The new version of Windows 11 File Explorer is more streamlined, but may make it difficult to access some tools. However, it is possible to reactivate the old toolbar quite easily.
With the release of Windows 11, Microsoft has done a lot of work to improve and modernize the interface of its operating system. So much so that certain elements, like the file explorer, are unrecognizable. Microsoft has indeed decided to abandon the aging ribbon in favor of a much more refined toolbar, giving access only to certain basic functions.
The result may be aesthetically successful, in use, this new interface, which, at first glance, can be confusing, ultimately does not really simplify the use of the file explorer. Because, to access certain functions, which previously were accessible with a click on the ribbon, it is now necessary to navigate through different menus.
If this presentation does not suit you, it is quite possible to go back, without drawing a line on Windows 11. Here is how.
Also to discover in video:
1. Open Terminal
Right click on the Start menu then open Windows Terminal (administrator). In the pop-up User Account Control that opens, click Yes.
2. Add a value to the registry
In the Terminal window that appears, copy and paste the following line and validate by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard:
reg add “HKCU Software Classes CLSID {d93ed569-3b3e-4bff-8355-3c44f6a52bb5} InprocServer32” / f / ve
The Windows Terminal should indicate that the operation was successful.
Restart your computer. Once back on the Windows desktop, open a file explorer window. If all went according to plan, the File Explorer toolbar interface should display the ribbon, just like in Windows 10.
3. Restore the toolbar
If you finally change your mind and Windows 10’s “ribbon” toolbar doesn’t satisfy you anymore, you may well go back.
To do this, open a Windows Terminal window in administrator mode (as seen in step 1), copy-paste the following instruction and validate by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard:
reg delete “HKCU Software Classes CLSID {d93ed569-3b3e-4bff-8355-3c44f6a52bb5}” / f
Then close Terminal and restart your computer. Once restarted, open a new File Explorer window. The original Windows 11 toolbar should now be restored.