TLDR: Windows 11’s File Explorer is significantly slower than Windows 10 due to its migration to WinUI 3 and XAML Islands architecture, which adds rendering overhead to the legacy Win32 core. Microsoft’s solution involves preloading File Explorer in the background (consuming ~35MB RAM) to mask startup delays, but this doesn’t address the sluggish context menus or folder navigation. As a software engineer who has dealt with this frustration firsthand, I’ve found that changing the start folder to “This PC,” optimizing folder types, and exploring third-party alternatives like Directory Opus and File Pilot provide the most significant performance improvements.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Windows Explorer Performance Mystery
If you’ve upgraded to Windows 11, you’ve probably noticed something frustrating: File Explorer feels noticeably slower than it did in Windows 10. That spinning circle when you right-click a file, the delay when opening the Home page, the sluggish folder navigation—these aren’t bugs, and you’re not alone in experiencing them. As a software engineer who works with files constantly, this performance degradation became intolerable, pushing me to investigate the technical reasons behind Windows Explorer’s slowdown and find solutions that actually work.
When Microsoft published an article acknowledging File Explorer’s performance issues and announced their “fix” in late 2025, I felt vindicated. Finally, Microsoft was admitting what millions of users had been complaining about for years. But as I dug deeper into their solution, my initial relief turned to disappointment. Their approach—preloading File Explorer in the background—felt more like applying a band-aid to a broken bone rather than addressing the fundamental architectural problems.
The Root Cause: Understanding Why is Windows Explorer Slow
The WinUI 3 Migration: A Double-Edged Sword
The primary reason why is Windows Explorer slow in Windows 11 comes down to a fundamental architectural shift. In Windows 10, File Explorer was a native Win32 application—lightning-fast but difficult to modernize with contemporary design languages. Microsoft made the strategic decision to migrate Explorer to WinUI 3 via the Windows App SDK to achieve a more modern look and feel.
Here’s where things get technically messy. Windows 11’s File Explorer is essentially a “Frankenstein” application—it wraps the legacy Win32 file browsing core with a modern XAML interface for elements like the toolbar, tabs, and context menus. This hybrid architecture creates significant performance overhead through what’s called a “lifted compositor”.
Unlike Windows 10, where the operating system handled UI drawing directly, WinUI 3 uses a lifted compositor that processes UI elements within the app, draws them to an off-screen buffer, and then sends them to the Desktop Window Manager (DWM). This adds a rendering “tax” to every frame, making the entire experience feel sluggish. Additionally, the new UI relies heavily on C#/WinRT rather than the older, faster C++ structures or the .NET Native optimizations used in UWP apps.
The XAML Islands Performance Penalty
The “bridging” between legacy Win32 code and modern XAML elements creates communication lag that’s especially noticeable when you right-click a file. The system has to translate the old shell command into a new XAML visual element, which is why the context menu often takes a split second (or several seconds on slower systems) to appear.
I’ve personally experienced this frustration dozens of times daily. When you’re trying to quickly copy, move, or rename files, those seconds add up to significant productivity losses. One Reddit user timed their context menu delay at 30 seconds, which while extreme, highlights how badly this architectural decision can impact user experience.
Web Integration: The Hidden Performance Killer
Microsoft’s decision to integrate cloud services directly into File Explorer adds another layer of slowness. The default “Home” view queries OneDrive and Office.com for “Recent Files” and “Recommended” content every time you open a new window. These network calls and database queries cause the infamous “Working on it…” delay.
As someone who values local file management speed over cloud integration features I rarely use, I found this design choice particularly frustrating. Why should my local file browsing experience be held hostage by network queries I never asked for?
Microsoft’s Solution: Preloading Windows Explorer
How the Preloading Feature Works
In November 2025, Microsoft announced their solution to Windows Explorer being slow: process preloading. Instead of optimizing the heavy startup code, Microsoft decided to simply never fully close the app. When you boot Windows, the File Explorer process launches silently in the background, consuming approximately 30-40MB of RAM permanently. When you click the icon, it simply makes the existing window visible rather than starting a new process.
