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A tool to completely restore the old Windows Explorer (with ribbon)

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The specifications have changed in Windows 11, and the ribbon that was displayed in Explorer is no longer displayed.

Also, even when I open "This PC" in Explorer, personal folders such as Downloads, Documents, and Pictures are no longer displayed.

Windows 11 File Explorer - PC
Windows 11 File Explorer – PC

The tool we created this time, "RestoreOldExplorerRibon," will revert the new Windows 11 Explorer to the old Explorer.

The ribbon will also be displayed, similar to Windows 10 Explorer.

*There are no changes to the taskbar or start menu.

This tool does not replace system files, allowing you to use the original functionality.

Additionally, we've added the ability to show or hide personal folders individually in "This PC" in File Explorer, and the ability to revert the new Windows 11 right-click menu back to the old one.

Returning to the old Explorer and displaying personal folders
Returning to the old Explorer and displaying personal folders
  • "RestoreOldExplorerRibon" is also compatible with Windows 11 versions 24H2 and 25H2.
  • It is still working fine after installing the update and updating from version 24H2 to 25H2.
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Points to note

  • Some functions require you to restart Explorer. When you restart Explorer, the desktop and all open folders will be closed. If you are currently copying files or performing other operations, be sure to close them before proceeding.
  • Previous article "Win11 23H2: Fully restored! Explorer ribbonIf you have restored the ribbon using the method described above, please revert it to its original state before running this command.
  • Operation has been confirmed on Windows 11 versions 22H2, 23H2, 24H2, and 25H2. (Version 1.0.0.1 also supports 22H2.)
  • If you install KB5037853 or later, released on May 29, 2024, the personal folders and options in "This PC" that were previously displayed will be hidden, but you can display them again using the tool.

How to download and use "RestoreOldExplorerRibon"

materials

* Regarding use of the software (please read carefully)

Update information:

2024/06/03 (Ver 1.0.0.1):

Fixed an issue where "Personal Folders" and "Options" would not disappear after being added in some environments.

2024/06/18 (Ver 1.0.0.2):

Added the ability to revert to the old details window.

Added the ability to return to the old details window
Added the ability to return to the old details window

For information about the old details window, see the following page:

How to revert the Details Pane in Windows 11 Explorer to the previous version

2024/07/06 (Ver 1.0.0.3):

Added the option "Save Explorer window size".

Added option "Save Explorer window size"
Added option "Save Explorer window size"

2024/07/11 (Ver 1.0.0.4):

Fixed an issue where an error would occur when changing the button layout and selecting the "Save Explorer window size" option when Explorer was not open.

Changing the button layout
Changing the button layout

2024/12/20 (Ver 1.0.0.5):

Now compatible with Windows 11 version 24H2. * As of October 2, 2025, we have confirmed that it also works with version 25H2.

2026/03/09 (Ver 1.2.0.0):

  • Supports multilingual (English) display.
    The language setting of the OS is automatically detected, and if the application is started in an environment other than Japanese, the English interface (UI) will automatically be displayed.
  • The UI has been improved to prevent incorrect operation.
    When "Legacy Explorer" is enabled, personal folders and options are not reflected, so we have disabled (grayed out) them.

Target file: "RestoreOldExplorerRibon.exe" (Ver 1.2.0.0)
ハッシュ値(SHA256):1d5bf53e066d1a401d69b59614325453c3fe4421e9836d664170aa3dcf93c48b

RestoreOldExplorerRibon_1.2.zip

How To Use

Download "RestoreOldExplorerRibon.zip"Unzipand run "RestoreOldExplorerRibon.exe" inside.

If "User Account Control" appears, click "Yes".

ユーザーアカウント制御
ユーザーアカウント制御

There are eight items on the tool.

Fully restores the old Windows Explorer (with ribbon) for Windows 11
Fully restores the old Windows Explorer (with ribbon) for Windows 11

Explanation of each item

①Personal folder (check box)

When you check each item, the checked items will be displayed in "PC" in Explorer.

  • The 3D Objects environment is displayed in English.
  • materials
  • Documents
  • Picture
  • Video
  • Music
  • desktop
② Option (check box)

Just like personal folders, checked items will be displayed in "This PC" in File Explorer.

  • コ ン ト ロ ー ル パ ネ ル
  • Favorites
  • File Explorer Options
  • 電源オプション
  • printer
  • Programs and features
③ "Restore old Explorer" or "Return to new Explorer" button

When you first start it, it will say "Restore old Explorer," and when you switch back to the old Explorer, the button will change to "Return to new Explorer."

When you run it, a confirmation screen will appear, and clicking "Yes" will restart Explorer.

Bring back the old Explorer
Bring back the old Explorer

When you restart File Explorer, your screen will turn white or black for a few seconds, then the changes will be reflected once you reach the desktop.

