Improved navigation pane in Win 11 Pro: No more expanding and showing subfolders


A

archfoto

Well-known member
Member
VIP
Local time
3:44 PM
Posts
172
OS
Windows 11 Pro Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)
Ever since I was introduced to Win 11 Pro, my big complaint was that the navigation pane in file explorer kept expanding, showing subfolders on the left as well as the right as I went to the subfolders in the right-side pane, while copying files from one of my drives to another. Well, since the last update, that seems to no longer be the case. Hallelujah!! Has anyone else noticed this?
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8...i9 12th Generation64GBPNY 3060 12GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 8950
    CPU
    i9 12th Generation
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY 3060 12GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC EA27IU
    Screen Resolution
    3840X2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD internal, external drives
    Cooling
    Advanced Air Cooling
    Keyboard
    Microsoft
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    High-Speed
    Browser
    MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton 360

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)Intel Ultra 7 265 (20 cores) processor32GB DDR5 RamBuilt-in Intel UHD Graphics
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Tower ECT1250
    CPU
    Intel Ultra 7 265 (20 cores) processor
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 Ram
    Graphics card(s)
    Built-in Intel UHD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    2TB internal SSD
    Case
    Tower
Was this satire? There is an option in the settings where you could turn this feature on/off, but now after the last update that option does not work anymore. I have been trying to get the navigation pane to expand again but there seems to be no way.

Edit: I should have been more accurate, I mean the navigation pane does not work if I use Quick access pinned folders. If I open folders starting from This PC then the navigation pane works.
Is this really a desired feature??? It is very annoying and it makes Quick access useless.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
mannisp said:
Was this satire? There is an option in the settings where you could turn this feature on/off, but now after the last update that option does not work anymore. I have been trying to get the navigation pane to expand again but there seems to be no way.

Edit: I should have been more accurate, I mean the navigation pane does not work if I use Quick access pinned folders. If I open folders starting from This PC then the navigation pane works.
Is this really a desired feature??? It is very annoying and it makes Quick access useless.
Click to expand...
Hi Mannisp -
Not satire. Despite the fact that I had turned off expansion in folders at the check box in folder options, up until a short time ago and an update, every time I expanded folders in the right-side pane, they also expanded in the navigation pane. It never was like that in Win 7 to Win 10. Now, I am happy to say it doesn't do that. There are still the little arrows in front of the drive letters in the navigation pane, so I can expand or compress the folders, if you or I want. I never use Quick Access pinned folders.
The auto expanding folders was an annoyance to my workflow.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8...i9 12th Generation64GBPNY 3060 12GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell 8950
    CPU
    i9 12th Generation
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY 3060 12GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC EA27IU
    Screen Resolution
    3840X2160
    Hard Drives
    SSD internal, external drives
    Cooling
    Advanced Air Cooling
    Keyboard
    Microsoft
    Mouse
    Logitech
    Internet Speed
    High-Speed
    Browser
    MS Edge
    Antivirus
    Norton 360

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)Intel Ultra 7 265 (20 cores) processor32GB DDR5 RamBuilt-in Intel UHD Graphics
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2 (OS Build 26200.8655)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Tower ECT1250
    CPU
    Intel Ultra 7 265 (20 cores) processor
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 Ram
    Graphics card(s)
    Built-in Intel UHD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Built-in
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    2TB internal SSD
    Case
    Tower
Oh, I did not even know it was working earlier vice versa and forcing navigation pane to always open.
Latest change made you happy but me unhappy. I wish Windows just would respect the Navigation pane setting Expand to open folder :(
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
mannisp said:
... it makes Quick access useless.
Click to expand...
Far from it. This right-click menu from the File explorer icon in my taskbar is by far the most used menu on my computers. It's a mirror of the Quick Access list, but I never use that list in a File Explorer window. I only preserve it so that my right-click menu is preserved.
Clipboard01.jpg
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHzIntel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    OS
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)

  • At a glance

    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHzIntel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Operating System
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
Wisewiz said:
... This right-click menu from the File explorer icon in my taskbar ...
Click to expand...
Whaaat?! I just noticed that if I open the pinned folders using that right-click menu, and then open subfolders in right-side THEN Navigation pane opens the folder!!! But it does not work like that when I click pinned folders from File explorer, which is the way I have been always using it.
Thanks for bringing up this option, now I can use it as a workaround until the feature is corrected also from File explorer (which happens probably never...)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11
OS
Windows 11
Welcome. (y) :-)
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHzIntel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    OS
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GBDDR4 @ 2666MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG E2442
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500GB NVMe SSD, 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    250GB NVMe SSD (OS and programs), 1 x WD_BLACK SN770
    500GB NVMe SSD (Data)
    Case
    Lenovo SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome, sometimes Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium & Defender (working together beautifully!)

  • At a glance

    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHzIntel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Operating System
    11 Pro 24H2 26100.2454
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkCentre M920S SFF
    CPU
    i5-8400 @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    Lenovo 3132
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 @ 2600MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel HD 630 Graphics onboard
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG FULL HD (1920x1080@59Hz)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    1 x Samsung 970 EVO PLUS NVMe; 1 x Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
    Case
    Lenovo Think Centre SFF
    Keyboard
    Cherry Stream TKL JK-8600US-2 Wired
    Mouse
    LogiTech M510 wireless
    Internet Speed
    Fast (for fixed wireless!)
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Malwarebytes Premium and MS Defender, beautiful together
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom