What improvements have been made to Windows 11 File Explorer?

The File Explorer now features faster performance, a customizable context menu with fewer redundant options, and improved stability. Issues like interrupted file renaming and delayed case-sensitive changes have been resolved.

How do I customize the context menu in Windows 11?

The new context menu includes a 'Customize menu' button, which opens settings to select which items to display. This reduces clutter and prioritizes frequently used actions.

When will these File Explorer changes be available to all users?

The updates are currently being tested in Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. A public release date has not yet been announced.

← All news

Development

Microsoft Accelerates Windows 11 File Explorer with Customizable Context Menu

August 19, 2026

Photo: BleepingComputer

Quick answer

Microsoft is testing a faster Windows 11 File Explorer with a customizable context menu, improved performance, and enhanced stability.

Microsoft has begun testing an updated version of Windows 11 File Explorer, introducing several improvements to enhance speed and usability. These changes are available to participants in the Insider Preview program and include performance optimizations alongside an updated, customizable context menu.

The new context menu is less cluttered and more flexible. Users can now choose which items to display via the settings section, accessible through the 'Customize menu' button at the bottom of the menu. This reduces unnecessary elements and speeds up access to frequently used functions.

Additionally, Microsoft has addressed several user-reported issues. For example, file renaming no longer pauses due to background sync processes, and case-sensitive name changes now appear instantly. These improvements follow a series of optimizations introduced earlier this year, including preloading the File Explorer to accelerate startup times.

As part of these updates, Microsoft has also removed the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool, which was previously exploited by attackers. This change will take effect in future Windows 11 builds, starting with versions 24H2 and 25H2.

Common questions

What improvements have been made to Windows 11 File Explorer?: The File Explorer now features faster performance, a customizable context menu with fewer redundant options, and improved stability. Issues like interrupted file renaming and delayed case-sensitive changes have been resolved.
How do I customize the context menu in Windows 11?: The new context menu includes a 'Customize menu' button, which opens settings to select which items to display. This reduces clutter and prioritizes frequently used actions.
When will these File Explorer changes be available to all users?: The updates are currently being tested in Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. A public release date has not yet been announced.

Dzen feed: /feed/dzen.xml · RSS: /feed.xml