Solved File Explorer Separators

when you use winaero - navigation pane - remove all the default (uncheck them all), reboot, recheck them (the ones you want) and reboot again. curious if its glitched and reapplying this will resolve it

dacrone said:

when you use winaero - navigation pane - remove all the default (uncheck them all), reboot, recheck them (the ones you want) and reboot again. curious if its glitched and reapplying this will resolve it

Click to expand...

No dice.

@izzyforeal
• Are you running native resolution/dpi?
• Could the glitch have anything to do with your custom icons?
• Can you please post an entire monitor screenshot of File Explorer maximized?

Edwin said:

@izzyforeal
• Are you running native resolution/dpi?
• Could the glitch have anything to do with your custom icons?
• Can you please post an entire monitor screenshot of File Explorer maximized?

Click to expand...

Thanks for responding Edwin, I appreciate the help.
1) No
2) Yes
3) Yes (see below)

First off, maybe you already know this, but to prevent issues with the alignment and/or scaling of various UI elements you should always avoid to use a Custom Scale (only adjust the Scale) in Windows Settings | System | Display. Since you already tried the DISM command to check for corrupted system files, you also might want to repair Windows via an in-place upgrade just in case, and, if all else fails, do a clean install of Windows. (I also recommend to create an image of your Windows system partition after that, so you can choose to restore from it in the future if/when the internal storage device on which Windows has been installed dies or Windows gets corrupted in such a way that nothing else helps.)

That said, the new File Explorer of Windows 11 with the command bar and tabs is complete and utter bolox (and that is putting it mildly). The best possible fix (IMO and IME) is to go this route:

• ExplorerPatcher (on GitHub) ➜ go to Properties ➜ File Explorer ➜ Control Interface: Windows 10 Ribbon
• Open-Shell (also on GitHub) ➜ go to Settings for Classic Explorer ➜ Navigation Pane tab ➜ reduce the value of Tree Item Spacing to something below zero, and also apply other tweaks as needed
• As others have stated, you can also use Winearo Tweaker (and Ultimate Windows Tweaker) for some additional customizations/tweaks, also as needed.

hdmi said:

First off, maybe you already know this, but to prevent issues with the alignment and/or scaling of various UI elements you should always avoid to use a Custom Scale (only adjust the Scale) in Windows Settings | System | Display. Since you already tried the DISM command to check for corrupted system files, you also might want to repair Windows via an in-place upgrade just in case, and, if all else fails, do a clean install of Windows. (I also recommend to create an image of your Windows system partition after that, so you can choose to restore from it in the future if/when the internal storage device on which Windows has been installed dies or Windows gets corrupted in such a way that nothing else helps.)

That said, the new File Explorer of Windows 11 with the command bar and tabs is complete and utter bolox (and that is putting it mildly). The best possible fix (IMO and IME) is to go this route:

• ExplorerPatcher (on GitHub) ➜ go to Properties ➜ File Explorer ➜ Control Interface: Windows 10 Ribbon
• Open-Shell (also on GitHub) ➜ go to Settings for Classic Explorer ➜ Navigation Pane tab ➜ reduce the value of Tree Item Spacing to something below zero, and also apply other tweaks as needed
• As others have stated, you can also use Winearo Tweaker (and Ultimate Windows Tweaker) for some additional customizations/tweaks, also as needed.

Click to expand...

Thanks hdmi for the detailed instructions but I have tried everything on your list but haven't tried Ultimate Windows Tweaker so I'll give that a try. Thanks to everyone who has tried to assist, you're good people.

You've had a lot thrown at you. I don't think anyone here has ever seen that crazy line separator issue before. Here's what I would do. I would live with it until MS releases a 23H2 iso.
Then I would do an inplace upgrade. I wouldn't mess with doing it on 22H2.

