Speed Up Windows 11’s File Explorer With This Easy Change
If your Windows 11 File Explorer feels slow or laggy, especially on older computers, you’re not alone. Many users have noticed that after recent updates, File Explorer doesn’t open as quickly as it used to. The culprit? A new feature called preloading, designed to make the app faster but, ironically, sometimes doing the opposite.
Don’t worry — there’s an easy fix that takes just a few seconds. In this blog, we’ll walk you through exactly how to make your File Explorer faster, why this method works, and a few additional tips to keep your Windows 11 experience smooth.
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Why File Explorer Feels Slow in Windows 11
When you open File Explorer, it tries to provide a rich, connected experience by displaying:
- Recent files
- Cloud storage content (OneDrive, Microsoft 365)
- Quick access to folders and documents
While this sounds helpful, it requires extra processing. For users with older hardware, this means File Explorer can take longer to open, and your computer’s RAM usage can spike unnecessarily.
The Simple Fix: Open File Explorer to “This PC”
The fastest way to speed up File Explorer is to change the default landing page from Home to This PC. Here’s how:
- Open File Explorer.
- Click the three dots in the top toolbar.
- Select Options from the dropdown.
- In the General tab, find the setting “Open File Explorer to”.
- Change it from Home to This PC.
- Click Apply and then OK.
Now File Explorer skips cloud checks and loads your local drives instantly, providing a faster and more responsive experience.
Why This Method Works
When File Explorer opens to Home, it attempts to fetch recent files, OneDrive content, and Microsoft 365 data. On older systems, or systems with slower internet or storage drives, this creates noticeable delays. By switching to “This PC,” File Explorer focuses only on local drives.
Additional Tips to Speed Up Windows 11 File Explorer
- Disable Quick Access: Right-click Quick Access → Options → uncheck “Show recently used files.”
- Turn off Preview Pane: Toggle off Preview Pane from the View menu if you don’t need it.
- Reduce startup programs: Task Manager → Startup → disable unnecessary programs to free RAM.
- Keep your drives optimized: Regularly defragment (HDD) or trim (SSD).
- Update Windows: Install latest updates for performance improvements.
Conclusion
Speeding up File Explorer is easy and doesn’t require extra software. Changing the default view to “This PC” is quick, safe, and effective. Combined with the tips above, your File Explorer should feel much faster.
Try this tweak and leave a comment letting us know if your File Explorer feels faster. If you found this helpful, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share for more Windows 11 tips!