How to totally disable multi-tabs in windows file explorer?

Question

Windows 11 file explorer is multi-tabbed. However, I don't like multi tab file explorer and want to totally disable tabbing in file explorer. How can I disable it?

Edit: I don't like the browser-like tabs (the yellow box below), but I like the toolbar of windows 11 explorer (the red box) and feel it convenient to me. I don't want to go back to windows 10 explorer's toolbar. How can I disable the tabs while keeping the windows 11 toolbar?

Answer 1

I am a long term customer of StartAllBack, and unfortunately, when I started using the software to bring back the Windows 10 explorer.exe, pressing Ctrl+T actually creates a new tab IN the Windows 10 (and the Windows 7!) explorer.exe, just like you can in Windows 11:

1. To remove the tabs from explorer.exe, download and install ExplorerPatcher from here: https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher. You might have to open task manager before running the installer, as the taskbar may not show up until you run a new explorer.exe task.
2. Open the Properties (ExplorerPatcher) from the Start Menu.
3. Go to the File Explorer tab.
4. Where it says Control Interface, change the item in the dropdown menu to Windows 10 Ribbon.
5. There you go! If you have StartAllBack installed too, the ribbon style is changed there and the tab enable/disable is in ExplorerPatcher.

This also allows me to use QTTabBar to use multi-tabs differently from Windows 11, but that's up to you.

~Sagan

Answer 2

Cool. Tested and confirmed.

There was a discussion about removing tabs (with dark mode) here:

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/vivetool-and-how-to-disable-the-tabs-in-the-file-explorer.18301/

That person's solution involved using ViveTool to disable tabs (which messed up the dark theme a bit) and then using MicaForEveryone to fix the colors.

Your solution is easier, especially if you simply replace StartAllBack with ExplorerPatcher. Running both seems a little risky to me, but if it works for you, that's great!

Answer 3

Windows 11 file explorer is multi-tabbed. However, I don't like multi tab file explorer and want to totally disable tabbing in file explorer. How can I disable it?

Edit: I don't like the browser-like tabs (the yellow box below), but I like the toolbar of windows 11 explorer (the red box) and feel it convenient to me. I don't want to go back to windows 10 explorer's toolbar. How can I disable the tabs while keeping the windows 11 toolbar?

In order to disable multi tab window explorer. This setting may helpy you fix this issue.

1. Click Window explorer and click ... (Three dot next to menu View)
2. Click at Open each folder in the same window

See screenshot below.

Answer 4

Hmmm, let's hope they very very soon find out.

After the phanes have been introduced, i can't access the first screen using the screen reader jaws.

I shall not here express what i think about Microsoft and file explorer, just say that that was yet another step towards to change to Apple.