Quickly view shared files in Windows 11 with this new File Explorer feature

It's not officially released as of now

2 min. read

Published on May 20, 2024

published on May 20, 2024

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Microsoft is set to introduce a new Shared section in the File Explorer on Windows 11. Currently, the section is available in Windows 11 Beta 22635.3640 but is disabled by default. To enable it, you will need to use ViveTools, software that allows you to preview experimental features.

News about this change to the File Explorer was shared by PhantomOcean3, a Windows Insider, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

File Explorer's Home page will be getting some updates soon! The way sections appear is being updated (complete with fancy visuals if there is nothing in them) and a new "Shared" section is being added. (disabled by default, Beta 22635.3640.) pic.twitter.com/kamy1T4sSN
— PhantomOcean3 ? (@PhantomOfEarth) May 17, 2024

Also, Microsoft has changed the UI a bit, with the three sections, Recent, Favorites, and Shared, placed horizontally in the same line, while earlier, the first two were positioned under one another.

To get the latest File Explorer view with the Shared section and UI changes, download ViveTool from the official GitHub page, and then use the following command: vivetool /enable /id:45130483

Based on the information provided by users, it seems that the new section is still not fully integrated into File Explorer, and there are some bugs. A user reported that, on enabling the Shared section view, the left pane automatically populates with duplicates of the pinned shortcuts.

*Shared section in File Explorer’s Home Page (Image source: PhantomOcean3)*

As a result, Microsoft must have disabled the Shared section from the default view, as is usually the case with similar experimental features.

Enable it at your own risk, though we recommend against it. Besides, if other bugs appear, you can always disable the new Shared section view in Windows 11 Beta by replacing enable in the ViveTool command with disable.

Before you leave, discover how to quickly preview files in the Windows 11 File Explorer without opening them.

What do you think about the new File Explorer UI and the Shared section? Drop a comment below and let us know.

More about the topics: File Explorer, Windows 11

Kazim Ali Alvi

Windows Hardware Expert

Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows PC. He's specialized in hardware devices, always ready to remove a screw or two to find out the real cause of a problem. Long-time Windows user, Kazim is ready to provide a solution for your every software & hardware error on Windows 11, Windows 10 and any previous iteration. He's also one of our experts in Networking & Security.