④ "Personal Folder" button

Clicking the "Personal Folders" button will check all of the checkboxes for your personal folders and make the items visible in "This PC" in File Explorer.

*If an optional item is checked, it will be unchecked and removed from "PC" in Explorer.

⑤ "Options" button

Clicking the "Options" button will check all of the option checkboxes and display the items in "This PC" in File Explorer.

*If the personal folder item is checked, it will be unchecked and deleted from "PC" in Explorer.

⑥ "Check all" button

Check all the checkboxes for personal folders and options to show items in "This PC" in File Explorer.

⑦ "Old right-click menu" or "New right-click menu" button

When you run it, a confirmation screen will appear, and clicking "Yes" will restart Explorer.

Old right-click menu
Old right-click menu

If you switch back to the "New Right-Click Menu," Explorer will not restart.

New Right-Click Menu
New Right-Click Menu

The following image shows the difference in the menus that appear when you right-click on an empty area of ​​the desktop.

New and old right-click menu
New and old right-click menu
⑧ "Reset" button

Uncheck all the checkboxes for personal folders and options and remove them from "This PC" in File Explorer.

"Old Details Window" or "New Details Window" button (Ver 1.0.0.2)

Revert the Explorer "Details Pane" to the old or new version.

When executed, Explorer will be restarted.

For information about the old details window, see the following page:

How to revert the Details Pane in Windows 11 Explorer to the previous version

"Save Explorer window size" in the options menu (Ver 1.0.0.3)
Fully restores the old Windows Explorer (with ribbon) for Windows 11
Fully restores the old Windows Explorer (with ribbon) for Windows 11

Due to the way the tool works, the window position and size are not automatically recorded when you close Explorer after switching back to the old version.

If you click "Save Explorer window size" in the newly added options menu, the position and size of the currently open top Explorer window will be recorded, allowing you to open it in the same position and size the next time you open Explorer.

'FolderResume' release adds 'Reopen closed tabs' feature to Windows 11 Explorer

Windows Customization and Settings Performance improvement Convenient functions Development and Software File Explorer issues Software / Homemade software
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Person who wrote this article

wenbang's avatar wenbang

Driven by questions arising from my daily PC use and the desire to "do more," I have been pursuing self-study in Windows since around 2008. I am sharing the "aha!" techniques and solutions I discovered through trial and error with the sole purpose of helping you in your PC life.

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Comment:

Comment list (33)

  • In the new Explorer, opening the properties required opening the menu, selecting the properties, etc., which added a lot of steps and made it difficult to use, so this was very helpful. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, Taku.

      The new specifications of Windows 11 look cleaner, but many people feel that it has become less user-friendly because it requires more steps to reach the functions they need.

      By returning to the familiar ribbon operation, we believe you will be able to use it intuitively and without stress as before.
      I'm really glad I could be of help.

      Reply

  • After updating from Win10 to 11,
    The Explorer tabs on Win11 don't fit.
    We've arrived here.
    But unfortunately it didn't work.
    Ver 1.0.0.5 was used.

    My environment is as follows.
    OS: Win10 → Win11 (Home 25H2)
    Hardware: AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750E
    Memory: 32GB
    Storage (C:): 154GB (52.1GB free)

    The problem situation is as follows:
    Bring back the old Explorer and the old right-click menu
    I tried it but the screen just remained black.
    I started the Task Manager, restarted Explorer, and restarted my PC.
    There was no reflection of the effect.
    Also, strangely enough, both times RestoreOldExplorerRibon.exe
    It has disappeared from the execution folder. (Maybe the OS deleted it?)
    If possible, please update to resolve the issue.
    (I don't like tabbed explorers.)

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, Boyoyon Hachi.

      Thank you very much for your very detailed report. I also sincerely apologize for the fact that your comment ended up in the spam folder, and that it took me until today (October 19th) to check and reply to your comment.

      I completely understand that you are not used to the tabbed Explorer in Windows 11 and would like to go back to the previous ribbon UI.
      Based on the information you provided, it is highly likely that the symptoms of "black screen" and "tool disappearance" are caused by your security software. We have also confirmed that the tool (Ver. 1.0.0.5) published on this website works without any issues with 25H2.

      The "RestoreOldExplorerRibon.exe disappears" symptom is almost certainly a false positive by Windows Defender (or other security software). Tools that change system settings are sometimes automatically removed or quarantined as potentially unwanted applications (PUA). It is likely that the tool is incompletely executed or blocked mid-execution by security software, causing Explorer to become unstable and resulting in the black screen.

      We apologize for the inconvenience, but if you temporarily turn off the real-time protection of your security software before running the tool, or add the tool to the exclusion settings, and then run it again, it should work properly.

      Thank you very much for your very detailed and valuable bug report. Your feedback will be very useful information for improving the tool and for other readers.

