Microsoft is speeding up and decluttering File Explorer in Windows 11

Microsoft is making some changes to the File Explorer in Windows 11 that will make it less cluttered and launch faster. The latest Dev preview builds of Windows 11 include File Explorer preloading “to help improve File Explorer launch performance,” and changes to the context menu to reduce the amount of space less commonly used actions take up.

The preloading of File Explorer should hopefully mean Microsoft’s file and folder management tool launches faster on systems where performance is constrained. On modern PCs it’s nearly instant, but I’ve certainly witnessed it load slower on less powerful devices like Windows handhelds and tablets.

You’ll be able to disable the File Explorer preloading so it’s not always running in the background. After all, most PCs will not need to preload File Explorer. It’s similar to the work Microsoft did with its Office apps earlier this year, to improve the startup speed of Word with a scheduled task that runs silently when you boot your PC to make Office apps open quickly.

The File Explorer context menu changes will be welcome ones across fast and sluggish PCs. Microsoft is reducing the clutter in the context menu by moving actions that are rarely used into sub menus. There’s a new manage file flyout that includes compressing files into a ZIP, copy as a path, set as desktop background, and rotate right or left.

Cloud file options have also been moved into a separate cloud provider flyout, where you’ll also find Send to My Phone. The changes mean the context menu looks a lot cleaner now, and it should be easier to find frequently used actions.

All of these changes are being tested in the latest Dev preview builds of Windows 11, so they should roll out to all Windows 11 users in early 2026.