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Windows 11 File Explorer Tabs Missing? Quick Fixes to Restore Them Now!

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It has been observed that numerous Windows 11 users, even after updating to the 22H2 build, are encountering an issue where the File Explorer tabs are absent. This feature, designed to enhance multitasking by allowing users to manage multiple folders within a single window, is a significant upgrade for productivity. The absence of these tabs, despite having the supposedly correct update, can be frustrating and hinder workflow efficiency. If you are experiencing the same predicament, rest assured that there are several troubleshooting steps you can undertake to restore the File Explorer tabs in Windows 11. This guide will walk you through various methods to resolve this issue and bring back the tab functionality to your File Explorer.

1. Verify Your Windows 11 Build Version

Check Windows 11 Build Version

The File Explorer tab feature is specifically incorporated in Windows 11 build 22621.675 and subsequent releases. It is imperative to confirm that your system is running on this specific build or a more recent version to utilize the tab functionality. If your system is on an older build, the File Explorer tabs will not be available. Therefore, the initial step in troubleshooting missing File Explorer tabs is to verify your current Windows 11 build.

To check your Windows 11 build version, follow these steps:

  1. Press the Windows key + R simultaneously on your keyboard. This action will open the Run dialog box, a utility that allows you to execute commands directly.
  2. In the Run dialog box, type winver (short for Windows Version) and then press Enter or click OK. This command will instruct the system to open the “About Windows” window.
  3. The “About Windows” window will display detailed information about your Windows installation, including the version and build number. Look for the line that specifies the Version and Build of Windows 11. Ensure that the build number is 22621.675 or higher.

If your Windows 11 build number is lower than 22621.675, you need to update your operating system to the latest version. Updating to the newest version ensures you have all the latest features and security enhancements, including the File Explorer tabs.

To update your Windows 11 to the latest version, proceed with these steps:

  1. Click on the Start button, located at the bottom-left corner of your screen, typically represented by the Windows logo.
  2. Select the Settings icon from the Start menu. It is usually represented by a gear icon. Alternatively, you can press Windows key + I to directly open the Settings app.
  3. In the Settings app, navigate to and click on Windows Update, usually located at the bottom of the left-hand menu.
  4. On the Windows Update page, click the Check for updates button. Windows will then start scanning for available updates for your system.
  5. If updates are found, Windows will automatically begin downloading and installing them. If the Windows 11 22H2 update is available and compatible with your system, it will be listed and downloaded. Follow any on-screen prompts to complete the update installation process. This might involve restarting your computer to finalize the installation.

After updating to the correct build, restart your computer and check if the File Explorer tabs are now visible.

2. Restart Windows Explorer

Restart Windows Explorer via Task Manager

Sometimes, even after a successful update, new features like File Explorer tabs might not appear immediately due to background processes or services that need to be refreshed. Restarting Windows Explorer, the process responsible for the graphical shell of Windows, can often resolve such issues without requiring a full system reboot. This is a quicker and less disruptive method to refresh the user interface and potentially enable the missing tabs.

Here are the steps to restart Windows Explorer on Windows 11:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys simultaneously on your keyboard to directly open the Task Manager. Alternatively, you can right-click on the Start button and select Task Manager from the context menu, or search for “Task Manager” in the Windows search bar and open it.
  2. In the Task Manager window, if you see a simplified view, click on “More details” at the bottom-left corner to expand it and show all tabs.
  3. Navigate to the Processes tab in the Task Manager. This tab lists all currently running processes on your computer.
  4. Scroll down the list of processes to find Windows Explorer. It is usually listed under the “Windows processes” section and is easily identifiable by its description as “Windows Explorer”.
  5. Once you locate Windows Explorer, select it by clicking on it.
  6. In the bottom-right corner of the Task Manager window, click the Restart button. Alternatively, you can right-click on Windows Explorer in the process list and select Restart from the context menu.