      Reply

  • Oops! I had given up on getting the "exd command (long word...) that opens the folder currently open in Explorer in a dialog box" from "File Dialog Extension 10," a plugin used in a plugin extension app called TTBASE, to work, but it now works! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, Anonymous.

      Thank you very much for this extremely valuable report, which is very gratifying for us as developers.

      I understand that the exd command in the "TTBASE" plugin "File Dialog Extension 10" is now working again after installing my tool.

      To be honest, the integration with that particular plugin was a pleasant side effect that I hadn't anticipated at all. The plugin likely relied on the old Explorer (ribbon UI) mechanism used up until Windows 10, and therefore stopped working in the new Explorer of Windows 11. I suspect that my tool's reinstatement of the old Explorer created an environment in which the plugin could function normally again.

      I am truly happy to hear that the functionality you had given up on has been restored, and that I was able to help you realize that joy. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

      Reply

  • Thank you for a great tool.
    I used to use a tool called QTTabBar that turns Explorer into tabs, but it was causing me trouble as it conflicted with the tab function of Win11 Explorer itself, making it unstable.
    By installing this tool, QTTabBar now works without any problems, and PC operation has become much more comfortable. It is also helpful that the context menu can be restored.

    Finally, in addition to the functionality of the tool itself, I was also impressed by the attention to detail that has been given to users, such as a simple and easy-to-understand UI, the ability to easily reset to the default settings, and detailed explanations.

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, Anonymous.

      Thank you for using the tool and for your kind feedback.
      We are very happy to hear that QTTabBar now works stably and that it has made PC operation more comfortable.

      Your appreciation for even the smallest details, such as the UI, restoration function, and explanations, is a great encouragement to us as developers.
      Thank you very much for your valuable feedback.

      Reply

  • Dear Wenbang,
    Upgraded from Win10 to 11 on June 21, 2025
    I received your tool first and was able to restore the ribbon.
    thank you very much

    Reply

  • I've just started using Windows 11 and came across this site.

    I wanted to start using it in earnest right away,
    After applying "Restore Classic Explorer", the "Show previous folder windows at logon" option in the "View" tab of Folder Options will no longer work.
    (Environment: Windows 11 Home 24H2, Build 26100.3775)

    I suspect that this will be difficult to address for the same reason as "due to the way the tool works, the position and size of the last opened window is not remembered," but what do you think?

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, anonymous.

      I have confirmed that "Show previous folder windows at logon" does not work. I think this feature has been moved to the new Explorer.
      In the current version of Windows 11, it is very difficult to achieve this functionality using the old Explorer.

      Reply

  • Thank you for providing such great software. It's been a great help.

    Currently, it is operating on 23H2, but will it also work on 24H2?

    I'm concerned because it seems the kernel has changed in 24H2.

    that's all, thank you very much.

    Reply

      • Thank you for your quick response.

        I had problems with the taskbar working on 24H2, so I'm switching back to 23H2.
        Originally an upgrade from Windows 10.

        Reply

        • Dear Flower,

          Are you having issues with the taskbar working when using this tool? If you could provide more details, I would like to address any issues that can be resolved.

          Reply

          • I'm sorry for not being able to express myself clearly.
            I had a problem before using this tool.
            I think it will be a version after 24H2 eventually, so I asked the question this time.

            Still, it's a great tool.
            I find it very useful that I can restore not only the ribbon but also the right-click menu.
            thank you very much.

  • It seems like a lie that I had such hard times before, thank you so much!

    One thing is that after the ribbon was restored, Explorer no longer remembers the position and size of folder windows.
    A fixed-size window will launch at the location of the first folder opened, rather than the location of the last window opened.

    If you know of an option that will remember the window size each time you change it, please let me know.

    Reply

    • Thank you for your comment, Kanavn.

      Thank you for using the tool.
      The new Explorer will remember this, but due to the structure of the tool, the position and size of the last opened window will not be remembered.

      We understand that this may be inconvenient, but there is a way to specify the position and size of the Explorer window when opening it, so please try this out.

      Open Windows 11 Explorer window by specifying its position and size
      https://windows-waza.com/open-the-win11-explorer-window-by-specifying-its-position-and-size/

      We can also create programs to obtain the current window size (incorporate them into the tool), so please leave a comment if you have any requests.

      Reply

      • Thank you for your kind reply, wenbang. I will try the above method.
        I would really like to have a built-in program that gets the current window size...
        It is difficult to gauge how many users would want this, given the burden it would entail.
        If there is a request and it's not too much trouble, someday...!

        Reply

        • Dear Kanavn,

          Added the option "Save Explorer window size".
          The position and size of the currently open top Explorer window will be recorded, and the next time you open Explorer, it will open in the same position and size.

          Reply

          • Dear Kanavn,

            I'm glad you enjoyed it.
            We have fixed the issue where an error would occur when executing the option "Save Explorer window size" when Explorer is not open, so please update if necessary.

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