This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off "Restore previous folder windows at logon" for your account in Windows 11.
You can have Windows automatically restore previous folder windows at sign in when you sign out, restart the computer, or shut down the computer.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22635.4580 (Beta) and build 27788.1000 (Canary), when “Restore previous folder windows at logon” is enabled in File Explorer, Windows will also now restore all the extra tabs which you previously had open in each File Explorer window. As part of this work, Microsoft has also updated the logic for the “Automatically save my restartable apps and restart them when I sign back in” setting via Settings > Accounts > Sign in options, so that when you enable this, Windows will automatically enable the File Explorer specific setting for you too.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off "Restore previous folder windows at logon" in Folder Options
- Option Two: Turn On or Off "Restore previous folder windows at logon" using REG file
- Option Three: Turn On or Off "Restore previous folder windows at logon" in Registry Editor
1 Open Folder Options.
2 Click/tap on the View tab. (see screenshot below)
3 Check (on) or uncheck (off - default) Restore previous folder windows at logon for what you want.
4 Click/tap on OK.
This option will not work when Administrator protection is turned on.
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you want.
2 Turn On "Restore previous folder windows at logon"
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_On_Restore_previous_folder_windows_at_logon.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"PersistBrowsers"=dword:000000013 Turn Off "Restore previous folder windows at logon"
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_Off_Restore_previous_folder_windows_at_logon.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"PersistBrowsers"=dword:000000004 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2 Navigate to the key location below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 3)
HKEY_USERS\<SID>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Substitute <SID> in the key path above with the actual SID for the account you want to apply this to.
For example:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2498639629-3946114050-4100787084-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3 In the right pane of the Advanced key, double click/tap on the PersistBrowsers DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below)
4 Enter 0 (off - default) or 1 (on) for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
5 You can now close Registry Editor if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
