Microsoft officially launched a long-awaited update to Windows 11 that will make searching through folders and files more accessible.
The most recent Windows 11 preview build (25136) is accessible to users of the early-access program. Microsoft has added a brand new tab system for File Explorer, similar to those used in browsers for the web.
Instead of opening a separate File Explorer instance to browse for a new location to store files, Users can now open another tab, which will be tucked away in that same application.
Windows 11 File Explorer tabs
The updated File Explorer was first revealed in April at an event focusing on working in a hybrid way with improvements developed for Windows 11.
The goal is straightforward: to minimize the clutter on your desktop and allow users to work with multiple locations of files at the same time by reducing the number of open windows at the same time.
The announcement was well-received by Windows users who have been asking for the feature for a long time, almost since it was first introduced into macOS in 2013. Up until now, Mac OS users have been forced to use third-party software to use the capabilities of Windows 11, but no longer.
The new tab system is not the only thing being made to File Explorer, however. In a recent blog article (opens in a new tab), Microsoft has also changed the appearance of the side panel and brought the cloud-based storage platform OneDrive into the spotlight.
“File Explorer is introducing a refreshed layout of the left navigation pane, which will make it easy for you to navigate to folders that matter to you,” Microsoft explained. Microsoft. “The updated organization provides easy access to your pinned and frequently used folders (Quick access) and your OneDrive cloud profiles added to Windows.”
Further, classic folders like Documents, Images, Downloads, etc., will no longer be included in “This PC,” a space now reserved for computers’ HDDs and the external hard drives only.
It’s not clear what time the new version of File Explorer will debut as a public release; however, users can be content knowing that the testing process has started with a bang.
