With the heavy lifters out of the way, namely the Desktop, the Start Menu, and the Taskbar, it is time to take a look at other features of Windows 11. And prime among them is File Explorer.
If you are power user, then it might disappoint you to find out that there are no major improvements in the default file manager in the upcoming OS. At least, in this latest build that has floated up to the surface.
Even the touch friendly modern UWP version of the File Explorer that is hidden away in the OS doesn’t come with any enhancements.
Sure, there are new icons and cosmetic changes that you can find scattered all over Windows 11. But if new features and options are what you seek, then there is bad news — this is pretty much the same File Explorer available in the current Windows, only with a new coat of lipstick.
This is what we are looking at:
Disappointing, right?
For me, personally, the icons are a step back from the vibrant look that the Fluent Design system is known for. In a way, they are far too identical. A simple disc would have done the job for the DVD Drive, and a wider spectrum of color for the Folders would have made things much easier to discern.
Then we come to the features.
For eons, the community had been asking Microsoft to include support for tabs in File Explorer. Which on paper seems like the simplest of things, as third-party applications have managed to do it with relative ease, if not the finesse that the Windows maker is known for.
Redmond did come close to offering it with the ill-fated Sets feature, but sadly that never became real.
As things stand, there is little chance of new features being added to File Explorer. But as noted above, there are a handful of new icons for this utility, many of which Microsoft has showcased during development of the Sun Valley update over the past few months.
A complete overhaul of File Explorer is not on the cards. And this is a shame, really, considering the fact that the native file manager remains one of the most used programs in the world of Windows.
Microsoft has been ignoring the public demand for far too long, and it does not seem like the company is ready to answer the call.
