What's new with File Explorer on Windows 11 2023 Update

[Windows Central]

Windows 11 2023 Update brings an updated File Explorer with a redesigned header, new Details pane, tweaked Home, new Gallery experience, and changes for the Share.

What's new with File Explorer on Windows 11 2023 Update : Read more

 

[Iamdumbguy]

One thing missing: it's janky as all hell. The "header" loads completely separate from the rest of the content. It's basically two apps in a giant overcoat. Somehow Microsoft has come up with a worse app solution than just embedding browsers into Win32 panes.

Why is there a line between the tab and the address bar? Edge has tabs. Notepad has tabs. Terminal has tabs. None of these has a line like this.

The preview button is nice. It's ridiculous you had to dig to toggle this on and off before.
Still can't get to the Recycle Bin without changing the folder view. Why?

What is the point of Gallery? Is this taking another stab at libraries? It was pretty cool when file pickers could embed UWP apps like Photos. But when you open Gallery from a file picker, it doesn't even share the same view as File Explorer.

Pining for the days when Microsoft would even half ass this garbage.

Edit: I just noticed that clicking the new tab + button refreshes the current tab's folder structure in the left pane. Why? It looks like creating a new tab is just really slow.

Edit: The "Home" pane has WinUI checkboxes, while every other pane will only get the legacy tiny checkboxes. It used to be that we'd complain about the dissimilar look and feel between one app and another. Now, they just shove every UI framework into every app.

Edit: You cannot drag and drop files on the address bar to move files. Ludicrous.

 

[y88cdw]

The new file explorer (Windows 11, September 2023) has the suggestions dropdown appear on its own randomly and cover some buttons (i.e. the paste button), and won't go if I click anywhere where the files and folders are. I think it should 1) not appear on its own randomly and 2) must hide if I click anywhere. Serious productivity breakdown.

 

[Iamdumbguy]

The new file explorer broke productivity. After I enter a drive location that I've typed manually or click on the copy/paste buttons in the new file explorer (Windows 11, September 2023), an URL suggestion automatically pop-ups, hides some buttons (i.e. the paste button!) then won't go if I click anywhere in the file explorer window. The only way to escape the URL suggestion is to click on the tab title or an URL choice, which often redirects to an unwanted location. I think it should 1) appear only if I click on the address bar or disappear if I ignored the suggestion (double-clicking on a folder), and 2) must hide if I click anywhere else on the screen. Using a laptop without a mouse that can right-click has made my job a nightmare. Are they doing any sort of testing before pushing their updates?

I don't understand this. Escape closes the address bar pop-up. Clicking anywhere else absolutely closes the pop-up.
The pop-up covers the paste button, but the paste button is for files and folders, not for pasting a URL into the address bar.

 

[y88cdw]

Clicking anywhere else absolutely closes the pop-up.

Not when it has appeared on its own, the dropdown behaves differently. The bug seems not only specific to my computer and was also listed on Windows Feedback Hub as "With the address bar updates to File Explorer in W11, the suggestions dropdown appears on its own randomly". Just to clarify, I wasn't about pasting URL, but the suggestion dropdown covering buttons that cannot be used for files and folders manipulation.

Edit: Good news, according to the post on the Windows Feedback Hub, they are working on it.

 

[rob]

@Mauro Huculak - Thanks for the detailed breakdown of what's new

Has anyone figured out how to easily create a file explorer shortcut on your desktop? (It used to be just a drag-and-drop from the file explorer address bar onto the desktop.)