Windows 11 Build 27818 Improves File Explorer Speed for Unzipping Files

Enhancing Your Experience with Windows 11 Build 27818: Improved Unzipping Performance in File Explorer

The newest iteration of Windows 11, Build 27818, is being rolled out to testers in the Canary channel, bringing with it an exciting enhancement—improved unzipping speed in File Explorer. Gone are the tedious waits for files to decompress; now, the process is noticeably quicker and more efficient.

What’s New in Unzipping Performance?

From my personal experience testing Windows 11 Build 27818, the impact of this update varies with file type. While unzipping files containing numerous ISO images didn’t yield dramatic improvements, I observed a performance boost ranging from 5% to 10% when working with a.zip file that included thousands of smaller files.

Enhanced Processing: Microsoft has specifically focused on optimizing the speed of extracting compressed files packed with a large number of items. The overall speed of File Explorer remains unchanged, but the efficiency of the unzipping process has definitely benefited.
API Improvements: Although the exact changes made by Microsoft remain undisclosed, improvements appear tied to the underlying API that conducts the file extraction tasks, which has been fine-tuned to handle high-volume extractions more smoothly.
Focus on Large Files: As Microsoft stated in their blog post, the updates specifically cater to scenarios involving many small files, effectively decreasing the time it takes to get to your important content.

For those wondering, this enhancement does not relate to third-party applications like WinRAR or 7Zip, but solely focuses on the native functionality within File Explorer.

A Historical Perspective on File Explorer Updates

This isn’t the first attempt by Microsoft to enhance File Explorer’s zipping capabilities; similar tweaks were made last year, but those changes were primarily focused on the zipping function. Today’s improvements mark significant progress in addressing user needs when extracting files.

Beyond Unzipping: Is File Explorer Truly Fixed?

While these updates are appreciated, they lead to the pressing question: Is this sufficient for File Explorer’s overall performance? It’s clear that more foundational fixes are necessary. Although the improvements are commendable, users often report sluggishness, especially during initial loading of the File Explorer interface.

A glaring issue present in Windows 11 24H2 is related to the menu positioning; under certain conditions, the “options” menu can appear outside the visible screen area when maximizing the File Explorer window. Thankfully, this bug has been addressed in later preview builds and is expected to be corrected in the upcoming April 2025 release.

File Explorer menu appearing outside the screen

As users navigate through these features, it’s vital for Microsoft to acknowledge and address ongoing performance issues with File Explorer. Enhancements like those found in Build 27818 are steps in the right direction, but a more thorough overhaul is needed for a truly optimized experience.

What are your thoughts on these changes to File Explorer? Share your experiences and feedback in the comments below!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the main performance improvements in Windows 11 Build 27818 regarding unzipping files?

The significant performance enhancement in Windows 11 Build 27818 is the faster unzipping speed, particularly beneficial for compressed files containing a large number of smaller files. Users can expect an approximate improvement of 5-10% in extraction times compared to previous builds.

2. Does this update impact third-party file extraction tools?

No, the performance improvements introduced in Build 27818 focus solely on the built-in File Explorer capabilities. This means that third-party applications like WinRAR or 7Zip are unaffected by these changes.

3. Are there ongoing issues with File Explorer that Microsoft is addressing?

Yes, there are noted issues ongoing with File Explorer in Windows 11, such as significant slowdowns during initial load times and bugs where menus may appear off-screen. Microsoft is aware of these issues and has begun addressing them in subsequent preview builds, with plans for fixes to be rolled out in future updates.

Source & Images