Forum Discussion
Windows 11 File Explorer all messed up
Well, I will try leaving this solution here, although my previous post never got released, and I think most people with this issue have already given up and abandoned this thread...
I did find the cause of this issue, in my case... I use a Windows theming program called WindowBlinds, which enables loading of real themes, rather than the crippled theming system that Windows 11 offers. It turns out that some (currently unidentified) Windows update at end of 2024, broke the WindowBlinds interface - though the only symptom of this was that Window File Explorer was disabled (as documented here). Unfortunately, that update also broke WindowBlinds' update-checking mechanism, so I didn't know there was a new version available.
Once I installed the current version of WindowBlinds (11.06, vs 11.02 that I was previously using), then rebooted, this problem is completely resolved !! File Explorer now works fine.
I realize that most people posting here, are likely not using WindowBlinds, but this suggests the possibility that other programs may also have been broken by that Windows 11 update... so you might review what other programs you have installed, that are not standard Windows apps....
Wow, what a disappointing thread. People just cutting and pasting in the same suggestions without reading what has already been tried. These suggestions did nothing.
Always the same on these forums. "Hey try this thing that you've probably already tried loads of times"...
Windows 11 File Explorer is a huge issue and has been for ages, it doesn't seem to play well with 3rd party software. For me it's Trend Micro and OneDrive at work and ID Tagging software at home.
It seems in recent months Microsoft change their code which breaks stuff for end users (Adobe and Trend add-ins for Excel spring to mind). They then don't seem to work with the vendors to get the software working again.
