Wednesday, June 21st 2023
Microsoft to Hide Multiple Folder Options from Windows File Explorer
Microsoft published its Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23481 a few weeks ago. However, the latest build preview came with a big change, primarily targeting the File Explorer. Microsoft's File Explorer for Windows 11 serves as an interactive tool to explore files and access their locations. However, Microsoft developers have released a preview build for insiders that removes some folder options from File Explorer. The following will no longer appear under "Folder Options": Hide Folder Merge conflict; Always show icons, never thumbnails; Display file icon on thumbnails; Display file type information on Folder tips; Hide protected OS files; Show drive letters; Show popup description for Folder and Desktop items; Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color; Use sharing wizard.
The company explains the reason for these changes: "We are removing a handful of old settings under Folder Options in File Explorer as part of an effort to clean up the number of settings for File Explorer. Many of these are legacy settings that have been around for ages and are not being regularly used by people on Windows 11." However, there are some promising signs, as these settings can still be accessed via registry keys. It is not entirely gone, just much more difficult to enable.
Source:
Microsoft Windows Blog
The company explains the reason for these changes: "We are removing a handful of old settings under Folder Options in File Explorer as part of an effort to clean up the number of settings for File Explorer. Many of these are legacy settings that have been around for ages and are not being regularly used by people on Windows 11." However, there are some promising signs, as these settings can still be accessed via registry keys. It is not entirely gone, just much more difficult to enable.
32 Comments on Microsoft to Hide Multiple Folder Options from Windows File Explorer
I've never liked the idea of Windows 11, but now I'm utterly disgusted by it.
I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't just have a toggle button in the interface that switches between "simple mode" and "advanced mode". If they did that they could have had a legitimate excuse for the schizophrenia introduced to the UI from Windows 8 onwards....
I look for MS to move things around in Win 11 for no good reason and try to tighten up their control over what the user can do and increase their spying ability and call it Win 12
or......we could be just following the MS historical pattern
Good: Win 95
Not so good: Win ME (you really screwed that one up MS)
Good: Win XP
Not so good: Vista
Good: Win 7
Not so good: Win 8
Good: Win 10
Not so good: Win 11
Good: Win 12 ?????
Good: Win 95
Not so good: Win ME (you really screwed that one up MS)
Good: Win XP
Not so good: Vista
Good: Win 7
Not so good: Win 8
Stockholm Syndrome: Win 10
Trash: Win 11
Abysmal night after gas station sushi: Win 12 ?????
Windows 10 isnt good. People think its good now, but the vast majority of the issues windows 7 users had with 10 have either not been addressed or been made worse. It's still a cluster of an OS with split up system menus, forced updates, system breaking auto driver updates, ads forced into your start menu, ece.
I think the real pattern here is that most Windows versions start so shit that people like the previous versions more, but after a few service packs they get good enough that everyone forgets and the cycle repeats. The only releases that have loved from release to their end was 2000 and 7.
I agree with Chrispy_, Win 11 should adopt "basic mode" by default and the option of enabling "advanced mode" at the switch of a button. This makes more sense opposed to eliminating features.
People here are vocal minority. 90+% of users didn't even know those options exist, and even if they did, they wouldn't give a crap what happens to them.
Its the old "telemetry shows only power users use these settings, so we will make them all do everything the same as the masses".
The code is already there to support it, so there is no real benefit to changing it, for now it may still be configurable via the registry but I wouldnt be surprised if they move to hard coding it in the future.
Its another step to making the OS more like a mobile OS.
Out of the listed options, I change drive letters to before drive name, adjust sharing wizard and the ntfs colour option.Winaerotweaker. This will likely add all those settings now they moving to registry only, and it can already control some of them like drive letters.
Also the dude documents everything he adds, so no fake/obsolete stuff in there.
There is also the power toys app in the store, but I am not a fan of it. Seems to rely on a background service.