyone can do. Heres how to build muscle, according to experts.
In addition to regular exercise and not smoking, diet is one of the best ways to protect your heart. Here are the best diets for heart health.
The third trimester is often the most difficult time to sleep during pregnancy. Here are some ways to treat insomnia in the third trimester.
There are many ways to lose weight without changing anything in your diet. Here are some scientifically proven automatic weight loss or calorie-burning methods that anyone can use.
Apple has introduced iOS 26 – a major update with a brand new frosted glass design, smarter experiences, and improvements to familiar apps.
Yoga can provide many health benefits, including better sleep. Because yoga can be relaxing and restorative, its a great way to beat insomnia after a busy day.
The flower of the other shore is a unique flower, carrying many unique meanings. So what is the flower of the other shore, is the flower of the other shore real, what is the meaning and legend of the flower of the other shore?
Craving for snacks but afraid of gaining weight? Dont worry, lets explore together many types of weight loss snacks that are high in fiber, low in calories without making you try to starve yourself.
Prioritizing a consistent sleep schedule and evening routine can help improve the quality of your sleep. Heres what you need to know to stop tossing and turning at night.
Adding a printer to Windows 10 is simple, although the process for wired devices will be different than for wireless devices.
Diet is important to our health. Yet most of our meals are lacking in these six important nutrients.
You want to have a beautiful, shiny, healthy nail quickly. The simple tips for beautiful nails below will be useful for you.
Students need a specific type of laptop for their studies. It should not only be powerful enough to perform well in their chosen major, but also compact and light enough to carry around all day.
