This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off compact view in File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.
If you feel File Explorer has too much space between items, you can turn on compact view to decrease space between items in File Explorer.
If you have a tablet, convertible, or 2-in-1 type device in tablet/slate mode, then compact view will always be off even if turned on.
Option One: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from File Explorer Command Bar
Option Two: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer from Folder Options
Option Three: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer using REG file
Option Four: Turn On or Off Compact View in File Explorer in Registry Editor
EXAMPLE: Compact view in File...
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Disable Automatic Windows Updates in Windows 11
This tutorial will show you how to disable Windows Update from automatically downloading and installing updates in Windows 10 and Windows 11.- Brink
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Use ViVeTool to Enable or Disable Hidden Features in Windows 11
This tutorial will show you how to use ViVeTool to enable or disable hidden features in Windows 10 and Windows 11.- Brink
- Replies: 49
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Restore Classic File Explorer with Ribbon in Windows 11
This tutorial will show you how to restore the classic File Explorer with Ribbon for your account or all users in Windows 11.- Brink
- Replies: 422
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Create Windows 11 Bootable USB Installation Media
This tutorial will show you how to create a bootable USB flash drive used to install Windows 11 with UEFI support.- Brink
- Replies: 135
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Uninstall or Reinstall Copilot app
This tutorial will show you different ways to uninstall or reinstall the Copilot app for your account or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11.- Brink
- Replies: 0
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Add or Remove "Learn about this picture" Desktop icon
This tutorial will show you how to add or remove the "Learn about this picture" desktop icon when using Windows Spotlight as your desktop background for your account in Windows 11 and Windows 10.- Brink
- Replies: 27
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Use SFC to Repair System Files in Windows 11
This tutorial will show you how to run the System File Checker (SFC) tool to repair missing, corrupted, and modified system files in Windows 10 and Windows 11.- Brink
- Replies: 25
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Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft
This tutorial will show you how to download an official Windows Server ISO or Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO file from Microsoft.- Brink
- Replies: 428
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Repair Install Windows 11 with an In-place Upgrade
This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install of Windows 11 by performing an in-place upgrade without losing anything.- Brink
- Replies: 339
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Clean Install Windows 11
This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account.- Brink
- Replies: 245
Tutorials
Windows 11 tutorials, tricks, tips, and guides.
This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off "Display file icon on thumbnails" for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Sometimes when you view the thumbnails of files in File Explorer, an icon of the file type for its default app may show in the lower right corner of the thumbnail.
You can turn off "Display file icon on thumbnails" to no longer see the icon overlay on the lower right corner of the thumbnail.
Option One: Turn On or Off "Display file icon on thumbnails" in Folder Options
Option Two: Turn On or Off "Display file icon on thumbnails" using REG file
Option Three: Turn On or Off "Display file icon on thumbnails" in Registry Editor
EXAMPLE: Display file icon on thumbnails
Turn On or Off "Display file...
This tutorial will show you how to hide or show the status bar in File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.
The status bar at the bottom of File Explorer will show you how many items are in and selected for the currently opened folder. The two buttons below are also available on the right side of the status bar.
(Ctrl+Shift+6) = Change current folder layout to details view.
(Ctrl+Shift+2) = Change current folder layout to large icons view.
Setting the status bar to hide or show in File Explorer is a global setting that is applied to all folders, and not just in the current folder.
Option One: Show or Hide Status Bar in File Explorer in Folder Options
Option Two: Show or Hide Status Bar in File Explorer using REG file
Option...
This tutorial will show you how to restart the explorer.exe process as needed in Windows 11.
The explorer.exe process is the user shell for Windows, and is used by such items as the desktop, File Explorer, Start menu, notification area, and taskbar. Restarting the explorer.exe process is to stop and start it to effectively refresh explorer.exe. When the explorer.exe process has been stopped (aka: "end task"), you will see a blank black desktop with your mouse pointer showing until explorer.exe has been started again.
If you are having issues with the explorer.exe process (ex: hang), restarting the explorer.exe process may sort it without having to restart the computer.
If you are applying a registry tweak, sometimes you can just...
This tutorial will show you different ways on how to put your Windows 11 computer to sleep.
Sleep uses very little power, your PC starts up faster, and you’re instantly back to where you left off. You don’t have to worry that you'll lose your work because of your battery draining because Windows automatically saves all your work and turns off the PC if the battery is too low. Use Sleep when you’re going to be away from your PC for just a little while.
