General Turn On or Off Show all folders in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11


Navigation_pane_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off show all folders in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.

The navigation pane is the far left pane in File Explorer used to find files, folders, and drives on your PC or network.

If you like, you can select to show all the folders on your PC in the navigation pane. This includes all hidden folders, your user account folders, Control Panel, Libraries, and Recycle Bin.


Contents

  • Option One: Turn On or Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane in File Explorer
  • Option Two: Turn On or Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane in Folder Options
  • Option Three: Turn On or Off 'Show all folders" in Navigation Pane using REG file


EXAMPLE: "Show all folders" on and off in navigation pane

Show_all_folders_on.png
Show_all_folders_off.png





Option One

Turn On or Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane in File Explorer


1 Open File Explorer (Win+E).

2 Right click or press and hold on an empty area inside the navigation pane, and click/tap on Show all folders to toggle it on (checked) or off (unchecked - default). (see screenshot below)

Show_all_folders_navigation_pane.png





Option Two

Turn On or Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane in Folder Options


1 Open Folder Options.

2 Click/tap on the View tab. (see screenshot below)

3 Under the Navigation pane section, check (on) or uncheck (off - default) Show all folders for what you want.

4 Click/tap on OK.

Show_all_folders_Folder_Options.png





Option Three

Turn On or Off 'Show all folders" in Navigation Pane using REG file


1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you want.

2 Turn On 'Show all folders" in Navigation Pane

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Turn_On_Show-all-folders_in_navigation_pane_for_current_user.reg


(Content of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneShowAllFolders"=dword:00000001

3 Turn Off 'Show all folders" in Navigation Pane

This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

Turn_Off_Show-all-folders_in_navigation_pane_for_current_user.reg


(Content of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"NavPaneShowAllFolders"=dword:00000000

4 Save the REG file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 Either restart explorer process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

 

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