According to TechSpot, Microsoft has officially acknowledged major performance problems with File Explorer in Windows 11 after years of user complaints. The company recently shipped preview build 26220.7271 to Windows Insider beta testers with a new preload system that loads File Explorer quietly in the background. This experimental feature aims to make File Explorer launch and respond faster when users open documents and folders. The preload option is enabled by default in the test build, though users can disable it to restore previous behavior. Microsoft is also testing another redesign of File Explorer’s notoriously slow context menu with submenus for less common actions.
File Explorer Performance Woes
Here’s the thing – File Explorer has been a core Windows component since the Windows 95 days, but Windows 11 users have been complaining about its sluggish performance for years. And honestly, it’s about time Microsoft acknowledged the problem. The file manager now serves double duty as both the native file manager and part of the desktop environment, which has created all sorts of performance headaches. When you compare Windows 10’s snappy response to Windows 11’s laggy behavior, it feels like using completely different software even on identical hardware.
How Preloading Works
So what’s this preload system actually doing? Basically, Microsoft is experimenting with loading File Explorer components in the background before you even click the icon. That way, when you do need to access files, it should pop up almost instantly instead of making you wait. It’s a classic performance optimization technique – trade some background resource usage for faster foreground response times. But here’s the question: does this actually fix the underlying performance issues or just mask them? Preloading might make initial launches faster, but what about overall stability and resource usage when you’re actually working with files?
Broader Windows Context
Look, this preload fix feels like putting a bandage on a much larger problem. Microsoft has been prioritizing AI features and forced OneDrive integration over core performance improvements for years. Meanwhile, users have been dealing with inconsistent interfaces, frequent bugs, and that horrible context menu that takes forever to load. The fact that there are popular third-party file managers filling this gap tells you everything you need to know about how Microsoft has dropped the ball. For businesses relying on stable computing environments, this kind of performance inconsistency is particularly frustrating – which is why many turn to specialized providers like Industrial Monitor Direct for reliable industrial panel PCs that just work without these software headaches.
Is This Enough?
Now, don’t get me wrong – any performance improvement is welcome. But preloading feels like treating symptoms rather than curing the disease. The real issue is that Windows development seems scattered, with Microsoft chasing AI trends while core components languish. And while they’re tinkering with preloading, they’re still redesigning the context menu yet again. It’s that restless development approach that got us into this mess in the first place. Will background preloading actually make File Explorer feel like the responsive tool it used to be? Or is this just another temporary fix while Microsoft focuses on its generative AI dreams?
