Windows 11 Is Testing a Faster File Explorer Startup — But There’s a Catch

If you’ve ever clicked on File Explorer in Windows 11 and waited longer than you’d like, you’re not alone. Microsoft has finally acknowledged that File Explorer can feel slow to open, especially on certain configurations. To fix that, a new experimental feature is being tested in the latest Insider build. It preloads File Explorer in the background to make it open faster when you need it. The feature aims to speed things up — but it also raises questions about resource usage.

A New Setting to Speed Up File Explorer

The improvement is currently available in Windows 11 Insider build 26220.7271 (KB5070307), rolling out to the Dev and Beta channels. For those who receive it, the option is enabled by default.

So how does it work? Windows now launches a background File Explorer process automatically at startup. The goal: shave off a few seconds each time you open the window.

Microsoft explains:

“We are testing preloading File Explorer in the background to improve launch performance. You shouldn’t notice this change, other than File Explorer opening faster when you need it.”

Early testers have confirmed that launch times are noticeably shorter, without a significant increase in total memory use. However, the improvement only applies to the initial launch — folder navigation inside File Explorer remains unchanged.

You Can Disable It If You Prefer

If you don’t like the idea of File Explorer running in the background at every boot, you can turn the feature off. Here’s how:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click the three dots at the top and select Options.
3. In the window that opens, go to the View tab.
4. Uncheck “Enable window preloading for faster launching”.
5. Click OK to save your changes.

This keeps File Explorer working normally, without the extra background process.

A Cleaner, More Organized Context Menu

Microsoft is also refreshing the right-click context menu inside File Explorer. The new layout groups options more logically to make them easier to find.

Here’s what’s changing:

• Core actions such as Open, Open with, and Open file location are now grouped together.
• File handling tools like Compress to ZIP, Copy as path, or Set as desktop background are moved into a new submenu called Manage file.
• Cloud services like OneDrive and Dropbox now show up in separate, clearly labeled menus.
• Send to phone has been moved next to other cloud-related actions.

Nothing groundbreaking, but these tweaks should make the menu much less cluttered and more intuitive to use.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft’s background preload option looks like a simple way to reduce frustrating wait times when opening File Explorer. While the change doesn’t solve deeper navigation slowdowns, it’s a practical improvement — and the fact that users can disable it is a welcome touch. Combined with a cleaner context menu, this update shows that Microsoft is still working to improve Windows 11’s everyday usability, one small tweak at a time.