Solved Customize left column of File Explorer?

Levitate11 · Apr 11, 2025

Win 11 Newb trying to sort out this interface.

Can the left column of the File Explorer be "customized" ?

1. In the screen capture below, there are some "pinned" folders?. How do I un-pin some of them to remove them from the list?

2. In the screen capture below, the D: drive is an external SSD hooked up through a USB port. Why does it appear both listed under "This PC and" then as a top level drive in the left column. Any way to customize this off (Settings, Reg hacks, whatever). Yes, I am OCD

Feuer · Apr 11, 2025

Code:

REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders\{F5FB2C77-0E2F-4A16-A381-3E560C68BC83}" /f
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders\{F5FB2C77-0E2F-4A16-A381-3E560C68BC83}" /f

Copy the code, paste in a .bat file, run .bat file as an administrator, restart your computer. You will fix your 2. problem.

Brink · Apr 11, 2025

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

Q1) Sure you can unpin those from Quick Access using an option in the tutorial below.

Pin to Quick Access and Unpin from Quick Access in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to Pin to Quick access and Unpin from Quick access local and network folders, drives, libraries, OneDrive, This PC, Recycle Bin, etc... locations for your account in Windows 11. Quick access in the navigation pane of File Explorer (Win+E) allows you to quickly...

www.elevenforum.com

Q2) Removable drives are shown as separate groups in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default in addition to being shown under the This PC group in the navigation pane. You can use an option in the tutorial below to stop showing them.

Add or Remove Duplicate Drives in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add (show) or remove (hide) the drives showing twice in the navigation pane of File Explorer for all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Removable drives are shown as separate groups in the navigation pane of File Explorer by default in addition to being shown...

www.elevenforum.com

Levitate11 · Apr 11, 2025

Thanks for the pointers. All set on those two now. I also hunted down a couple others I wanted to change (Gallery & One Drive) by searching the tutorials. Teach a man to fish, etc.
--
One more File Explorer question: I have: I have changed the file displays to "Details" and also customized some of the "...Options". I used "Apply to Folders" and applied to All folders. So far so good. That successfully seemed to change all folders in earlier windows versions.

Unfortunately while the Options changes seem to have worked, a lot of folders still don't display Details and I have to choose that manually. Mostly that happens to Folders with graphics, video, etc but it also happens to just folders full of program and data files. It even happens in File Save prompts, where it's extra ugly.

Is there a trick to changing them all? Would I need to copy a Desktop.ini file into each or manually visit them to do the same? Is there a Reg hack that will make "Details" the default?

EDIT: Found this: WinSetView (Tool to Globally Set Explorer Folder Views)

I don't actually needs all the flash in that program, but let me know if it's the way to go.

BuddhaNature · Apr 12, 2025

Unfortunately while the Options changes seem to have worked, a lot of folders still don't display Details and I have to choose that manually. Mostly that happens to Folders with graphics, video, etc but it also happens to just folders full of program and data files. It even happens in File Save prompts, where it's extra ugly.

Is there a trick to changing them all? Would I need to copy a Desktop.ini file into each or manually visit them to do the same? Is there a Reg hack that will make "Details" the default?

For a registry hack see this, or you can do it the easy way and just use WinAero Tweeker: Disable Automatic Folder Type Discovery in Windows 10

P.S. I use Winaero Tweeker to do the fix and it works fine in Windows 11.

Brink · Apr 12, 2025

Levitate11 said:
Thanks for the pointers. All set on those two now. I also hunted down a couple others I wanted to change (Gallery & One Drive) by searching the tutorials. Teach a man to fish, etc.
--
One more File Explorer question: I have: I have changed the file displays to "Details" and also customized some of the "...Options". I used "Apply to Folders" and applied to All folders. So far so good. That successfully seemed to change all folders in earlier windows versions.

Unfortunately while the Options changes seem to have worked, a lot of folders still don't display Details and I have to choose that manually. Mostly that happens to Folders with graphics, video, etc but it also happens to just folders full of program and data files. It even happens in File Save prompts, where it's extra ugly.

Is there a trick to changing them all? Would I need to copy a Desktop.ini file into each or manually visit them to do the same? Is there a Reg hack that will make "Details" the default?

EDIT: Found this: WinSetView (Tool to Globally Set Explorer Folder Views)

I don't actually needs all the flash in that program, but let me know if it's the way to go.

You can use the method in the tutorial below to apply the "Details" view to all folders.

Apply Folder View to All Folders in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to apply view settings of a folder to all folders for your account in Windows 11. You can change the folder view settings in Windows 11 to what you want for each separate folder. View settings for a folder include the template, columns, column width, Group by...

www.elevenforum.com

krism · Apr 12, 2025

pinned folders - right click on each and choose unpin.

other junk - in explorer/3 dots/Options/view/navigation pane , choose what you want then at top click apply to folders and say yes.

Levitate11 · Apr 13, 2025

Thanks. I think it's working now using the reg hack (until it doesn't! :- )

Solved Customize left column of File Explorer?

Levitate11

Member

My Computer

System One

Feuer

Fatal Error

My Computer

System One

Brink

Administrator

Pin to Quick Access and Unpin from Quick Access in Windows 11

Add or Remove Duplicate Drives in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11

My Computers

System One System Two

Levitate11

Member

My Computer

System One

BuddhaNature

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

Brink

Administrator

Apply Folder View to All Folders in Windows 11

My Computers

System One System Two

krism

Well-known member

My Computers

System One System Two

Levitate11

Member

My Computer

System One

Similar threads

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials