Microsoft Office apps and most PDF readers, for example, add preview functionality to File Explorer.Ĭlick the “Details pane” button to view the Details pane instead.

Other than pictures and text files, what you can preview depends on what types of apps you have installed and whether they support previewing. Or you can select a text file to see its contents. For example, click on an image to see a preview on the right hand side. This will show a preview for certain file types when you click on them. On the “View” tab, click the “Preview pane” button to add the Preview pane to the right side of the window. The Preview and Details panes appear at the right side of the File Explorer window, but you can only have one visible at a time. RELATED: How to Show the Control Panel and Recycle Bin in the Windows File Explorer Navigation Pane Extend Your View with the Preview and Details Panes This option enables the old Windows 7 libraries feature that has been somewhat hidden in more recent versions of Windows.Ĭheck or uncheck any of those options as you see fit. Turning on this option also adds the Control Panel and Recycle Bin to the File Explorer window. This option changes how the navigation pane is organized pretty dramatically, displaying all the folders on your system in a single hierarchy with your Desktop as the top folder (shown to the right). Turn this option on to have the Navigation pane automatically expand folders to show whatever folder you’re currently looking at in the right pane. By default, if you navigate through folders using the right pane, the Navigation pane stays at the top level folder. Click this option to hide or show the pane. You can customize the Navigation pane by selecting the “View” menu and then clicking the “Navigation pane” dropdown menu.

Click the arrow to the left of a folder (or double-click the folder) to expand or collapse it. Click a folder to select it and view its contents in the right pane. Yours may show additional categories, depending on what other services-like Dropbox-you have installed. It shows Quick Access items you’ve pinned, as well as folder trees divided up into top-level categories like OneDrive, This PC, Network, and Homegroup. The Navigation pane appears to the left of your File Explorer window by default.

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