File Explorer restore [WIN11]

Hi, months back I've edited registry so that the file explorer shows the full list after a rightclick (basically an win10 look). Unfortunately I think this change prevents tabs from showing now and I'd like to go back to default Win11 file explorer version. Is there a way? Going back a win version is not an option.



Thank you for any suggestions.

Hi and welcome.
Please consider filling in your specs as you give us no version info to work with.

If you create a new user, does explorer have tabs?
If not then it is a change affecting the entire system so check here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Check out if you have policies set up at a user level.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer

and here if not

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

A back up is a must if you are to make such changes.

Thanks for the reply. When created new user tabs were not there but right-clicking in the explorer showed the default short Win11 options.

This is too technical for me - how do i check the policies? I went in the registry and there is no \explorer in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

The other two look like this. But to be honest if there no simple option to go back to the "factory" settings of the registry/file explorer then I guess I'll say goodbye to the tabs.

It's OK, you have no policies enable, so the key is not there.
What do you have when you click:
Start Run type winver (enter)

Version 21H2 (build 22000.1641). That's it, huh... I feel dumb, sorry to have wasted your time, but I honestly appreciate your approach. I'll pay it forward :)

madlic said:

Version 21H2 (build 22000.1641). That's it, huh... I feel dumb, sorry to have wasted your time, but I honestly appreciate your approach. I'll pay it forward :)

Click to expand...

Please don't feel bad or otherwise.
And you have not wasted my time.

Updating to Version 22H2 might help you by re-setting File explorer for you.

Best of luck,
Denis