How to Customize File Explorer Views in Windows 11

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Select your preferred file layout

   Open File Explorer by pressing Windows Key + E. Click the View button in the top menu bar, hover over Layout, and select between Extra large, Large, Medium, Small, List, Details, Tiles, or Content views.

   Note: The Details layout is recommended for managing large collections of files as it enables sorting by metadata.
2. 1 min

   Toggle system elements and file extensions

   Navigate to the View menu, hover over Show, and check File name extensions to ensure you always see file formats. Use this same sub-menu to toggle the visibility of Hidden items or the Navigation pane.

   Note: Enabling file extensions prevents accidental execution of suspicious files masked as different types.
3. 1 min

   Modify folder column headers

   Ensure you are in Details layout. Right-click any existing column header—such as Name, Date, or Type—to open the context menu. Select More... to open a dialog box where you can add or remove specific attributes like Authors, Tags, or Dimensions.

   Note: Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons in the Choose Details window to reorder your preferred columns.
4. 30 sec

   Apply persistent sorting rules

   Click the Sort button in the top menu bar. Choose your primary metric such as Date modified or Size. Select either Ascending or Descending to dictate the direction of your list.

   Note: Sort settings are applied per folder unless a global template is set.
5. 1 min

   Set global folder view preferences

   Once you have customized your view, click the three-dot icon (...) in the top command bar and select Options. Navigate to the View tab and click Apply to Folders to force all folders of the current type to match your settings.

   Note: If you wish to reset everything, click the Reset Folders button within the same menu.