News Microsoft to Remove Multiple Folder Options from File Explorer

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The biggest thing on my mind is if it'll just stick with using the default values, but I think for most of them, the defaults are fine. Although for those curious:

Hide Folder Merge conflict.Yes
Always show icons, never thumbnailsNo
Display file icon on thumbnails.Yes
Display file type information on Folder tipsYes
Hide protected OS filesYes
Show drive lettersYes
Show popup description for Folder and Desktop itemsYes
Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in colorNo
Use sharing wizardYes

The coloring for encrypted or compressed NTFS files stood out to me, because a Microsoft developer noted that the choice of colors is pretty poor for colorblindness.
 
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Correction: Microsoft is CONSIDERING removing those options, among other changes, and are testing them out in the next Windows 11 Insider build.

As we know things in the insider builds don't always make it to stable releases, but one thing listed in it that I hope that does, and may allow me to drop ExplorerPatcher, is the reintroduced "Never Combine Taskbar Icons" option.
 
"But settings will be accessible via registry keys."

So whenever we want to change one of these user settings, we'll have to waste an hour calling IT and try to slowly explain to an entry level desktop support admin what we want done, and then walk them through the steps to do it. Great.

I really wish Microsoft would stop forcing user customization behind the admin wall, because people forced to use their infuriatingly slow, horribly designed, and unfixable Windows 11 GUI at work aren't exactly going to rush out and buy a Windows 11 PC to use at home.

It's shocking that the Windows 11 GUI is still as bad as it is. They keep making minor changes, but haven't touched a single one of the GUI's core design problems and deficiencies. It's been 2 years, and you still can't even move the task bar or easily speed up their excruciatingly slow animations.
 
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of course its stupid but at least many many tweaker programs will simply add changes to these settings into their apps.

i can't imagine anyone using win 11 and not tweaking the crap out of the gui and the rest. at least use classic shell to get rid of that very poorly done attempt at copying the macos gui.
 
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I wonder if Microsoft could make the Windows OS modular. Separate different aspects of the OS to File Explorer, Taskbar, Start Menu, general UI, and open it up for the user community to mod those things as much as they wish. All Microsoft needs to do is to focus on security and the base OS, and make money from Microsoft Store.
 
Of these, the only one that really bugs me is Hide protected OS files. I understand the logic behind hiding them, but it's useful for experts to re-enable them so you can see what the heck is going on. One thing I loved about Linux is the way it doesn't try to hide stuff from you.

In the past, when I've actually used NTFS compression, I have wanted Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color.
 
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USAFRet said:
Headline: Microsoft adds features to File Explorer and elsewhere.
Comments from the peanut gallery - "We don't need that, no one asked for this. Its stupid. Don't do it."

1 year later...
Headline: Microsoft consiodering removing previously added features from File Explorer
Comments from the peanut gallery - "WHAT?!? Leave it alone!!"
Click to expand...
LOL, wut? I'm not sure about all of them, but at least the two options I just mentioned have been in there since XP or even earlier!
 
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I long ago bought XYplorer, and it's the best app investment I ever made. Windows Explorer isn't even in the same universe. And it can't be - no OS vendor afterthought tool can compete with a full-featured labor of love program that's been refined almost daily for 15 years.

XYplorer isn't the only choice. Anyone savvy enough to be here, who still uses Explorer for heavy lifting on their personal machine, is... hard to explain.
 
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dimar said:
I wonder if Microsoft could make the Windows OS modular. Separate different aspects of the OS to File Explorer, Taskbar, Start Menu, general UI, and open it up for the user community to mod those things as much as they wish. All Microsoft needs to do is to focus on security and the base OS, and make money from Microsoft Store.
Click to expand...
Microsoft should become modular, one company for the OS, another for the file explorer, one for the browser and certainly a different one or three for the stores, preferably not even Microsoft.

It also means separating out all the phone-home functionalities and AI365 feeds, which aren't GDPR compliant anyway.

It'll be breaking up a monopolistic giant, which is obviously needed.

Did I mention that after the functional breakup there should be a geographical one next? Lots of Mini-Microsofts instead of this Big Data Macrophague.
 
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abufrejoval said:
Microsoft should become modular, one company for the OS, another for the file explorer, one for the browser and certainly a different one or three for the stores, preferably not even Microsoft.
Click to expand...
That's a little too granular, IMO. I've long thought there should be separate companies for OS, apps, and online services. That way, dominance in one area cannot be used as leverage in another.

abufrejoval said:
Did I mention that after the functional breakup there should be a geographical one next? Lots of Mini-Microsofts instead of this Big Data Macrophague.
Click to expand...
I'm not aware of a case where regionalization has worked out. With the breakup of the Bells, all the babies ate each other until we ended up with Verizon. So, basically it just reverted to a split between the long-distance and local telephone services (i.e. AT&T vs. Verizon). Regionalization helped weaken the babies for a while, but was ultimately pointless.

BTW, I've also long thought Intel should be split to separate its design operations from its fabs, but it looks like it's now on a path to do that of its own accord... a couple decades after I'd have done it.
 
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