Windows Explorer will now restart, which will briefly close and reopen your taskbar, desktop icons, and File Explorer windows. After the restart is complete, open File Explorer again to check if the tabs are now appearing. This simple restart can often resolve display glitches and refresh the system enough to enable newly installed features.

3. Utilize ViveTool to Enable File Explorer Tabs

Command Prompt ViveTool

For users who are comfortable with using command-line tools, ViveTool offers a more forceful method to enable File Explorer tabs. ViveTool is a utility that allows you to configure hidden or not yet fully released features in Windows. This method is particularly useful if the standard update process hasn’t properly enabled the feature for your system, even if you are on the correct build. However, using ViveTool involves modifying system settings that are not officially exposed, so proceed with caution and ensure you follow instructions precisely.

The general process to enable File Explorer tabs using ViveTool involves the following steps:

  1. Download ViveTool: First, you need to download the ViveTool utility. It is typically distributed as a ZIP file. You can search for “ViveTool GitHub” to find the official repository or a reliable download source. Ensure you download ViveTool from a trustworthy source to avoid malware.
  2. Extract ViveTool: Once downloaded, extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder on your computer. A convenient location would be a folder named “ViveTool” in your Documents directory or directly on your C: drive.
  3. Open Command Prompt as Administrator: To run ViveTool commands, you need to open Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Search for “cmd” in the Windows search bar, right-click on Command Prompt, and select “Run as administrator”.
  4. Navigate to ViveTool directory: In the Command Prompt, use the cd command to navigate to the directory where you extracted ViveTool. For example, if you extracted it to C:\ViveTool, type cd C:\ViveTool and press Enter.
  5. Execute the command: To enable File Explorer tabs, you need to execute a specific command using ViveTool. The command typically involves using the vivetool /enable command followed by a feature ID. Consult online guides or forums related to enabling File Explorer tabs with ViveTool to find the exact command and feature ID needed for your specific Windows 11 build. A common command might look something like: vivetool /enable /id:39145991. Note: Feature IDs can change with different Windows builds, so verify the correct ID for your current version.
  6. Restart your computer: After executing the ViveTool command, you will likely need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

After restarting, check if File Explorer tabs are now enabled. If the tabs are still not visible or if you encounter issues, double-check the ViveTool command and ensure you have executed it correctly. Remember that using ViveTool to enable features is not officially supported by Microsoft and carries potential risks if not done correctly.

4. Clear File Explorer Cache

Clear File Explorer Cache Options

A corrupted File Explorer cache can sometimes interfere with the proper functioning of File Explorer, potentially leading to issues like missing tabs. Clearing the File Explorer cache can resolve these problems by forcing Windows to rebuild the cache, which might eliminate any corrupted data that was causing the tabs to not appear. This is a safe and straightforward troubleshooting step that can often resolve unexpected File Explorer behaviors.

To clear the File Explorer cache in Windows 11, follow these instructions:

  1. Open File Explorer. You can do this by clicking the File Explorer icon on your taskbar or by pressing Windows key + E.
  2. In the File Explorer window, look for the three-dot menu (often labeled “See more”) in the command bar at the top. Click on this menu to expand it.
  3. From the dropdown menu, select Options. This will open the Folder Options dialog box (in older versions of Windows, this might be labeled as “Folder Options” or “File Explorer Options”).
  4. In the Folder Options dialog box, navigate to the General tab, which should be the default tab when you open Folder Options.
  5. Within the Privacy section of the General tab, you will find two options: “Show recently used files in Quick access” and “Show frequently used folders in Quick access,” along with a Clear button next to “Clear File Explorer history”.
  6. Click the Clear button. This action will clear the File Explorer history and cache.

After clearing the cache, close the Folder Options dialog box and restart File Explorer or your computer. Then, open File Explorer again to see if the tabs are now visible. Clearing the cache is a non-destructive process and will not delete any of your files or folders.

