How to speed up Windows 11 Pro File Explorer

Question

Noticed there are some performance issues with the newer file explorer with recent files, doesn't matter if its a new pc or an existing one as I have seen this with all the ones I've held. Have seen a multitude of other post having the same issues with the same lame attempts that don't work. The problem comes into play when you have a lot of recent files in the list (seen one with recents that go all the way back to the beginning of the build (Jan), several hundred files), they literally open file explorer and walk away and come back and its still not responding. I dont like the ideal of turning recent files off or clearing the history as this was designed to help one stay productive, this is why we have new generations, to out perform the last, right?, Its like a double edged sword or a necessary evil it seems like. Is there a way to fix this other than clearing the history? The other options out there involve doing system repairs which I really dont think applies here because this will happen on a freshly loaded machine not joined to a domain with no other apps installed. Only options used is recent files, recent folders and office.com is turned off. Would like to be able to control the amount of files either by quantity or date automatically. If not, is there a way to revert file explorer back to the Windows 10 version without losing Windows 11? Don't want to go through the pains of rolling everyone back and causing them other griefs. *
The people who brought us to revolution will be the ones who take us to extinction...*

Answer 1

Hi, I'd be happy to help you out with your question. Sorry for the inconvenience caused. I'm sorry to hear that you have tried some solutions that didn't work for you. To address the issue, there are a few steps that you can try. First, you can clear the recent files history, which might help in improving the performance of the File Explorer. This can be done by right-clicking the taskbar, selecting "Taskbar settings," then "Personalization," "Start," and finally "Clear personalization data." Another option is to disable Quick Access, which is a feature in Windows 11 that shows frequently accessed files and folders. This feature can sometimes slow down the File Explorer. To do this, go to "File Explorer Options," then "General," and then "Privacy," and uncheck "Show recently used files in Quick access" and "Show frequently used folders in Quick access." You can also optimize Folder Options to improve the performance of the File Explorer. Go to "File Explorer Options," then "View," and optimize the folder options for better performance by unchecking "Show preview handlers in preview pane," "Show thumbnails instead of icons," and "Display file size information in folder tips." Regarding your question about reverting back to the Windows 10 version of File Explorer, this may not be possible without rolling back the entire operating system. However, I would not recommend doing so, as Windows 11 includes many security improvements and features that are not present in Windows 10. If you have any other questions or need assistance with anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm here to help.

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