Newly discovered Windows 11 trick brings back classic Windows 10 File Manager without any registry hacks

Despite being a newer operating system, Windows 11 holds a much lower user count than Windows 10. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the new UI, especially the interface of the File Explorer. Of course, it’s not like you couldn’t make tweaks to the new operating system and access the classic File Explorer. But for that, you generally need to either buy a third-party tool or make an edit on the registry.

However, as discovered by Redditor The_Blank_Spot, you don’t need to make any tweaks or purchase a third-party app to bring back the classic File Explorer on Windows 11. Instead, all you need to do is get to the Control Panel, click on System and Security, and press on Windows Tools.

For some reason, clicking on the Windows Tools brings up the classic File Explorer on Windows 11. From that window, you can browse any of your drives and folders, and the interface will not change. Alternatively, you can head into the Control Panel and click the upper arrow found on the left side of the search bar.

Getting to the old interface doesn’t cause any system instability, nor does it replace the modern UI that the operating system comes with. You can even keep two of the instances open at the same time. On that note, this method isn’t just about accessing the classic interface. You can also use a removed feature from the old Windows 10 File Explorer: address bar drag and drop. Microsoft removed it from Windows 11 with the 23H2 update.

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