Details of Windows 11 Folder Options settings
Windows 11 Folder Options is a tool that allows you to easily make detailed settings for Explorer, such as file and folder display formats and functions, operation settings, and file searches . This page explains in an easy-to-understand manner how to set folder options.
How to display folder options from explorer
Click the ” … ” button in Explorer and click “Options” to open Folder Options.
If you open Folder Options from Explorer and it freezes at the time of setting, you can deal with it by opening it from the Control Panel.
How to display folder options from the control panel
open control panel
from the start menuTo start from the Start menu, click “All apps”, click “Windows Tools” in the list to open Explorer, and click “Control Panel”.
from search
- Press the Windows key on your keyboard, then press control .
- When the search screen appears, click “Control Panel”.
*This operation is the same as entering “control” in the search.
Open the Control Panel, click Categories, and then click Large or Small Icons.
Once you’ve changed the view, click “Explorer Options” on the screen to display Folder Options.
Explorer options
If you open Folder Options from the Control Panel, it’s simply named ” Explorer Options “.
Folder Options “General” settings
open in explorer
Select and set whether to open the “Home” or “This PC” screen that displays quick access and recently used items when Explorer is opened.
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don’t open in new window
don’t create a new window when querying another folder
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open in new window
Create a new window each time you query a folder
Click method
Normally double-clicking opens a file or folder, but this setting allows you to change it to single-clicking . Click one to select and set.
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Open with a single click
Point to select, single click to ask
- Underline icon titles, like Frauser
Select to display an underline when the mouse pointer hovers over it. - Underline icon titles only when hovered
Select to underline icon titles when clicked.
- Underline icon titles, like Frauser
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Double click to open
Select with a single click and ask with a table click
“Select with a single click” means that a single click selects the item.
privacy
Set by displaying (selecting) or not displaying (deselecting) “Quick Access” and “Frequently Used Items” displayed on the home screen of Explorer. You can also delete these histories.
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View recently used files
It is a setting to display recently used files in “Recent items” on the home screen of Explorer.
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Show frequently used folders
This is a setting to display frequently used folders in “Quick Access” on the home screen of the Explorer.
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View Office.com files
With a Microsoft account, you can use Office.com where you can use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for free, and set to display files in Explorer online.
This page introduces the setting to hide recently used items and frequently used items.
Clear explorer history
You can delete the history of recent and favorite folders by clicking Clear.
Folder display
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Apply to Folder
Advanced settings can be applied to all folders or files.
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reset folder
You can reset the advanced setting “Apply to folders” to restore it to its default value.
The setting of “Advanced Settings” in Folder Options is a simple setting method of “Enable” when you click the setting contents and check the check box and “Disable” when you remove it . Finally, click “OK” or “Apply” to apply the settings.
- navigation window The navigation pane is the vertical item on the left side of File Explorer.
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View This PC
You can display “PC” that displays disk drives, USB memory, etc.
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Show all folders
You can expand the drive (disk) to display all folders. (hidden folders cannot be displayed)
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show network
You can view network shares and network drives.
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View library
The library can be managed collectively in the library folder without moving the files and folders saved on the PC or network from where they are saved. Default is disabled.
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Always show availability status
A setting that displays a status icon such as a red circle or X for files and folders that use the cloud such as OneDrive.
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Expand to the folder in question
A setting that allows you to synchronize and expand the left side of the explorer screen when you click on the folder on the right side of the explorer screen to expand it.
- files and folders
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Show status bar
In the bar at the bottom of Explorer, display settings such as the number of folders and files, selected files and capacity.
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Show full bus in title bar
Setting to display the full path (location) in the upper title of Explorer
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Select items using checkhox
A checkbox appears in the file and is unavailable until the checkbox is checked. Settings that can prevent mistakes such as deleting or cutting.
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display tripe characters
Setting to display characters such as ” :C ” and ” 😀 ” on disk drives, external drives, and USB memory displayed in “PC” .
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View files and folders
Show/hide settings for files and folders that are not normally displayed. When hidden files are set to be visible, they are displayed as if they were semi-transparent.
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Show hidden files, folders and drives
Select to enable the settings to be displayed .
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Do not show hidden files, folders or drives
There are settings in effect that are not displayed when selected .
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Show pop-up descriptions for folders and desktop items
A setting that displays an explanation when you hover over a folder or file
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Show file size information in folder tips
Settings to add the file size to the above explanation display
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Hide Folder Merge Conflicts
Setting whether to display a confirmation dialog when overwriting a folder with the same name.
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Show pre- and first-handlers in the preview window
If you select to display the preview window in Explorer, you can view the contents without opening the file.
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when view input in list
Operation setting when pressing a keyboard key on Explorer
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Automatically fill in search hooks
The entered key is entered in the search box
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Select entered item in view
Items that match the beginning of the file or folder name for the entered key are selected.
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Show previous folder windows on logon
Settings that allow open files to be automatically opened after startup when shutting down or restarting
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Display encrypted and compressed NTFS files in color
Settings that display file and folder names in blue
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Use the sharing wizard
This is a (recommended) setting that allows you to set “Sharing” from properties by right-clicking the folder.
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do not show empty drives
This setting prevents explorer from showing unused drives. If it still appears, select “Do not show hidden files, folders, or drives” in Folder Options.
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Reduce space between items (convert view)
In Windows 11, the line spacing for folders and files is set wider. Select to enable narrower line spacing in the explorer.
Windows 11 Explorer How to narrow the line spacing and increase the display -
Show file icons in thumbnails
A setting that allows you to display thumbnails of images and video files, and display thumbnails of some of the contents of folders.
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Always show icons, never thumbnails
Settings that do not display thumbnails of images and video files. Thumbnails displayed at the top of folders are also hidden.
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Do not display registered extensions
Extension display setting for recognizing files with “jpg jpeg png … for images” after the last “.” in the file name
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Show sync provider notifications
If you select and enable this setting, you may see ads within Explorer.
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Open folder windows in separate process
Setting to open a new explorer window in a separate process. If Explorer freezes frequently, you may be able to improve by selecting and enabling this setting.
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Hide protected operating system files
A setting that hides important files related to Windows startup and the core of the system. You can make it visible by disabling it if necessary for repair operations, etc.
Folder option ” Search ” settings
“Find” in Folder Options is the file search setting of Explorer.
retrieval method
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Do not use index when searching file system file folders
If you select this setting and enable it, search index data will not be created, so search results will take longer. Disabled by default
What is a search index?
In order to speed up the search, the search range is digitized in advance so that the search results can be obtained quickly.
Finding unindexed locations
The setting here sets the file search scope of Explorer.
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Include system directories
Also searches for files in folders related to the system. Enabled by default
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Include compressed files (ZIP, CAB…)
By enabling it, you will also be able to search compressed files such as ZIP files.
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Always search file names and contents
By enabling it, you can search not only the file name but also the contents (text) inside the file . However, the search time will be longer.
Freezing Folder Options
If Folder Options freezes and you can’t close it, or if it freezes frequently, see the page below.