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5. Run the System File Checker (SFC) Command

Command Prompt SFC Scan

System File Checker (SFC) is a built-in utility in Windows that scans for and repairs corrupted system files. If the system files related to File Explorer’s functionality are damaged or corrupted, it can lead to various issues, including the File Explorer tabs not appearing. Running the SFC command can identify and automatically repair these corrupted files, potentially resolving the problem of missing tabs. This is a valuable troubleshooting step to ensure the integrity of your Windows system files.

Here’s how to run the SFC command on Windows 11:

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Search for “cmd” or “Command Prompt” in the Windows search bar. Right-click on Command Prompt from the search results and select “Run as administrator”. You need to run Command Prompt as administrator to allow SFC to make repairs to system files.
  2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command exactly as shown: sfc /scannow and press Enter. Ensure there is a space between sfc and /scannow.
  3. The SFC tool will now start scanning your system files. This process can take some time, typically 15-30 minutes, depending on your system’s performance and the extent of the scan. Do not close the Command Prompt window or interrupt the process while the scan is running.
  4. During the scan, SFC will check the integrity of all protected system files and replace any corrupted, missing, or modified files with the correct, original versions.
  5. Once the scan is complete, you will see one of the following messages in the Command Prompt:
    • “Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.” - This means no corrupted system files were found.
    • “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” - This indicates that SFC found and repaired corrupted system files.
    • “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.” - This means SFC found corruption but couldn’t repair all files. In this case, you may need to run the SFC command again, or consider using the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool for more advanced repairs.

After the SFC scan is finished, whether it found and repaired files or not, it is recommended to restart your computer. After restarting, check if the File Explorer tabs are now functioning correctly.

6. Reinstall the Windows 11 22H2 Update

Uninstall Updates Windows 11

If none of the previous methods have successfully restored the File Explorer tabs, a more drastic step is to uninstall and then reinstall the Windows 11 22H2 update. Occasionally, an update installation might become corrupted or incomplete, leading to features not functioning as expected. Reinstalling the update can provide a fresh installation of the feature set, potentially resolving any underlying issues that are preventing the File Explorer tabs from appearing.

To uninstall and reinstall the Windows 11 22H2 update, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by clicking on the Start button and selecting Settings, or by pressing Windows key + I.
  2. In the Settings app, navigate to and click on Windows Update.
  3. On the Windows Update page, click on Update history. This will show a list of recently installed updates on your system.
  4. On the Update history page, click on Uninstall updates. This option is usually located towards the top of the page and will take you to the “Installed Updates” control panel.
  5. In the “Uninstall an update” window, you will see a list of installed updates. Look for the Windows 11 22H2 update, which is typically identified by its KB number (e.g., KB5019509). Sort the list by “Installed On” date to easily find the most recent updates.
  6. Once you locate the Windows 11 22H2 update, select it by clicking on it. Then, click the Uninstall button that appears at the top of the list or right-click on the update and select Uninstall.
  7. Confirm your decision to uninstall the update when prompted. The uninstallation process may take a few minutes, and you might be asked to restart your computer during or after the process.

After uninstalling the update and restarting your computer, you need to reinstall the Windows 11 22H2 update.

To reinstall the update, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app again and go to Windows Update.
  2. Click on the Check for updates button. Windows will scan for available updates, and the Windows 11 22H2 update should reappear as an available update.
  3. Click on Download & install to download and reinstall the Windows 11 22H2 update.
  4. Follow any on-screen instructions to complete the installation. You will likely need to restart your computer again to finalize the installation process.

After reinstalling the update and restarting your computer, check if the File Explorer tabs are now working correctly. Reinstalling the update can often resolve issues caused by a corrupted or incomplete initial installation.

By following these comprehensive steps, you should be able to troubleshoot and resolve the issue of missing File Explorer tabs in Windows 11. If you continue to experience problems or have further questions, feel free to leave a comment below, and share this article with others who might find it helpful!

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