Microsoft still has tricks up its sleeve beyond ads and AI: Windows 11’s File Explorer gets a slick new ‘Shared’ section
It looks like Microsoft is still making time to work on functional improvements to Windows 11, like a recent update to File Explorer — and I’m not just talking about its enthusiasm for holistically spreading ads across the operating system and integrating AI in every operating system. part of it. The new development aims to add a ‘Shared’ section to File Explorer and is currently being tested with Windows 11 beta users.
The new File Explorer section is included as part of the Windows 11 Preview Build 22635.3640, available through the Windows Insider program beta channel. Even if you install this preview build, the feature is disabled by default and must be enabled using ViveToolsopen source software that lets you test experimental features.
The addition of this new section to File Explorer was discovered and shared by
The File Explorer homepage is getting some updates soon! The way sections appear is being updated (complete with fancy visuals when there’s nothing in them) and a new “Shared” section is being added. (disabled by default, beta 22635.3640.) pic.twitter.com/kamy1T4sSNMay 17, 2024
The first of these discoveries indicates that Microsoft is currently testing changes to File Explorer’s user interface (UI), specifically three sections that appear in a sort of horizontal ribbon format beneath your file folders: ‘Recents’, ‘Favorites’ and ‘Shared ‘. ‘ Previously (well, currently, for those of us not using a preview build of Windows 11), these would appear in a vertical list below your file folders.
How to set up and try out the new Shared section yourself
If you are absolutely eager to see the newly introduced ‘Shared’ section, as well as the user interface changes, Windows Report recommends that you download ViveTool from the official GitHub page. You need to first install Windows 11 Preview Build 22635.3640 and then download ViveTool. ViveTool is a third party app, but it is widely used and I don’t see any immediate issues that concern me on the GitHub page.
Once you’ve downloaded ViveTool, you’ll want to open the Command Prompt or PowerShell. These are easiest to find by typing one of these into the Windows taskbar search bar. Then copy and paste the following code into the opened window:
vivetool /enable /id:45130483
Again, this is a feature that is currently in testing; it’s not even enabled by default in the preview build, and this follows what users who used it have reported – the new section doesn’t seem to be fully integrated into File Explorer yet and can sometimes be buggy. One user reported a bug that affected the entire File Explorer, where the menu on the left automatically filled with copies of pinned shortcuts.
The errors in the new section are probably the reason it is currently disabled by default, and as Windows Report warns, you may enable this only at your own risk. You can disable the new features and changes by changing the ‘enable’ part of the code above to ‘disable’ so you don’t have to panic even if you choose to try this out and end up running into some issues.
The new functionality for File Explorer seems useful, and I hope Microsoft continues to work on tightening it up and making it functional. It’s easy to see how a “Shared” section would make it easier to collaborate with others your device is connected to. Furthermore, I think these are the kind of changes that users will welcome, as they are not too big but have the potential to become part of the way we use Windows in our normal routines.