Finally, File Explorer on Windows 11 received the much-awaited Tabbed mode. Microsoft has rolled out it with a first Moment update for Windows 11 22H2. So everyone has it right now, for some reason, if you don’t like Tabs in File Explorer, you can disable it, here is how.
Tabbed File Explorer in Windows
There has been a huge request for File Explorer Tabs in Windows. Sure, you can add Tabs to Windows Explorer using third-party apps, but features come integrated with makes more usable.
Microsoft tried Sets in the past for Explorer, now they’ve eventually brought tabs.
As you surf the web in a browser with tabs and a lot of apps now support a tabbed interface, why not for File Explorer? Which is the users’ Home to access files and folders on their computer.
In case you don’t know, you can utilize the following keyboard shortcuts for faster managing tabs in Explorer
With File Explorer in Focus,
- Ctrl+T opens a new tab
- Ctrl+ W closes the active tab.
- There are context menu options to “close tabs to right” and “close other tabs”. So transitioning to tabbed File Explorer is much easier.
Disable Tabs for File Explorer Windows 11
Keep in mind there is no UI or option or Setting available in Windows 11 Settings or File Explorer options to disable tabs. We’re not sure Micorsoft will add one for the same in the future.
But, you can turn off File Explorer tabs by using a third-party utility, Vivetool.
The tool is most popular among Windows insiders and Windows 11 users for enabling hidden new features and options in insider builds as well as public stable builds.
Disable Tabs in File Explorer on Windows 11
- Download ViveTool from Github
- Extract files to C:/Vivetool
- Click Start and type cmd,
- Select run as administrator
- Type Cd C:/Vivetool
- Execute the following commands and press enter for each.
vivetool /disable /id:37634385
vivetool /disable /id:39145991
You can able to disable File Explorer’s new navigation pane also by running the below command
vivetool /disable /id:36354489 - Close the command Prompt and restart windows once done.
After the system restart, when you open File Explorer (Win+E) there will be no + option to open a new tab. That’s it Tabs integration has been disabled.
Windows 11 File Explorer without Tabs
If you want to restore Tabs in File Explorer
Run the following commands in the Terminal with vivetool
vivetool /enable /id:37634385
vivetool /enable /id:39145991
To restore the new navigation pane
Enter this vivetool /enable /id:36354489
Final words: File Explorer in Windows 11 recently received Tabs, if you don’t like it, you can disable Tabs in File Explorer by using the Vive tool, here is how that can be done.
Do you want to use Explorer with or without Tabs? Let us know in the comments below.