When I first learned about this approach, I had mixed feelings. On one hand, Microsoft was acknowledging the problem—something I’d been hoping for since upgrading to Windows 11. On the other hand, the solution felt like a workaround rather than a proper fix. They were essentially admitting they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) optimize the underlying code, so instead they’d just keep it running all the time.
The Limitations of Microsoft’s Fix
Testing conducted by Windows Latest revealed the limitations of this approach. While the preloaded File Explorer does launch faster (especially noticeable in slow-motion comparisons or under system load), the improvement is marginal during normal usage. More importantly, preloading does nothing to address the sluggish context menus, slow folder navigation, or the overall UI responsiveness issues.
The context menu remains painfully slow to load, with the very features users don’t want—”Ask Copilot,” “Edit with Clipchamp,” “Edit in Notepad,” and redundant “Photos” options—taking the longest to appear. Even with preloading enabled, Windows 11’s File Explorer is still demonstrably slower than Windows 10‘s File Explorer when compared side-by-side.
Microsoft did reorganize the right-click menu to reduce the number of XAML elements it needs to render, moving rarely used commands like Rotate and Compress into sub-menus. While this helps slightly, it doesn’t fundamentally solve the performance problem.
How I Sped Up Windows Explorer: Practical Solutions That Actually Work
After extensive research and personal experimentation, I’ve found several optimizations that make a tangible difference in Windows Explorer performance. Here’s what I implemented on my own system:
Change the Start Folder to “This PC”
This single change had the highest impact on my daily experience with File Explorer. By default, Windows Explorer opens to the “Home” page, which queries OneDrive and Office.com for content. This causes significant delays, especially on slower connections or systems.
I changed my File Explorer to open directly to “This PC” by going to File Explorer > Options > General > “Open File Explorer to: This PC”. The difference was dramatic—File Explorer now launches nearly instantly, and I no longer wait for network queries I don’t need.
Optimize Folder Type for General Items
Windows attempts to automatically detect folder content types and apply relevant templates (Music, Pictures, Videos, Documents). While well-intentioned, this “Automatic Folder Type Discovery” feature causes delays as Windows analyzes file metadata.
I now manually optimize my frequently-used folders for “General Items” by right-clicking the folder, selecting Properties > Customize > “Optimize for: General Items”. For a system-wide fix, I disabled the Automatic Folder Type Discovery feature entirely through the Registry by creating a “FolderType” string value set to “NotSpecified” in the following location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\AllFolders\Shell.
This optimization prevents Windows from wasting time analyzing my files, resulting in much faster folder loading times.
Disable Search Indexing (With Caveats)
Windows Search indexing runs continuously in the background, consuming CPU cycles and disk I/O. For systems where file search isn’t frequently used, disabling this service can provide a noticeable performance boost.
I disabled Windows Search by opening Services.msc, locating “Windows Search,” right-clicking to select Properties, and changing the Startup Type to “Disabled”. The trade-off is that file searches become significantly slower since Windows must scan files in real-time rather than using the pre-built index. For my workflow, where I organize files meticulously and rarely search, this trade-off was worthwhile.
Launch Folder Windows in Separate Processes
By default, all File Explorer windows run in a single explorer.exe process. If one window hangs or crashes, it takes down all other Explorer windows. Enabling separate processes improves stability and can make the interface feel snappier.
I enabled this feature through File Explorer > Options > View > Check “Launch folder windows in a separate process”. While the impact is lower than other optimizations, it provides peace of mind and prevents catastrophic crashes when working with problematic folders or network locations.
Disable Visual Effects and Animations
Windows 11’s transparency effects and animations add visual polish but also consume system resources and introduce rendering delays. Disabling these effects can make File Explorer feel noticeably faster, especially on older hardware.
I disabled these effects by going to Settings > Accessibility > Visual effects and turning off both Transparency effects and Animation effects. The result is a less fluid Windows 11 appearance, but significantly faster File Explorer performance—a trade-off I gladly accept as a productivity-focused user.