On most PCs, you can resume from sleep by pressing your PC's power button. However, not all PCs are the same. You might be able to wake it by pressing any key on the keyboard, clicking a mouse button, or opening the lid on a laptop. Check the documentation that came with your computer or...
This tutorial will show you how to scan a QR code on a Windows 11 PC.
A QR code is a type of matrix barcode that can be used to share URL links of sites. To scan this code, you can use a QR scanner app on your phone, or some camera apps.
The Camera app included in Windows 11 will allow you to scan a QR code with your PC's camera (webcam).
Starting with Windows 11 build 26052 (Canary and Dev), You can now use the Camera app to join a Wi-Fi network. Just scan a QR code with Wi-Fi details and a link will be provided that will open Settings to quickly get the new Wi-Fi profile added and connected. As a reminder, starting with Build 25977 in the Canary Channel you can create your own QR code for Wi-Fi and share it with others. This also...
The menu bar is no longer available in File Explorer.
Starting with Windows 11 build 25136 and build 22621.160, File Explorer has been updated.
To help you work across multiple locations at the same time, the title bar of File Explorer now has tabs.
File Explorer also has a new refreshed layout of the left navigation pane which makes it easy for you to navigate to folders that matter to you. The updated organization provides easy access to your pinned and frequently used folders (Quick access) and your OneDrive cloud profiles added to Windows.
Due to a possible bug or by design in the new File Explorer, you can have the old menu bar always show in File Explorer if wanted. When the menu bar is turned off to not always show, you can...
This tutorial will show you how to pin or unpin items copied into the clipboard history for your account in Windows 11.
When you copy something on your Windows PC, it’s automatically copied to your clipboard for you to paste.
Clipboard History in Windows 10 and Windows 11 lets you save multiple items to your clipboard.
Clipboard history also allows you to copy images and text from one PC to another with a cloud-based clipboard. Not only can you can paste from your clipboard history, but you can also pin the items you tend to use all the time and sync your clipboard history to the cloud.
Clipboard history size limitations are 4 MB per item. Text, HTML, and Bitmap are supported.
Clipboard history is limited to 25 copied entries...
This tutorial will show you how to reset and clear all pinned items on the taskbar for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The taskbar in Windows 11 shows the Start menu, Search, Task View, Widgets, Chat, File Explorer, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Store buttons (icons) aligned to the center by default.
The taskbar will also show the icon of the app for any window you have open. If you like, you can pin an app to the taskbar to always show the app's icon on the taskbar whether the app is open or not. Pinning an app to the taskbar makes it easier to open the app on demand from the taskbar.
EXAMPLE: Pinned items on taskbar
Here's How:
1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of...
This tutorial will show you how to replace, skip, or keep both file versions being copied or moved in a file name conflict dialog box for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
When you copy or move files/folders from one location to another in Windows and the destination has files with the same names, you will get a file name conflict dialog that allows you to either replace all file name conflicts in the destination location, skip copy/move all file name conflicts to the destination location, or copy/move and keep both versions of files in the destination location.
Starting with Windows 11 build 26080 (Canary and Dev), when extracting files, if there is a file name conflict you can now choose to apply your selected action (skip...
This tutorial will show you how to add, remove, or clear and reset Favorites in File Explorer Home for your account or all users in Windows 11.
Starting with Windows 11 build 22593, Quick access in File Explorer (Win+E) is now called Home. The name Quick access has been repurposed for the pinned/frequent Folders section, and Pinned files is now called Favorites to align with Office and OneDrive. Recent and pinned files (Favorites) displayed in Home are now searchable using the search box in File Explorer even if they are not local files, so you can find Office files recently shared with you.
Home in the navigation pane is the default homepage of File Explorer (Win+E) that allows you to quickly access and view your pinned/frequent...
This tutorial will show you how to move or restore the default location of the Music folder for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
The Music folder (shell:My Music) is a component of the user profile that is used as a unified location for storing personal data. By default, the Music folder is a shell folder in the user's profile (%UserProfile%) that is used as a default storage location for saved music or audio files.
If you like, you can move the Music folder and its content to a location you want it at instead.
If the current Music folder path is incorrect or is no longer available, you can use the Restore Default option to restore the default path.
Option One: Move Location of Music Folder in Properties
Option Two...
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