Windows 11 File Explorer - Navigation and Context Bars Swapped Places

Hi, after a recent update to Windows 11 I noticed that the navigation bar (back, forward, etc). and the context bar (new, cut, copy, etc.) swapped positions in file explorer. It's really messing with my muscle memory when navigating between folders. Below is a screenshot to show what I mean.

Does anyone know how to change it back to the old layout?

Hello @Zamzummin and welcome to ElevenForum.

It would help if we knew your Windows version.
Just open Command Prompt to find it...

Here is my Windows version:



These are the two updates I installed earlier. I don't remember the file explorer layout changing before these updates:

Zamzummin said:

Here is my Windows version:

View attachment 77788

These are the two updates I installed earlier. I don't remember the file explorer layout changing before these updates:

View attachment 77789

Click to expand...

by @LesFerch

AFAIK, there is no setting or patch to flip the position of those items back to where they were before the latest update.

Yes, you could uninstall the latest update, but that's not a good strategy. You can't just exclude this particular change and still get all other fixes. You would have to be stuck at this point in time.

I recommend using the Windows 10 Explorer that's still included with Windows 11. It's faster, lets you set your folder trees to the folder type you desire (a feature broken in the Windows 11 Explorer), and has the address and search bar where you like them.

You can run the old Explorer any time by opening the Control Panel and clicking the up button once or twice. Or you can use this slightly more convenient OldExplorer launcher. However, for the most integrated approach, you can use a patching tool to make the old Explorer the default. For example, using StartAllBack, you would choose the "Kinda 10" option.

To let Microsoft know that you do not like the new position of the address and search bar, you can leave feedback via the Feedback Hub.

Click to expand...

Can you confirm that this new position is the default explorer view for all users after the latest update? Or did something break in my system that caused the positions to change?

Edit: Also, is there a way to just remove the context bar using registry from the explorer view? I don't use it at all.

Zamzummin said:

Can you confirm that this new position is the default explorer view for all users after the latest update? Or did something break in my system that caused the positions to change?

Click to expand...

Wait for Les.
Mine isn't like that, but I have a lot of other tweaks applied.
One of them may have locked my File Explorer bars in place?

For example... I disabled "tabs" in File Explorer. That may be affecting it. I dunno.
I tweaked a lot of things in File Explorer...

The toolbar and address bar swapped places after the second update to File Explorer after Tabs were first introduced, a few months ago.

I would get accustomed to the way things are now, because it appears that this is how things will be from now on.

As @Ghot suggested though, you could disable tabs, they are next to useless at the moment anyway and the toolbars apparently go back to the way they were before Tabs were introduced.

I do prefer the earlier layout, but I am getting used to the new layout now.

Thanks. How can I disable tabs in file explorer?

You can try following this tutorial:


Or try these regedit files:

To disable Tabs:

To enable Tabs:

Copy the text in the boxes into a text editor and save the file as disable tabs.reg & enable tabs.reg, then double click on the appropriate file to add it to the registry.

After applying the reg file/s, you may need to reboot in order to see the effects.

Thanks. Modifying the registry values worked and the correct orientation returned:



Why they made this dumb change is beyond me, but I'm glad it's back now the way my brain remembers it.

Zamzummin said:

this dumb change....Can you confirm that this new position is the default explorer view for all users after the latest update?

Click to expand...

Re-designing file explorer has been one of MS priorities in recent updates. I wouldn't be surprised if we see more changes.
Yes, this change affected everyone who is running native explorer without tweaks or third party apps.

Quickest way to resolve this please ?
Many thanks.

Zamzummin said:

Thanks. Modifying the registry values worked and the correct orientation returned:

View attachment 77794

Why they made this dumb change is beyond me, but I'm glad it's back now the way my brain remembers it.

Click to expand...

Just be prepared to do this all over again when you install the next update or upgrade. As we all have experienced, Microsoft knows how to backout personalized tweaks. And if it can't, the update/upgrade will brick your PC. That's why I never install 3rd party UI applications. I only make registry changes after much thought and research before I implement one.

Lucas North said:

View attachment 77797

Quickest way to resolve this please ?
Many thanks.

Click to expand...

Looks like a permissions issue.

@Lucas North

Make sure the first line of each reg file is Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 and NOT Code:

You may need to reboot before applying the reg file and do make sure File Explorer is not open when you do apply the reg file.

@trumpy81
Same result I'm afraid my friend, but thanks for your reply.

Have you tried booting into safe mode and adding the reg files then, or add/open the Administrator account and then add the reg file, do you get the same results then?

@trumpy81 I'm not sure how @Zamzummin did it, but that key is protected.

The easy way to get around the protection is to run RegEdit or Cmd via PowerRun.

I would also recommend making the change in CurrentControlSet rather than ControlSet001.

However, I'm not sure those registry settings are good idea to use. In my tests, sometimes it did not change to the old layout and sometimes I couldn't get it back to the new layout. And that was with restarting. Also, note that those registry settings don't affect tabs. At least, I saw no change with tabs.

I think a better option is to use the latest ExplorerPatcher to select "classic Address bar". I was able to switch back and forth reliably using EP and I only had to hit its "Restart File Explorer" button.

@LesFerch

Your assumption that the key is protected is incorrect as far as I am aware.

The key is NOT protected at all as stated by Zamzummin:

Zamzummin said:

Thanks. Modifying the registry values worked and the correct orientation returned:

View attachment 77794

Why they made this dumb change is beyond me, but I'm glad it's back now the way my brain remembers it.

Click to expand...

If the key were protected, then he would not have been able to make the change without overriding any protection.

You also claim it is not advisable to use this reg edit, and yet the edit is only changing a stored value.

You are NOT changing or adding a key nor are you removing a key, so I fail to see how this would be considered inadvisable?

Trusting third party apps of known or unknown origin, is far more risky than changing a registry value IMHO.

I will also add that I created a Win 11 VM for testing and I saw no ill effects after appyling the registry value change. I also observed that the desired result was achieved, as shown by Zamzummin above.

Lucas North said:

View attachment 77797

Quickest way to resolve this please ?
Many thanks.

Click to expand...

As for Lucas North, it is possible that his PC was in some kind of anomalous state at the time or his issue may have been the result of a third party anti-virus software or any number of other possibilities.

Without being able to investigate his issue further it is difficult to say for sure, but I would not consider his situation as normal at all.

Unfortunately, @Lucas North has not indicated whether he was eventually successful or not, nor has he reported the cause of his issue with adding the registry edit.

Zamzummin said:

Thanks. Modifying the registry values worked and the correct orientation returned:

View attachment 77794

Why they made this dumb change is beyond me, but I'm glad it's back now the way my brain remembers it.

Click to expand...

It seems that the old Vivetool ID numbers for disabling File Explorer tabs can cause some issues with File Explorer 23H2.
@jed found a new vivetool ID number that does remove the tabs, and doesn't cause File Explorer 23H2 issues...

The /fullreset command is NOT needed...




Also, I updated my topic...