Download ExplorerPatcher 26100.4946.69.5 for Windows

Enhance Your Windows Experience with ExplorerPatcher

ExplorerPatcher is a powerful and free utility designed to customize and improve the functionality of Windows Explorer. This tool offers a plethora of features that empower users to personalize their Windows experience, from adding new context menu options to modifying file name colors and unlocking hidden functionalities.

Key Features of ExplorerPatcher

Switch between Windows 11 and Windows 10 taskbar layouts, including support for labels, small icons, and extensive customization options.
Disable the default Windows 11 context menu and command bar within File Explorer for a more tailored experience.
Set the Start menu to open directly to All Apps, control the number of frequently used apps displayed, and designate which monitor to use.
Choose your preferred Alt-Tab window switcher, with options for Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows NT, complete with customization capabilities.

Quality of Life Enhancements

ExplorerPatcher also brings numerous enhancements aimed at improving user interaction with the shell, including:

Adjust tray menus to align with the Windows aesthetic, allowing them to behave like flyouts and center relative to icons.
Customize actions when left or right-clicking the network icon.
Revert to the classic Windows 7 search box in File Explorer or completely disable Windows Search.
Disable immersive menus and utilize fixes to restore the classic theme functionality without visual issues.

For an exhaustive list of features, explore this wiki article.

Latest Release: ExplorerPatcher 26100.4946.69.5

This version has been tested across various OS builds, including 26100.4946, 26100.5074, 26200.5751, and 26220.6682. Key updates include:

ep_weather: Resolved the “Unable to load weather information”issue caused by changes on Google’s side. Thanks to @davids5 for the fix! (#1334, #4351) (c3c83ff)
Start11: Corrected the hiding of the Recommended Section in recent builds of 24H2. Special thanks to @m-wigley for this solution! (#4476) (9106226)
GUI: The Title bar in File Explorer is accessible again on builds >= 22H2, thanks to @SandTechStuff! (583fa53)
Reduced the incidents of a bug in Windows 11 that caused Explorer windows to scroll to the top when WM_SETTINGCHANGE was triggered.(fa19402)
Altered hooking library to SlimDetours for improved performance.(ff30457)
Fixed compatibility issues on ARM64 with specific Windhawk mods, such as Taskbar Volume Control.
Resolved a rare issue that could lead to crashes on ARM64 until a system reboot occurred.
Taskbar10: Addressed problems with folder toolbar menus on builds with the TrayThreadBSTA feature flag enabled.(#4542) (1bbe207)

Known Issues and Future Fixes

While ExplorerPatcher continues to improve, there are some known issues that are being addressed:

Changing the weather icon pack to “Microsoft”does not take effect.
On Nickel (Windows 11 22H2/23H2), enabling the new Windows 11 Start menu may cause the Windows 10 taskbar to experience a crash loop with explorer.exe.

For a deeper dive into the application, please refer to the README file, and you can access a comprehensive change log here.