Personalization Restore Classic File Explorer with Ribbon in Windows 11

soewhaty · Jan 25, 2025

anyname said:
Reporting something fundamental (pardon if already reported in this thread too long to read) :
After performing Option Three: Restore Classic File Explorer with Ribbon for Current User using REG file,
and closing /reopening Windows user session to be thorough,
navigation (keyboard and mouse) in Explorer is just plain bad, not displaying what it should display.

Don't see why this comment got overseen but yes, more fingers pointing to Option 3 not working fully great although Brink always comes with high quality content. Maybe sth else is off on our ends here.

soewhaty · Jan 25, 2025

LesFerch said:
I think there there may have been more going than just that simple reg change to cause that problem. Try using my SwitchExplorer app for testing. It applies exactly the same registry entry so you can switch back and forth very easily to run some tests. It will be helpful to see if you can replicate the issue consistently.

thanks for this input, i'll give it a try and let you know

soewhaty · Feb 11, 2025

LesFerch said:
I think there there may have been more going than just that simple reg change to cause that problem. Try using my SwitchExplorer app for testing. It applies exactly the same registry entry so you can switch back and forth very easily to run some tests. It will be helpful to see if you can replicate the issue consistently.

After some weeks of testing I can confirm that the New/Modern explorer is at least in my case behaving way more snappy ... can easily spot the difference. I did use your SwitchExplorer app and it's very clear so ... just putting this out there for others who might end up like me ... hating the new explorer but having to use it cos the old one is just too sluggish.

LesFerch · Feb 11, 2025

soewhaty said:
After some weeks of testing I can confirm that the New/Modern explorer is at least in my case behaving way more snappy ... can easily spot the difference. I did use your SwitchExplorer app and it's very clear so ... just putting this out there for others who might end up like me ... hating the new explorer but having to use it cos the old one is just too sluggish.

I wonder if you have one or more shell extensions installed that only apply to the old Explorer (and are slowing it down because they run in process). You could take a look with ShellExView and see what's installed.

soewhaty · Feb 12, 2025

LesFerch said:
I wonder if you have one or more shell extensions installed that only apply to the old Explorer (and are slowing it down because they run in process). You could take a look with ShellExView and see what's installed.

Thanks LesFerch... After running ShellExView I see a huge list of stuff, so do you know how to filter down to "shell extensions installed that apply to the old Explorer"?

As a side note - does anyone else get this annoying white strip popping up one some windows after they stay open for some time? Saying annoying cos I can't press any of the menu buttons, they don't work so it's just "noise".

LesFerch · Feb 12, 2025

soewhaty said:
After running ShellExView I see a huge list of stuff, so do you know how to filter down to "shell extensions installed that apply to the old Explorer"?

There's no way to detect which ones run in-process with Explorer, so the best you can do is focus on the third-party extensions. Start by disabling all third-party extensions and see if it helps with the old Explorer performance. If it does, do a binary enable/disable (i.e. working in halves) until you narrow down the ones that cause the trouble. If disabling all of the third-party extensions does not improve Explorer, that would suggest the problem lies elsewhere.

Shellexview has a "Microsoft" column (scroll to the right). Click that column heading to group all Microsoft extensions at the bottom, leaving all third-party extensions at the top of the list.

As a side note - does anyone else get this annoying white strip popping up one some windows after they stay open for some time? Saying annoying cos I can't press any of the menu buttons, they don't work so it's just "noise".

Try setting this registry value (if not already set):

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar]
"Locked"=dword:00000001

Dronix · Feb 12, 2025

I have been using this method for a long time, which works and does not create problems, at least for me. I don't use third-party apps. This is part of the code:

Code:

echo.  ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
echo   ║   Select Windows Explorer and Context Menu   ║
echo   ║      in Windows 10 or Windows 11 Style       ║
echo.  ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
echo.
echo.        ╔═════════════════════════════════╗
echo         ║ 1  - Windows 10                 ║
echo         ║ 2  - Windows 11                 ║
echo         ║ 3  - Help - site pcportal.org   ║
echo         ║ 4  - Usage Video                ║
echo.        ╚═════════════════════════════════╝
echo.
set /p choice=".  Select The Desired Item (от 1 до 4) : "
set PathReg1=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{2aa9162e-c906-4dd9-ad0b-3d24a8eef5a0}
set PathReg2=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{6480100b-5a83-4d1e-9f69-8ae5a88e9a33}
set PathReg3="HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar\ShellBrowser"
set RegD_1="CLSID_ItemsViewAdapter" & set RegD_2="C:\Windows\System32\Windows.UI.FileExplorer.dll_"
set RegD_3="Apartment"              & set RegD_4="File Explorer Xaml Island View Adapter"
set RegD_5=1300000000000000000000002000000010000100000000000100000001000700005e010000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
:: =============================================== Включение Старого Проводника =================================================
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg1%                 /ve                /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_1%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg1%\InProcServer32  /ve                /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_2%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg1%\InProcServer32  /v  ThreadingModel /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_3%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg2%                 /ve                /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_4%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg2%\InProcServer32  /ve                /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_2%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg2%\InProcServer32  /v  ThreadingModel /t REG_SZ      /d %RegD_3%  /f
if "%choice%"=="1" reg    add %PathReg3%                 /v "ITBar7Layout"  /t REG_BINARY  /d %RegD_5%  /f
:: ==============================================================================================================================
if "%choice%"=="2" reg delete %PathReg1%                                                                /f
if "%choice%"=="2" reg delete %PathReg2%                                                                /f
:: ==============================================================================================================================
if "%choice%"=="3" start https://clck.ru/39NkQ3 & goto :Vuhod
:: ==============================================================================================================================
if "%choice%"=="4" start https://clck.ru/39NkYK & goto :Vuhod
:: ==============================================================================================================================
Echo. Restarting Explorer
@echo off
Taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
start explorer.exe

The full bat file is attached - Old New Explorer.bat

jed · Feb 13, 2025

Dronix said:
I have been using this method for a long time, which works and does not create problems, at least for me. I don't use third-party apps. This is part of the code:

Can you share the screenshot showing your File Explorer?
How is it affected by the code?

