Microsoft is preparing a fresh round of changes to Windows 11’s File Explorer, with the company rolling out interface tweaks and under-the-hood improvements designed to make the system utility feel lighter, cleaner, and much quicker on machines that struggle with performance.
The updates, now active in the latest Dev preview builds, mark one of the most significant File Explorer refinements since Windows 11 launched.
At the heart of the update is a new preloading system for File Explorer. Microsoft says the feature is designed to “help improve File Explorer launch performance,” a move that effectively keeps parts of the app warmed up in the background so it opens faster when a user clicks it. On high-end PCs, File Explorer typically opens instantly, but on low-powered devices—especially the growing crop of Windows handhelds, compact laptops and entry-level tablets—users often experience a noticeable delay as the shell loads. Preloading is meant to narrow that gap.
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The company is giving users the option to turn this off, acknowledging that not every PC needs it running quietly in the background. The approach mirrors work Microsoft already did earlier this year for its Office suite, where it added a small scheduled task at startup to ensure apps like Word launch quickly without making users wait for the full load-in. Windows insiders say the idea is to reduce friction in everyday use, especially for people who rely on File Explorer dozens of times a day.
Another major change is coming to the File Explorer context menu, which has been one of the more polarizing elements of Windows 11 since its release. Microsoft is slimming it down, removing the bloat that has built up over years of incremental feature additions. The company is moving actions that people rarely use into dedicated submenu flyouts. There is now a “manage file” flyout which gathers functions such as compress to ZIP, copy as path, set as desktop background, and rotate right or left.
Cloud storage services get their own cleanup as well. “Cloud file options” are being tucked into a separate cloud provider flyout, which is also where features like Send to My Phone now live. The intention is to make File Explorer’s right-click menu feel less like a wall of text and more like a curated list of the things people genuinely tap into regularly. Early testers say the menu now feels more sensible, less chaotic, and easier to navigate with the eye.
These changes are part of Microsoft’s broader effort to refine Windows 11’s interface and smooth out long-standing pain points. Over the past year, the company has pushed out several design improvements—from rounded UI refinements to deeper system settings overhauls—aimed at making the OS feel more cohesive. With File Explorer being one of the most used components of Windows, Microsoft has been under pressure to get the experience right.
The current rollout is still confined to the Windows Insider Dev Channel, where Microsoft often tests experimental features that aren’t guaranteed to ship. But people familiar with the company’s release roadmap say these improvements are being fast-tracked for general availability. If the timeline holds, the updated File Explorer should begin rolling out to all Windows 11 users in early 2026, arriving as part of a wider wave of system-level refinements scheduled for that period.
Insiders say Microsoft has more File Explorer improvements in the pipeline, including ongoing work on performance tuning, cloud integration enhancements, and deeper ties between File Explorer and Windows’ AI assistant features. For now, though, the current update represents a meaningful step toward reducing clutter, speeding up navigation, and modernizing one of Windows’ most important tools—especially for people on hardware that’s starting to show its age.
