Customize & Configure Windows 11 File Explorer [How to]

Many users want to customize File Explorer in Windows 11 in order to adjust it to their needs. If you’re looking to do so, today’s guide will show you how to properly do it.

How can I change the appearance of the File Explorer?

1. Change the File Explorer theme

1. Hit the Windows key and click on Settings.
2. Click on Personalization on the left pane then select a theme.

2. How to organize files in File Explorer Windows 11?

1. Hit the Windows + E keys to open File Explorer.
2. To arrange the files/folders, click on Sort, and in the drop-down that appears, select an option.
3. You can also go further and choose to Group by.
4. To change the file/folder icon size, click on View at the top.
5. Select one option from Extra large icons to Small icons.

For us, one of the most useful features is sorting in Windows 11 File Explorer and we use it frequently to find newly created files.

Don’t forget to check out our article on more folder settings that will further help you stay organized.

3. Hide/show File Explorer panes

1. Hit the Windows + E keys to open File Explorer.
2. Click on View then select Show.
3. Here, you can check all options that you want to hide.

4. How do I customize the Windows 11 Navigation Pane?

1. Right-click the Navigation Pane. Be sure to click outside of any open directories.
2. You’ll see a context menu.
3. From there you can choose the types of directories you want to show.
    
4. You can also choose to show all folders on your PC in a tree view for quick access.
5. If you wish to remove folders from Quick Access, right-click them and choose Unpin from Quick Access.
   
6. Pinning is just as easy, and you just need to right-click the directory you want to pin and choose Pin to Quick Access.
   

6. Activate single-click for folders/files

1. Hit the Windows + E keys simultaneously to open File Explorer.
2. Click on the three horizontal ellipses on the right and select Options.
3. Navigate to the General tab, check the Single-click to open an item (point to select) option then click
4. Apply and OK to save changes.

7. Change privacy and advanced settings

1. Open Folder Options again.
2. In the Privacy section, you can toggle if you want recently used files and folders to be available in the Quick Access section.
    
3. Navigate to the View tab.
4. In the Advanced settings section you can change various hidden settings, such as showing icons instead of thumbnails, hiding protected operating system files, and more.
   

8. How can I customize the File Explorer toolbar / ribbon in Windows 11?

Unfortunately, Windows 11 doesn’t have the ability to customize the toolbar, so you can’t add or remove any items from it.

However, you can customize your File Explorer and restore the classic File Explorer ribbon.

If you’re having problems and, for some reason, the search in File Explorer is not working or the group by option is greyed out, check out our expert article for answers.

If you’re looking to customize Windows further, don’t miss our guides on how to customize Windows 11 Start Menu and our guide on how to customize the lock screen in Windows.

Let us know of any other ways to configure File Explorer in Windows 11 that you use to improve your experience in the comment section below.