Windows 11 has introduced some features in its File Explorer application that look very different from Windows 10. If the term "Windows File Explorer" is unfamiliar, since it's been referred to as different things over the years. This is the application you use to get to your files and is illustrated with the yellow folder icon in your task bar.

 

Here is more information about those features to help you feel more comfortable. 

 

Home Page Tour

The "Home" window is what appears when you simply click on the yellow icon in the task bar to open your files. Other locations have similar menus and navigation. This is the example page to illustrate what it all means and does.



  1. Tabs: Windows File Explorer is able to use tabs to separate different views in the same window, similar to web browsers
  2. Navigation: These are the same tools as previous versions, though in slightly different places 
    1.  Back arrow: return to the previous page
    2.  Forward arrow: move to the next page after navigating back
    3.  Up arrow: go up a folder level
    4.  Circle arrow: refresh the window
    5.  Address bar: tells you the location of the contents
    6.  Search bar: search for a file/folder
  3. New menu: create a new folder or blank file 
  4. Command bar: these are items frequently used in Explorer and have been placed prominently in the window. If the option is not available, the icon is subdued
    1. Scissors: Cut your selection
    2. Double rectangle: Copy your selection
    3. Clipboard: Paste what has been cut or copied last
    4. Textbox: rename the selected file
    5. Arrow on a rectangle: share the selection
      Note: Based on the file or folder location, this can result in a OneDrive sharing window or the default Windows sharing window
    6. Trash can: delete the selection 
  5. Context Menus: these may change based on the folder you are viewing, these are for the Home page 
    1.  Sort menu: choose the order in which your contents appear and are grouped
    2. View menu: in Windows 10 this was its own menu tab, it contains options for the size of your icons, pane type, and additional view options like check boxes or file extensions
    3. Filter: narrow down the results that appear based on file type
    4. More Options menu: use additional tools such as pinning to Quick Access or undoing an action
    5. Note: some customization of File Explorer can be done by selecting Options from this menu
  6. View Pane: toggles on a section of the window to view details of a selection or previewing its contents; adjust which using the View menu (5b above)
  7. Navigation Pane Top: these are locations that are universally used regularly to help find Home, pictures, and your OneDrive folder
  8. Navigation Pane Middle:  This section features the Quick Access items along with frequently used locations; to add to this list select the folder to add and use the More Options menu (5d above)
  9. Navigation Pane Bottom: this section includes basic items, such as Channels synced from Teams, the local computer (This PC), and network locations
  10. Recommended contents: items identified by the operating system that might be of interest to you
  11. Favorites: similar to folders in Quick Access, individual files can be marked as a favorite using the More Options menu (5d); those files appear here
  12. Recent: this list includes files opened recently on this computer as well as in the M365 ecosystem, such as, attachments opened from an email on a mobile device