File manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system
This article is about the Microsoft Windows file listing browser. For exploring file system listings, see file browser. For exploring inside files, see file viewer.
"Windows Explorer" and "explorer.exe" redirect here. They are not to be confused with Internet Explorer (iexplore.exe).
Windows File Explorer
File Explorer on Windows 11 in Light App Mode showing special folders on Home, with the new command bar and tabs feature.
Developer(s)
Microsoft
Initial release
August 15, 1995; 28 years ago (1995-08-15)
Stable release
23H2 (10.0.22631.3527) (April 23, 2024; 10 days ago (2024-04-23)[1]) [±]
Preview release
;Release Preview Channel
23H2 (10.0.22631.3527) (April 23, 2024; 10 days ago (2024-04-23)[2][3]) [±]
Beta Channel
23H2 (10.0.22635.3566) (April 26, 2024; 7 days ago (2024-04-26)[4]) [±]
Dev Channel
24H2 (10.0.26100.268) (April 26, 2024; 7 days ago (2024-04-26)[5]) [±]
Canary Channel
10.0.26200.5001 (April 19, 2024; 14 days ago (2024-04-19)[6]) [±]
Included with
Windows 95 and later
Predecessor
Program Manager, File Manager
Type
Shell, file manager
File Explorer, previously known as Windows Explorer, is a file manager application and default desktop environment that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It provides a graphical user interface for accessing the file systems, as well as user interface elements such as the taskbar and desktop.
The application was renamed from "Windows Explorer" to "File Explorer" in Windows 8;[7] however, the old name of "Windows Explorer" can still be seen in the Windows Task Manager.
^"April 23, 2024—KB5036980 (OS Builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527) Preview". Microsoft Support. Microsoft.
^"Releasing Windows 11 Builds 22621.3520 and 22631.3520 to the Release Preview Channel". Windows Insider Blog. April 11, 2024.
^"April 23, 2024—KB5036980 (OS Builds 22621.3527 and 22631.3527) Preview". Microsoft Support. Microsoft.
^"Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3566 (Beta Channel)". Windows Insider Blog. April 26, 2024.
^"Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26100 (Canary and Dev Channels)". Windows Insider Blog. April 3, 2024.
^"Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26200 (Canary Channel)". Windows Insider Blog. April 19, 2024.
^Cite error: The named reference win8-fileexp was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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