Microsoft is upgrading Windows 11 File Explorer by adding a preloading function for speedier launch times, as well as cleaning up and reorganising the right-click context menu. These updates are now being tested with Windows Insiders and are slated to roll out to all users in early 2026.
The changes and modifications to the File Explorer in Windows 11 is to make it less cluttered and start faster. The most recent Windows 11 Dev preview builds include File Explorer preloading “to help improve File Explorer launch performance,” as well as improvements to the context menu to reduce the amount of space occupied by less frequently performed operations.
File Explorer’s preloading should make it launch faster on computers with limited performance. It loads almost instantly on contemporary PCs, but it loads much slowly on less capable devices like Windows handhelds and tablets.
This adjustment comes as part of a larger attempt to optimise Windows 11 for a wide range of hardware, from high-end gaming machines to low-cost laptops. According to posts on X (previously Twitter) from computer aficionados and Windows observers, such as those published by well-known accounts like Windows Latest, the feature has stirred excitement for its potential to improve daily productivity. Users have long complained about File Explorer’s sluggishness, particularly when exploring huge directories or networked discs, and this preload could be the tipping point.
Users can disable File Explorer preloading so that it does not run in the background all the time. After all, the majority of computers will not require File Explorer to be preloaded. It’s similar to the work Microsoft performed with its Office apps earlier this year to boost Word’s starting time with a scheduled job that runs discreetly when you boot your PC to help Office apps open faster.
The modifications to the File Explorer context menu will be welcome on both fast and slow computers. Microsoft is reducing clutter in the context menu by shifting activities that are infrequently used into submenus. There is a new manage file flyout that allows you to compress files into ZIPs, copy as a path, set as a desktop backdrop, and rotate right or left.
Cloud file options have also been moved to a separate cloud provider flyout, which includes Send to My Phone. The modifications make the context menu seem much cleaner, and it should be easier to locate frequently used activities.
All of these enhancements are being tested in the most recent Dev preview builds of Windows 11, and they should be available to all Windows 11 users in early 2026.
The Speed Improvements are on;
File Explorer will be preloaded in the background to guarantee that it launches quickly when opened. This mirrors the earlier “startup boost” feature used in Microsoft Office apps and is designed to improve performance, particularly on lower-end hardware where launch times tend to be slower.
THE optional features allows users who do not want to use the functionality can disable “Enable window preloading for faster launch times” in the File Explorer Folder Options under the View tab.
Microsoft has stated that preloading will have a small impact on RAM utilisation.
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