Third-Party Alternatives: When Native Windows Explorer Isn’t Enough
After optimizing Windows Explorer as much as possible, I still found the performance underwhelming compared to what I experienced in Windows 10. This led me to explore third-party file managers, and I was genuinely impressed by what’s available.
Directory Opus: The Power User’s Choice
Directory Opus is widely considered the most powerful file manager available for Windows. As a native C++ application, it’s extremely fast and handles folders with 100,000+ files without stuttering. The level of customization is unparalleled—scripting support, toolbar editing, color schemes, and plugin integration.
The drawback is the steep learning curve and price ($49-90 AUD). However, for professionals who work with files extensively, the investment quickly pays for itself in time savings and reduced frustration.
File Pilot: The Modern Speed Demon
File Pilot emerged in late 2025 as a compelling new alternative. At only 1.8-2 MB in size, it’s remarkably lightweight and opens folders almost instantly. The modern, tabbed interface feels familiar yet more responsive than Windows Explorer.
What impressed me most was the real-time search functionality and the smooth animations when switching between view modes. The built-in batch rename feature is also a time-saver I use regularly. Currently available as a free beta, File Pilot will eventually require a premium subscription. The main limitations are the lack of network browsing support and the inability to easily replace Explorer as the system default without registry modifications.
Total Commander: The Veteran Alternative
Total Commander has existed since Windows 3.1 and offers unbeatable raw speed through its keyboard-centric workflow. While the interface looks dated by modern standards, its efficiency is undeniable for users willing to learn the keyboard shortcuts. It’s available for $40-50 USD and includes extensive plugin support.
FreeCommander XE and Files App
For budget-conscious users, FreeCommander XE provides a solid dual-pane experience with batch tools, FTP support, and good customization options—all for free. The Files app offers a modern design but suffers from similar performance limitations as Windows Explorer since it’s also built on WinUI 3.
My Personal Windows Explorer Workflow and Recommendations
After months of experimentation, I’ve settled on a hybrid approach that maximizes both performance and usability:
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For general file browsing: I use the optimized native Windows Explorer with the “This PC” start folder and disabled animations. These tweaks make it acceptably fast for everyday tasks.
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For intensive file operations: I switch to File Pilot when dealing with large directories, batch operations, or when I need the superior search functionality. Its speed and modern interface make it my preferred tool for heavy file management work.
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For specialized tasks: I occasionally use Directory Opus for complex scripting operations or when managing network drives with tens of thousands of files.
The key insight I’ve gained through this process is that there’s no single perfect solution. Microsoft’s Windows Explorer, even optimized, will never match the performance of Windows 10’s version due to the fundamental architectural changes. However, by understanding why Windows Explorer is slow and implementing targeted optimizations, you can significantly improve your experience.
Conclusion: The Future of Windows Explorer Performance
Microsoft’s acknowledgment of File Explorer’s performance issues represents an important first step, but the preloading “fix” falls short of addressing the root causes. The real problems—the WinUI 3 rendering overhead, XAML Islands bridging delays, and forced cloud integration—remain unresolved.
As a software engineer, I believe Microsoft needs to either commit to fully rewriting File Explorer with performance as a top priority or provide better native tools for users to customize and optimize their experience. The current half-measure of preloading feels like admitting defeat rather than solving the problem.
Until Microsoft delivers a comprehensive solution, users frustrated with Windows Explorer being slow have three options: implement the user-side optimizations I’ve outlined, explore third-party file managers that prioritize performance, or simply accept the sluggishness as the price of Windows 11’s modern interface.
For me, the combination of optimized native Explorer for light tasks and File Pilot for intensive work strikes the right balance. I encourage you to experiment with these solutions and find the configuration that best matches your workflow and tolerance for Windows Explorer’s limitations.
What’s your experience with Windows Explorer performance in Windows 11? Have you found other optimizations or alternatives that work for you? Share your thoughts and solutions in the comments below—the Windows community benefits when we share knowledge about working around Microsoft’s design decisions.
