Summary
- Windows 11’s Beta and Dev channels introduce updates that enhance File Explorer stability and features.
- Improvements to File Explorer in Beta and Dev builds include bug fixes related to app shortcuts and performance.
- The update enhances File Explorer by fixing issues with Narrator scan mode and speeding up file unzipping processes.
If you’re interested in checking out what’s coming next for Windows 11, you owe it to yourself to check out the operating system’s Beta and Dev branches. These updates with new features that Microsoft would like people to try out before a full release, but unlike the Canary channel, it’s a little more stable, and the features have undergone at least an initial testing phase before being served. Microsoft has just uploaded a new update to both the Beta and Dev channels, and both of them make the File Explorer a lot better to use.
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Windows 11’s test branches add some welcome changes to File Explorer
On the Windows 11 Insider page for the Beta and Dev channels, Microsoft breaks down what’s new for these builds. They’re both pretty much the same and include features like a “describe image” action in Click to Do and new app permission dialog boxes that darken the rest of the screen. It’s pretty interesting, so be sure to give the full notes a read if you’d like a sneak peek into what’s coming to Windows 11.
However, tucked away in the notes are a series of very welcome changes to File Explorer, including fixes for some of the more annoying bugs it has. For instance, Microsoft has squashed a bug that stopped File Explorer from showing file operation progress dialogs when invoked by an app. It also solved an issue where, if you pinned an app shortcut to your desktop and then changed the app’s icon, it would appear as a white missing thumbnail image instead of the new image.
On top of that, the fix stops File Explorer Home from flashing white every time you start up File Explorer. And if you’re a fan of using Narrator, the update fixes a nasty issue with it when it uses File Explorer:
Fixed an issue where Narrator scan mode might not work properly in the action result canvas window for the Summarize AI action for Microsoft 365 files when reading bulleted lists.
Besides the bugfixes, Microsoft also improved File Explorer’s performance when it’s unzipping a file. Now, if you download a ZIP file from the internet, and the archive contains lots of little files, File Explorer should chew through them faster.
If you’re not sure what a “Beta” and “Dev” build even is, but you’re interested in learning more, be sure to check out our explainer on the Windows 11 betas. And if you’d rather just replace it altogether, we have a piece on this more modern alternative to the Windows 11 File Explorer.