We received an inquiry from a user regarding Explorer, and after investigating the symptoms the user discovered, we determined that it was a bug in Explorer.
This bug occurs when multiple tabs are open in Windows 11 Explorer, and the folder address pops up below the address bar, and does not disappear even when you switch tabs.
It is unclear when the bug first appeared, but it was released on November 14, 2023. KB5032190 This was also confirmed when the following was installed (OS builds 22621.2715 and 22631.2715).
After conducting some testing, we were able to determine the conditions and timing under which the bug occurs, so we would like to introduce a temporary workaround.
Conditions and timing of bug occurrence
Normally, the folder address will only appear in a pop-up below the address bar when you click on it.
The conditions and timing for this bug to occur are:
First, click on the address bar and a new window (including the desktop) will appear with the folder address displayed in a popup below the address bar.ActiveThis means that Explorer is inactive.
This occurs when you click directly on another tab in Explorer to open it.
The following video demonstrates the bug in Windows Explorer.
Temporary workaround
There is no information about this bug from Microsoft, and a search did not reveal any information.
The temporary solution is to avoid meeting the conditions that cause the bug mentioned above.
For example, even if the folder address is displayed in a popup and another window is active,
From this state, click once on the area surrounded by the red frame in the image below to activate the currently open tab, and then open another tab and the pop-up will not occur.
If the popup is already displayed and won't disappear, click the address bar once and then click the right side of the tab or any other tab to make it disappear.
The popup will disappear if you click the address bar once and then select a file, but it may pop up again if you switch tabs, so it's best to click on the right side of the tab or on one of the tabs.
Or, use the tool I created:RestoreOldExplorerRibonIf you switch back to the old Explorer (with ribbon) using ", the bug will no longer occur.
2024/09/21: New conditions and timing for bug occurrence discovered
*Test environment: Windows 11 Home 23H2 (22631.4169) KB5043076 released on September 10, 2024 has been installed.
First, click on the address bar, and when the folder address pops up below the address bar, click anywhere in File Explorer and the address bar will close automatically.
In this state, click "Sort" or "View" on the toolbar to bring up the menu, and when you close it, the folder address will pop up.
It also pops up when you select a file, click the Delete icon on the toolbar, and the file is deleted, or when you cancel.
This video demonstrates the above symptom.
This can also be addressed using the "temporary solution" above, but it will not work in some places, such as the right side of the tab.
*The issue where the screen would not disappear even when switching tabs appears to have been fixed.
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