Dronix · Feb 13, 2025

jed said:
Can you share the screenshot showing your File Explorer?

jed said:
How is it affected by the code?

I don't know what you mean, but everything is working fine.

LesFerch · Feb 13, 2025

jed said:
Can you share the screenshot showing your File Explorer?
How is it affected by the code?

@jed the batch file posted by @Dronix applies the same patch as provided in tutorial option 3 which is the same patch applied by my SwitchExplorer tool. So, there is nothing new there.

I do see one discrepancy: Using the batch file posted by @Dronix, the first byte of the ITBar7Layout registry value is 01 instead of 13. Starting with a fresh profile on Windows 11, and then launching Control Panel, that byte will be 13, so I see this as an error. It may be just a result of a copy/paste issue in the message above. It's corrected by adding another 0 to the end of the line that starts with set RegD_5.

Dronix · Feb 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
I do see one discrepancy: Using the batch file posted by @Dronix, the first byte of the ITBar7Layout registry value is 01 instead of 13.

I still haven't figured it out. 01 or 13? I have 13.

LesFerch · Feb 13, 2025

Dronix said:
I still haven't figured it out. 01 or 13? I have 13.

The batch file on your computer is correct. The one you posted here got corrupted.

The long line with the binary string got cut off. The original is about 1136 characters. The posted code is cut off at about 857 characters. They're all trailing 00s. Where it got cut off was an odd number of characters, causing the Reg command to pad a zero at the beginning.

You should edit your post and attach your batch file instead of pasting it.

soewhaty · Feb 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
You should edit your post and attach your batch file instead of pasting it.

Or just use this - SwitchExplorer - since as u said it's the exact same thing, no?

LesFerch · Feb 13, 2025

soewhaty said:
Or just use this - SwitchExplorer - since as u said it's the exact same thing, no?

Correct, but everyone is welcome here to post and show off their work.

soewhaty · Feb 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
There's no way to detect which ones run in-process with Explorer, so the best you can do is focus on the third-party extensions. Start by disabling all third-party extensions and see if it helps with the old Explorer performance. If it does, do a binary enable/disable (i.e. working in halves) until you narrow down the ones that cause the trouble. If disabling all of the third-party extensions does not improve Explorer, that would suggest the problem lies elsewhere.

Shellexview has a "Microsoft" column (scroll to the right). Click that column heading to group all Microsoft extensions at the bottom, leaving all third-party extensions at the top of the list.

Try setting this registry value (if not already set):
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar] "Locked"=dword:00000001

Thanks for the reply, LF. I did as u said and here's the list

I'll see how far I go but given that the new Modern Explorer works faster I might as well just stay with it, although it's inferior to the Classic Explorer UI-wise. Baffles me that this exact thing needed redesigning since it just works but MS are good at fixing things that work for no reason and thereby breaking em.

As to your 2nd comment - I followed Brinks guide here (Add or Remove Menu Bar in File Explorer in Windows 11) and applied the reg edits back and forth and it currently looks like this but regardless of whether it's enabled or not it still gives the issue. Brink suggested switching (maybe temporarily) to the White theme and now testing this though not seeming as if it'll get fixed.

Dronix · Feb 13, 2025

LesFerch said:
You should edit your post and attach your batch file instead of pasting it.

You're right. I've redone it.

The full bat file is attached - Old New Explorer.bat

LesFerch · Feb 13, 2025

soewhaty said:
Thanks for the reply, LF. I did as u said and here's the list...

As to your 2nd comment - I followed Brinks guide here (Add or Remove Menu Bar in File Explorer in Windows 11) and applied the reg edits back and forth and it currently looks like this but regardless of whether it's enabled or not it still gives the issue.

I'm biased against Adobe (based on many past bad experiences), so I suspect those ones.

Note that "CoreSync", which shows nothing for "Company" is also Adobe. That's their Creative Cloud Sync extension. That's a likely culprit.

The best approach, as I've mentioned, is to first disable ALL of the third-party extensions and see if performance is good. If so, then try enabling Sumatra PDF extensions and test again. If still good, enable your other random extensions and test again. And so on.

My money is on the CoreSync extensions, but that's really just a guess. Testing is the only way to find out for sure.

In regards to the rogue menu appearing in the new Explorer, many people have seen that. The "locked" setting fixes it for some, but not all. I've seen it myself, but in my case, IIRC, it was the "locked" setting that did the trick. I'm sure it will be a user profile setting and you can confirm that by testing with a new local user account. If it's OK there, then the next step, very tedious step, is to try to determine where the difference lies. Unfortunately modern Windows writes to HKCU like crazy, so there is a lot of noise to ignore when doing comparisons. Unfortunately, I can't help much more on this one until I can find a way to replicate the issue.

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