While Microsoft continues to improve the File Explorer on Windows 11, it’s also true that it has become increasingly bloated over time. Despite its modern design refinements, the new File Explorer on Windows 11 feels slower than the classic File Explorer available on Windows 10. In addition, many of the key features and tools are missing from the new File Explorer.
If you are disappointed with the new File Explorer, Wintoys lets you restore the classic File Explorer on Windows 11 with a single click. I recently reviewed the Wintoys app and found that it’s one of the best utilities available on Windows 11. Power users should definitely use it to tweak and customize the OS.
The latest Wintoys v2.0.81.0 update brings a plethora of changes, but the major one is that you can now use the classic File Explorer on Windows 11. Simply download the Wintoys app (Free) from the Microsoft Store for free and make sure you have the latest 2.0.81.0 version installed. Now, move to Tweaks and expand the File Explorer menu.
Here, simply enable the toggle next to “Classic interface” and click on “Restart” in the left pane. You can also choose to disable the Home and Gallery tabs in File Explorer. You will now have access to the classic File Explorer on your Windows 11 PC. It brings back the Ribbon menu with quick access to several tools. I tested the old File Explorer on my Windows 11 PC and all the Ribbon tools worked flawlessly.
You can also enable the classic context menu in Wintoys under the Desktop section to completely change the look and feel of the new File Explorer. Having said that, I didn’t find a significant difference in File Explorer’s performance. While it’s relatively faster, the old File Explorer on Windows 10 is blazingly fast.
It may have to do with WinUI 3 and XAML frameworks which are good for designing the titlebar, but they still rely on legacy components, leading to processing overhead. In 2023, we reported a strange bug in File Explorer that improved its performance by simply entering full-screen mode. Back then, many criticized Microsoft for putting little effort into cleaning legacy code.
Nevertheless, this simple solution lets you enjoy the classic File Explorer on Windows 11 with improved performance. Apart from that, the latest Wintoys app lets you uninstall Microsoft Edge which is not possible via traditional methods.
