How to Open Folders in New Tabs in Windows 11 File Explorer

What is File Explorer?

File Explorer 📁 is the built-in program Windows uses to find, view and manage your files and folders. Think of it as a digital filing cabinet for everything saved on your drive. Windows 11 adds tabs to File Explorer 📁, so you can view several folders in one window instead of opening a new window each time.

Tabs are already part of current Windows 11 releases, and on a fully updated PC you will see a + button next to the tab at the top of the window. The steps below matter mainly if you run an older 22H2 build or a preview (Insider) build where the feature is not switched on yet.

Normally, clicking a folder opens it in the current window, and some shortcuts still launch a separate window. Preview builds add an option to show folders and directory shortcuts as tabs inside a single main window.

This is a different thing from the tab bar itself. The tab bar lets you open tabs by hand. The setting covered later in this guide decides whether folders opened from outside the window, such as desktop folders and external folder links, appear as tabs or as new windows.

How to Turn On the New Tabs Feature

To test features that Microsoft has built but not yet released, you need a small command-line utility called ViVeTool. It turns on hidden features in Windows by feature ID. You only need it if tabs are missing from your build. If you can already see the tab bar in File Explorer, skip it.

Steps to enable new tabs:

Because the command changes hidden features in the operating system, you must run Command Prompt as an administrator. Without admin rights the command will fail or have no effect. You also need to restart the PC afterwards.

1. Download and install ViVeTool. Follow this guide: How to use ViVeTool. Note the folder where you extract the tool, because you will run the command from there.
2. 🔒 Requires admin privileges: Open Command Prompt as an administrator. Click the Start menu and type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes. You should now see a Command Prompt window whose title bar says Administrator.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type this command and press Enter: vivetool /enable /id:39145991,36354489. Run it from the folder that contains ViVeTool. A message saying the feature configuration was set means it worked.
4. Restart your computer to apply the change. After you sign back in, open File Explorer and look for the tab bar at the top of the window. If you want to undo the change later, ViVeTool also has a disable option; the guide linked above covers it.

Change Folder Settings to Open in New Tabs

You can make File Explorer open folders and external folder links in new tabs instead of separate windows by changing a folder option. The setting is in the Options dialog, which you reach from the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of File Explorer.

If you cannot find the option, your build may not have it yet. It appeared in later updates of Windows 11, so install the latest updates first. The same dialog is called Folder Options in some menus.

1. Open File Explorer. Press Windows + E or click the folder icon on the taskbar.
2. Click the three dots (See more / More options) at the top right, then select Options. The Folder Options dialog opens.
3. On the General tab, find the Browse folders section.
4. Select the option Open desktop folders and external folder links in new tab. If your build shows this as a choice between a new tab and a new window, pick the new tab.
5. Click OK to save your settings. No restart is needed. From now on, folders opened from the desktop or from outside links appear as tabs in your existing File Explorer window. To go back, reopen the dialog and choose the new window option.

Alternative: Use Windows Registry to Change Folder Behavior

You can use the Registry Editor as an alternative to ViVeTool. The registry is a hierarchical database that stores low-level operating system settings. Press the Windows key + R, type regedit and press Enter to open it. Then go to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer to make your changes.

Before you start, create a restore point or export the key through File › Export so you can restore it if something goes wrong.

1. 🔒 Requires admin privileges: Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor. Click Yes if User Account Control asks for permission.
2. Go to this folder path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. You can paste it into the address bar at the top of Registry Editor. The Explorer key should now be selected in the left pane.
3. Right-click Explorer, choose New › DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it OpenFolderInNewTab. The new value appears in the right pane.
4. Double-click the new OpenFolderInNewTab value and set Value data to 1 to turn on the new tabs feature. Click OK.
5. To turn the feature off later, open the same value again and set it to 0.
6. Close Registry Editor and restart your PC so the change takes effect. Then open File Explorer and check for the tab bar.

Summary

• New feature: Open folders and links in tabs inside File Explorer. Current Windows 11 releases already include tabs.
• Requires ViVeTool: You need this tool to turn the feature on in Windows 11 beta or preview builds that do not show tabs yet. Run it from an elevated Command Prompt and restart afterwards.
• Easy to configure: Use Folder Options or the Registry to enable or disable it. Folder Options takes effect immediately, while the registry change needs a restart.
• Better file management: Keep your folders organized and switch between them faster, with fewer windows cluttering the taskbar.
• Helpful links: Check the guides above for detailed instructions.

File Explorer tabs in Windows 11 let you open folders and links in tabs inside a single window, which makes file management easier. If your build does not show tabs yet, you can turn them on with ViVeTool. You can then adjust the Folder Options setting or the registry value to control how folders open, and switch between your directories much faster than with separate windows.