Bring Back the Good Old Days: Getting Windows 10 File Explorer on Windows 11
So, you’ve jumped into Windows 11 and reckon the File Explorer looks a bit off—like a tip run gone wrong? No worries, mate. Plenty of others are feeling the same. Good news is, you can Aussie-ise it back to the classic Windows 10 look with a bit of registry fiddling. Just a heads-up—messing around in the registry isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Make sure you back up everything first, because stuff-ups here aren’t fun.
Diving into the Registry Editor
First thing, open the Registry Editor. Think of it as the secret backbone of Windows, where all the secret sauce lives. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. You might get a warning box—click Yes. Just don’t go clicking around like a kangaroo on a sugar rush; you’re here to tweak things, not play treasure hunter.
Finding the Right Spot
Now, the fun part: hunting down the right registry path. You want to find this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked
If it’s not staring back at you, no dramas. You can click through the left panel like following a map or just paste it into the address bar of the Registry Editor by going to Go > Jump to and pasting the whole lot:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked
Sometimes, you might need to have a squiz in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer or similar spots, depending on what bits you’re tweaking. Keep your wits about you.
Create a New String for the Classic Look
Here’s where the magic begins. Right-click in the right pane, select New → String Value. This String will be your ticket back to the good old days. Name it exactly like this:
{e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}
Some guides might mention setting this to 1 or deleting it later. Usually, just having this string there is enough to tell Windows to revert to the classic look. Double-click the new string and set its data to 1. Easy, mate.
Applying the Changes – Restart Explorer
To see the changes, you’ll need to restart Windows Explorer. No need to restart the whole PC, unless you want. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer under Processes, right-click, and choose Restart.
If you’re feeling a bit more daring, you can also chuck this command in the Command Prompt:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe & start explorer.exe
This kills Explorer and fires it back up, making your tweaks take effect instantly.
Check if It Worked: Classic Looks Return
Open up File Explorer again and have a butcher’s—if everything went to plan, you should see that familiar Windows 10 style. Most folks find the navigation pane and toolbar feel just like the old days. If not, double-check your registry entries or ask around in forums for a hand.
The beauty of this trick is you can switch it on and off anytime. If Windows 11’s new look doesn’t sit right, just delete that registry string and restart Explorer. Easy as pie. Makes life a lot simpler.
Tips to Keep Registry Safe
- Always back up before mucking about—go to File > Export in the Registry Editor to save a backup.
- Better still, create a system restore point before diving in: Settings > System > About > System Protection (hit Create).
- Be careful when poking around the registry—one wrong click and it can cause a real stuff-up.
- If you know your way around the command line, you can automate toggling the registry key with
reg addorreg deletecommands when you fancy.
Common Questions About This Tweaking
Can I switch back easily?
Too right. Just delete that registry string ({e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}) and restart Explorer or reboot the PC. Bob’s your uncle.
Is messing with the registry safe?
Generally, yes—as long as you follow the instructions and have a backup. Just avoid mucking about with random bits unless you know what you’re doing.
What if I stuff it up?
No worries—use your backup or do a System Restore: Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7) > Recover system settings or your computer.
Will this slow down my system?
Nah, messing with the File Explorer look won’t bog down your PC at all.
Will future Windows updates mess with this?
Most likely, yeah. Major updates can wipe out your tweaks. Keep your backup handy and reapply settings if needed.
Switching back to Windows 10 File Explorer is just a couple registry tweaks away. It might take a bit of guts and patience, but once you’ve got it sorted, it’s like putting on your favourite old jumper. Just keep that backup close and enjoy the trip down memory lane!