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8 Registry Tweaks that will Make File Explorer Faster and Easier to Use on Windows 11

August 14, 2025

Windows 11’s File Explorer serves as the primary tool for file management, yet its interface can often feel cluttered with options, buttons, and context menu items that many users seldom utilize. This can lead to a frustrating navigation experience. While basic customization options are available through the “Folder Options” page and the Settings app, users seeking a more tailored experience can delve into advanced modifications via the Registry. Below are some Registry tweaks designed to enhance your File Explorer experience.

Best Registry tweaks for File Explorer on Windows 11

The following Registry tweaks are presented without a specific order, allowing users to select those that best align with their workflow. For instance, if you have the Copilot app installed and wish to streamline your context menu, you can easily hide the “Ask Copilot” option. To do so, follow these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and select the top result to launch the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to the following path: HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell Extensions.
  4. Right-click the Shell Extensions key, select New, and then choose the Key option.
  5. Confirm the name Blocked for the key and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “String Value”.
  7. Confirm the name {CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C} for the key and press Enter.
  8. Restart your computer.

Upon completion, the “Ask Copilot” entry will no longer appear in the context menu. Should you wish to revert this change, simply delete the {CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C} string from the Blocked key.

Similarly, if you have the Clipchamp app and want to remove its context menu entry without uninstalling the app, follow these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell Extensions.
  4. Right-click the Shell Extensions key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name Blocked and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “String Value”.
  7. Confirm the name {8BCF599D-B158-450F-B4C2-430932F2AF2F} and press Enter.
  8. Restart your computer.

After these adjustments, the “Edit with Clipchamp” option will be absent from the context menu. Reversing this change is as simple as deleting the {8BCF599D-B158-450F-B4C2-430932F2AF2F} string from the Blocked key.

For those who wish to declutter the context menu further by removing the “Edit with Paint” option, the process is similar:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to launch the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell Extensions.
  4. Right-click the Shell Extensions key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name Blocked and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “String Value”.
  7. Confirm the name {2430F218-B743-4FD6-97BF-5C76541B4AE9} and press Enter.
  8. Restart your computer.

Once completed, the “Edit with Paint” option will no longer be visible. To revert, delete the {2430F218-B743-4FD6-97BF-5C76541B4AE9} string from the Blocked key.

For users preferring not to see the “Edit with Notepad” option, the steps are as follows:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell Extensions.
  4. Right-click the Shell Extensions key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name Blocked and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “String Value”.
  7. Confirm the name {CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA} and press Enter.
  8. Restart your computer.

With these changes, the “Edit with Notepad” option will be removed from the context menu. Reverting this change is as simple as deleting the {CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA} string from the Blocked key.

If you wish to remove multiple options from the context menu at once, you can execute the following command in Command Prompt (admin):

  • reg add “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C}” /t REGSZ /d “” /f & reg add “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{8BCF599D-B158-450F-B4C2-430932F2AF2F}” /t REGSZ /d “” /f & reg add “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{2430F218-B743-4FD6-97BF-5C76541B4AE9}” /t REGSZ /d “” /f & reg add “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}” /t REGSZ /d “” /f

To undo these changes, use the following command:

  • reg delete “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{CB3B0003-8088-4EDE-8769-8B354AB2FF8C}” /f & reg delete “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{8BCF599D-B158-450F-B4C2-430932F2AF2F}” /f & reg delete “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{2430F218-B743-4FD6-97BF-5C76541B4AE9}” /f & reg delete “HKCUSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionShell ExtensionsBlocked” /v “{CA6CC9F1-867A-481E-951E-A28C5E4F01EA}” /f

For those who find the Gallery page in File Explorer redundant, it can also be hidden. Here’s how:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareClassesCLSID.
  4. Right-click the CLSID key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “DWORD (32-bit)”.
  7. Confirm the name System.IsPinnedToNamespaceTree and press Enter.
  8. Double-click the newly created key and ensure the value is set to 0.
  9. Click the OK button.
  10. Restart your computer or the Windows Explorer service.

Once completed, the Gallery page will no longer be accessible in File Explorer. To revert this change, delete the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} key from the HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareClassesCLSID path.

For users who wish to remove the OneDrive page from the left pane, the process is similar:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCLASSESROOTCLSID.
  4. Right-click the CLSID key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6} and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose “DWORD (32-bit)”.
  7. Confirm the name System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree and press Enter.
  8. Double-click the newly created key and ensure the value is set to 0.
  9. Click the OK button.
  10. Restart your computer or the Windows Explorer service.

After these steps, the OneDrive page will no longer appear in File Explorer. To undo this change, delete the {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6} key from the HKEYCLASSESROOTCLSID path.

For those who prefer the classic context menu over the modern version, reverting is also possible through the Registry:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWARECLASSESCLSID.
  4. Right-click the CLSID key, select New, and choose Key.
  5. Confirm the name {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2} and press Enter.
  6. Right-click the newly created string, select New, and choose Key.
  7. Confirm the name InprocServer32 and press Enter.
  8. Double-click the (Default) key and ensure the value is set to blank.
  9. Click the OK button.

After completing these steps, the classic context menu will be available when right-clicking files or folders. To revert, delete the {86ca1aa0-34aa-4e8b-a509-50c905bae2a2} key from the HKEYCURRENTUSERSOFTWARECLASSESCLSID path.

For those looking to enhance the speed of folder browsing in File Explorer, especially with folders containing numerous files, a Registry tweak can help. This adjustment prevents File Explorer from analyzing the contents of the folder, allowing for faster loading times:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to: HKEYCURRENTUSERSoftwareClassesLocal SettingsSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsShellBagsAllFoldersShell.
  4. Right-click the Shell key, select New, and choose String Value.
  5. Confirm the name FolderType and press Enter.
  6. Double-click the newly created key and ensure the value is set to NotSpecified.
  7. Click the OK button.
  8. Restart your computer or the Windows Explorer service.

Following these adjustments, users should notice a significant improvement in the loading speed of folders with a large number of files. To undo this change, the following command can be executed in Command Prompt (admin):

  • reg delete “HKCUSoftwareClassesLocal SettingsSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsShellBagsAllFoldersShell” /v FolderType /f

These Registry tweaks provide users with the opportunity to customize their File Explorer experience, enhancing both functionality and efficiency. Whether you’re looking to declutter the context menu or speed up folder browsing, these adjustments can make a notable difference in your daily interactions with Windows 11.

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8 Registry Tweaks that will Make File Explorer Faster and Easier to Use on Windows 11