Install PowerToys Utilities to customize Windows

PowerToys from Microsoft, when you install, you will find a versatile set of additional tweeks. It is a set of utilities for power users to tune and customize Windows for greater experience of productivity.

Install PowerToys executables via GitHub

Get PowerToys from Github select the PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-x64.exe or PowerToysSetup-0.##.#-arm64.exe file to download the PowerToys executable installer.

Alternatively, get PowerToys from the Microsoft Store. You must be using the new Microsoft Store which will be available for both Windows 11 and Windows 10 v2004 (19041) or newer.

To install PowerToys using the Windows Package Manager, it is as simple as running the following command from the command line / PowerShell:

winget install Microsoft.PowerToys --source winget

PowerToys File Explorer add-ons utility

The highlights are the File Explorer add-ons utility. With the ability of Thumbnail preview showing thumbnails is a built-in Windows feature.

Install PowerToys, Windows Explorer thumbnail preview

For thumbnail preview, PowerToys adds multiple extensions: SVG, PDF, PHP, Shell-Scripts, Java, CSS, Python-code and more.

How to customize Windows File Explorer

To preview files for php, ps1, py, css, vbs, shell scripts and more in File Explorer with just expanding the registry then add this keys.

REG ADD "HKCR\.sh" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.sh" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.sh" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.sh\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

REG ADD "HKCR\.php" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.php" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.php" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.php\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

REG ADD "HKCR\.py" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.py" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.py" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.py\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

REG ADD "HKCR\.ps1" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.ps1" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.ps1" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.ps1\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

REG ADD "HKCR\.css" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.css" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.css" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.css\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

REG ADD "HKCR\.vbs" /v "PerceivedType" /t REG_SZ /d "text" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.vbs" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "txtfile" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.vbs" /v "Content Type" /t REG_SZ /d "text/plain" /f
REG ADD "HKCR\.vbs\PersistentHandler" /ve /t REG_SZ /d "{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}" /f

What is PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys is a set of freeware system utilities designed for power users. Developed by Microsoft for use on the Windows operating system. These programs add or change features to maximize productivity or add more customization. PowerToys are available for Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 10 and Windows 11. The PowerToys for Windows 10 and Windows 11 are free and open-source software licensed under the MIT License and hosted on GitHub.

File Explorer in Windows 11: Restore Classic Ribbon

If you want to restore the classic File Explorer Ribbon of Windows 10 in Windows 11, add this registry key – this is how it works.

This tutorial show you how to restore the Classic Ribbon in File Explorer in Windows 11.

  This tweak will only works up to Windows 11 version 21H2, but you can try Restore Back to Classic Ribbon in Windows 11 version 22H2 and later.

Press the Windows key and type “Command Prompt” from the keyboard, then right-click “Run as administrator” above the icon.

Commnd Prompt Run as Administrator

Add the registry key in the open command prompt.

REG ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions\Blocked" /v "{e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}" /t REG_SZ /d "" /f

Insert Registry line with Copy Paste and press the Enter key.

  After successful execution, the message appears.
The operation completed successfully“.

Finalize File Explorer Tweak

That’s it, now restart the “Windows Explorer” shell process in Task Manager with the right mouse button.

or simply restart Windows completely. The File Explorer now shows up again with the Windows 10 style Classic Ribbon.

File Explorer now shows up again with the old Classic Ribbon of Windows 10
File Explorer now shows up again with the old classic ribbon of Windows 10

Find File Explorer in Windows 11

File Explorer in Windows 11 helps you get the files you need quickly and easily.

To check it out in Windows 11, select it on the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo+E key on your keyboard.

File Explorer Pin to Quick access

How to use File Explorer

To pin a folder to Quick access, right-click (or press and hold) the folder and select Pin to Quick access.

How To share a file, select it, then select Share on the ribbon.

To move the location of a file or folder, select it and then select Cut on the ribbon. Navigate to the new location, then select Paste.

To change how your items appear in File Explorer, select View on the ribbon and choose between showing icons, lists, details, and more.

You can reduce the space between files, select View > Compact view.

To find relevant files from your PC and the cloud, search from File Explorer Home.

File Explorer has a new, streamlined context menu, making it easier to get to popular commands. Right-click on a file to access the new context menu.

Common Tasks in File Explorer Windows 10

You can use the Ribbon in File Explorer for common tasks, such as copying and moving, creating new folders, emailing and zipping items, and changing the view. The tabs change to show extra tasks that apply to the selected item.

Users can select to show (expand) the Ribbon so that it is always expanded even after you click a command on the Ribbon, or select to hide (minimize) the Ribbon to show only the tab names on the Ribbon.

This post will show you how to expand the Ribbon in File Explorer in Windows 10.

While in File Explorer Windows+ E press the Ctrl+F1 keys to toggle to expand (show – default) or minimize (hide) the Ribbon.

Right click or press and hold on an empty area of the Ribbon tab bar, and click tap on Minimize the Ribbon to uncheck it.

Restore Back to Classic Ribbon in Windows 11 22H2

The File Explorer in Windows 11 has a modern ribbon with small icons (no caption text underneath). The new File Explorer ribbon may look unfamiliar and inconvenient to users who have upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

Nevertheless, there are a tweak to get back the classic ribbon same from Windows 10 style in Windows 11 File Explorer.

To restore back the classic ribbon in 22H2 simply replacingExplorerFrame.dllwith the 21H2 version. Follow these steps to replace the explorer dll file:

  1. Download ExplorerFrame.dll (21H2 version) and copy it to c:\temp, this directory probably still needs to be created.
  2. Launch Command Prompt as TrustedInstaller, to become a TrustedInstaller you can get the AdvancedRun utility from NirSoft.
  3. After unzipping, open explorer Windows+E and navigate to the path where you unzipped AdvancedRun, for me it is in the folder advancedrun-x64, typecmdin the address bar and press the Enter key.
    AdvancedRun
  4. Launches Command Prompt as TrustedInstaller out from advancedrun-x64 directory by run these command.
AdvancedRun.exe /EXEFilename "c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe" /RunAs 8 /Run

The command using the ‘8’ value of the /RunAs parameter to sets the Run As mode to TrustedInstaller.

Now close all open File Explorer and switch to the Command Prompt window as TrustedInstaller and run these commands.

cd C:\temp
tar -xf ExplorerFrame.zip
cd /d c:\windows\system32
ren ExplorerFrame.dll ExplorerFrame.bak
copy C:\temp\ExplorerFrame.dll

Done! close any Command Prompt window and launch Task Manager to restart the Explorer shell process with the right mouse button.

launch Task Manager to restart the Explorer shell process

The Classic File Explorer Ribbon is now restored in Windows 11 22H2.

Restore Back to Classic Ribbon in Windows 11 22H2 and later.
Restore Classic Ribbon in Windows 11 22H2.

  A future cumulative update may overwrite the original version of ExplorerFrame.dll. In this case, follow the above steps again to restore the Classic Ribbon in File Explorer.