[Tip] Disable Tabs in Windows 11 File Explorer

If you recently installed or upgraded to the latest version of Windows 11 in your computer and you want to disable or remove new Tabs feature in File Explorer, this article will help you.

With the release of Windows 11 2022 Update (version 22H2), Microsoft has added Tab UI or interface to File Explorer (also known as This PC, My Computer or Windows Explorer). The new Tab UI adds browser like tab support to File Explorer.

Now the new tabbed File Explorer in Windows 11 allows users to create multiple tabs and open drives/folders in different tabs in a single window similar to web browsers. As you can open multiple tabs and browse different websites in your favorite web browser, now Windows 11 File Explorer comes with same feature.

You can right-click on any drive or folder and select “Open in a new Tab” option from the context menu and File Explorer will open the selected drive or folder in a new tab inside the same window. So now you can open multiple folders in the same File Explorer window using tabs feature.

Although it’s a nice addition to File Explorer but some people may not like this new feature. Some users noticed that the Tab UI makes the File Explorer slower. Also now the File Explorer launches a little bit slower due to the addition of tab bar at top compared to previous Windows 11 versions when the File Explorer didn’t contain a tab bar.

If you also find the new Tab UI unnecessary and want to get rid of tabs from Windows 11 File Explorer, this article will help you.

Following methods will assist you in disabling or removing tabs feature from Windows 11 File Explorer completely and permanently:

METHOD 1: Remove Tabs from Windows 11 File Explorer Using ExplorerPatcher

Our favorite freeware ExplorerPatcher can help you in removing tabs feature completely from Windows 11 File Explorer.

You can restore Windows 10 Ribbon or Windows 7 classic command bar in Windows 11 File Explorer and it’ll remove the tabs feature from the File Explorer.

1. First of all, download Explorer Patcher from following link:

Download ExplorerPatcher for Windows 11

2. After downloading the tool, install it and it’ll restart the Explorer.

Now right-click on the Taskbar and select Properties option from the context menu. It’ll open ExplorerPatcher settings window.

3. Now go to File Explorer tab in ExplorerPatcher properties and look for “Control Interface” option present in the middle of the window. It’s set to “Windows 11 Command bar” by default.

Click on the “Control Interface” option and you’ll get a drop-down box to change its value. Select Windows 10 Ribbon or Windows 7 Command Bar option from the drop-down box as per your requirements.

4. Click on “Restart File Explorer” link given at the bottom-left corner of the window and it’ll restart Explorer.

Now open File Explorer and you’ll see Windows 7 command bar or Windows 10 Ribbon toolbar restored in File Explorer based on your selection in Explorer Patcher settings.

The Tab UI will be removed completely from the File Explorer. You’ll no longer see any tab bar at the top in File Explorer and the option to create tabs will also disappear from the context menu.

Following article contains above instructions in details with screenshots:

Enable Windows 7 Command Bar or Windows 10 Ribbons in Windows 11 File Explorer

PS: In future, if you decide to restore the default File Explorer with Tab UI in Windows 11, set the above mentioned “Control Interface” option to “Windows 11 Command bar (default)” again in ExplorerPatcher Properties window.

METHOD 2: Disable Tabs in Windows 11 File Explorer Using Registry Editor

There is also a Registry tweak available to disable tabs and restore Windows 10 style classic File Explorer with ribbon toolbar in Windows 11.

You can apply the Registry tweak and it’ll disable the new Tab UI and restore classic File Explorer in your Windows 11 device.

Following article contains step-by-step instructions to apply the Registry tweak in Windows 11:

[Tip] Restore Windows 10 File Explorer with Ribbon in Windows 11

METHOD 3: Run Old File Explorer (without Tabs) and New (with Tabs) Side-by-Side in Windows 11

Last year we discovered a fun trick to launch and use old File Explorer and new File Explorer side-by-side in Windows 11.

The same trick can be used to open classic File Explorer without Tab UI any time in Windows 11 without using any Registry tweak or 3rd party tool.

Check out following article to learn how to access and use classic File Explorer in Windows 11:

[Fun Tip] Run Old and New File Explorer Side-by-Side in Windows 11

Also Check:

[Tip] Enable Full Classic File Explorer in Windows 11

[Tip] Enable Colored Titlebar in Windows 11 File Explorer