As far as getting the folders where you want in the navigation pane, if @Brink doesn't know how to move them, no one does. He'll see this thread now.

dacrone said:

when you use winaero - navigation pane - remove all the default (uncheck them all), reboot, recheck them (the ones you want) and reboot again. curious if its glitched and reapplying this will resolve it

Click to expand...

wph said:

when you use winaero - navigation pane - remove all the default (uncheck them all), reboot, recheck them (the ones you want) and reboot again. curious if its glitched and reapplying this will resolve it

Click to expand...

izzyforeal said:

No dice.

Click to expand...

Odd.

glasskuter said:

You've had a lot thrown at you. I don't think anyone here has ever seen that crazy line separator issue before. Here's what I would do. I would live with it until MS releases a 23H2 iso.
Then I would do an inplace upgrade. I wouldn't mess with doing it on 22H2.

As far as getting the folders where you want in the navigation pane, if @Brink doesn't know how to move them, no one does. He'll see this thread now.

Click to expand...

i thought OP said everything was as it should be, except for the glitched separator? what folders need moved to what category? prior to winaero tweaker incorporating the nav pane in it, winaero had another tool called ThisPC Tweaker that lets you add folders and you can show them in the drive section or in the folders section.. is that what needs edited? idk if you can still find that older tool online, but if not i still have it... if you want to go that route.

dacrone said:

i thought OP said everything was as it should be, except for the glitched separator

Click to expand...

I actually worded that wrong. You are correct. He has a catch 22. He can fix his separator problem by showing all folders and then using Brinks tutorial to to remove the folders from the navigation pane. He doesn't want to do that. He could then pin the folders he uses. He doesn't want to do that either. He wants to keep his folders under This PC rather than having them above This PC.. So as it stands right now he can't have it both ways.

This proves the glitchy separator is directly tied to the show all folders option. Since dism didn't fix any corruption that might have been the issue, a repair install might fix it so he can have what he wants and fix the separator, but I'm not so sure because @Edwin noticed something I didn't...custom icons. That might have something to do with it as well.

When it comes to File explorer, MS has made it a touchy beast. They really didn't make it for us to mess with even though we all do.
23H2 has a new file explorer. It's supposed to be a complete revamp in design. A thought struck me that none of us has verified what release of 11 he's running. He may well be using the new file explorer.

izzyforeal said:

Thanks for responding Edwin, I appreciate the help.
1) No
2) Yes
3) Yes (see below)

Click to expand...

Okay...,
1) I don't think dpi has anything to do with it, the full screenshot looks normally proportionate.
2) You've got some pretty heavy theming goin on there, but, I don't think that's it either.

What I would try..., compile a list of all Folders you want to see in the Navigation Pane as Parent folders ...
then, as mentioned before, use Winaero Tweaker to remove all groups...



then simply navigate to each Folder on your list and pin them to Quick Access. That's what I do, however, the Folders are virtual, they won't be expandable!
(You may also need CustomizerGod to eliminate the stupid looking Push Pin icon!!!)

glasskuter said:

He wants to keep his folders under This PC rather than having them above This PC.. So as it stands right now he can't have it both ways.

Click to expand...

This can be done. ThisPC tweaker will allow OP to add whatever folders desired and place them in the drives category - thus showing below ThisPC in the navigation pane.

glasskuter said:

When it comes to File explorer, MS has made it a touchy beast. They really didn't make it for us to mess with even though we all do.

Click to expand...

Of course they really didn't make it for us to mess with. Like I already said, all they really did was just make it a mess...
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us...explorer/cf16c42d-2d2d-4d52-829a-867418b385d9

izzyforeal said:

Thanks hdmi for the detailed instructions but I have tried everything on your list but haven't tried Ultimate Windows Tweaker so I'll give that a try. Thanks to everyone who has tried to assist, you're good people.

Click to expand...

Could you please post a screenshot of the old File Explorer (i.e., with the Windows 10 Ribbon and with no tabs nor with the command bar) to show that the separator line is still visible in it? Because, if it still is, then probably it means that you've just discovered a new bug in ExplorerPatcher that no one else has discovered yet AFAIK. (For me, the issue went away, permanently, when I changed the Command Interface setting to Windows 10 Ribbon.)