Windows 11’s built-in File Explorer is functional and quick, but it lacks the modern design I crave in apps. It’s also missing some features and options that you usually only get from apps built from the ground up within the last few years. That’s where “Files” comes in. The third-party app is my favorite File Explorer alternative, and it just got a significant update to version 3.9. That update is the largest the app has seen in years and includes several improvements and changes that I’m excited to try out.
Files version 3.9 introduces a Cards View layout that shows metadata for files. When I upload images to Windows Central, I need to make sure they’re below a certain size threshold. The new layout within Files shows me the size of a file without me having to right-click or click on the item. The view also shows tag icons and the sync status of files.
The update to version 3.9 is noteworthy because of the number of changes it brings. Card view, grid view, thumbnails, and the details pane are all improved with the update. The app now supports custom shortcut names and DPI aware icons and thumbnails as well.
My favorite change is that Files will now remain in the background when you drag an item to a different application. I handle a lot of PDFs and images, and I often need to drag them into various apps.
Files v3.9: Whats new
Introducing the Cards View layout
We’ve added a new Cards View layout that includes standard metadata like the item thumbnail, name, type, and size, along with context specific properties. For instance, images display their dimensions, media files show their duration, and phones and tablets show their storage details. File tags and sync status for cloud drives are also displayed. This new view replaces the former Tiles View.
Improved contrast in the Grid View layout
The Grid View layout now features an accent colored border around selected items, improving visibility and contrast.
Thumbnail sizes
Icon and thumbnail sizes in the Details View, List View, Columns View, and Cards View are now synchronized with the selected layout size.
Storage information in the Details Pane
We’ve added a new section to the Details Pane that displays drive storage details, giving you quick access to this information.
Custom shortcut names
You can now assign custom names directly from the Create New Shortcut dialog. Previously, shortcut names were automatically assigned and could only be renamed after creation.
Revamped Release Notes experience
We’ve revamped the Release Notes experience. The toolbar button that appears after an update now features a fresh new icon. We’ve also added a new action that lets you access the Release Notes dialog anytime, not just after an update. Finally, the Release Notes dialog now directly displays changelogs from the Files website.
Redesigned Update Files button
The Update Files toolbar button, which appears when an update is available, has been redesigned with a new accent colored icon. It’s now more noticeable, helping you update Files more easily.
DPI awareness improvements
Icons and thumbnails are now DPI aware in the Details View, List View, Columns View, Cards View, the search suggestion flyout, and the Tags Widget, ensuring clarity on all displays.
The Tags Widget has been refreshed to align with the overall UI design. We’ve also added a new feature allowing you to apply tags by dragging and dropping files or folders onto tags in the sidebar, making organization even easier.
Enhanced support for image files
You can now rotate JPEG-XR images using the toolbar or right click context menu. Additionally, you can now set JPEG-XR images as your desktop or lockscreen background directly from Files.
Auto focus new tabs
We’ve added a new setting to automatically switch to newly created tabs. This option is available on the General Settings page.
Improved Properties Window
You can now browse for .icl files on the customize page in the Properties Window. We’ve also added support for modifying the ‘compress contents’ attribute, and the shortcut page now allows you to adjust the window size for opening shortcut files.
New launch protocols
We’ve added individual launch protocols for each branch of Files, making it easier to work with different versions.
Performance enhancements
Items in the breadcrumb flyout now begin loading as soon as the flyout starts to open, rather than waiting for it to fully open. We’ve also removed the open and close animations from the breadcrumb, back button, and forward button flyouts. Additionally, thumbnails within these flyouts are now loaded lazily, reducing initial load times and improving overall responsiveness.
Improved Drag & Drop functionality
The Files window now stays in the background when you drag items to other applications. Additionally, you can now drag files directly from the Recent Files widget into other applications.
Archive support
You can set Files as the default application for opening .gz archives, streamlining access to compressed files. We’ve also updated our 7zip dependencies to leverage the latest improvements.
Details View settings
Toggling columns via the Settings Dialog now updates all existing tabs. Previously, changes only affected new tabs opened after the change.
Updated Home Page
We’ve improved the Home Page by removing the empty toolbar area, providing a cleaner look.
Address Bar keyboard navigation
We’ve added support for opening breadcrumb flyouts using the Space and Enter keys, improving keyboard navigation.
Taskbar
The number of open tabs is no longer displayed in the Windows Taskbar.
Cloud Drive support
Added support for Lucid Link v3.
Files v3.9: Fixes
Actions
- Fixed a crash that would occur when using the ‘Storage Sense’ action.
- Resolved an issue with the ‘Run with PowerShell’ action not working for files with spaces in their names.
Address Bar
- Fixed keyboard navigation in the address path bar.
- Resolved an issue where the address bar flyouts sometimes displayed duplicate items.
Archives
- Fixed an issue where the size wasn’t displayed after creating a new archive.
Cloud Drives
- Addressed various issues with Google Drive support.
Columns View
- Fixed an issue that caused unexpected scrolling in the Columns View layout.
- Resolved a crash that would occur when opening the context menu in the Columns View layout.
Drag & Drop
- Resolved multiple issues with drag & drop support between Files and other applications.
Git Repos
- Fixed an issue where soft link details were misaligned in Git repositories.
Group By and Sort By
- Resolved an issue where changing the grouping and sorting preferences would only update the current tab.
Right Click Context Menu
- Fixed an issue where right-clicking a file would display the option to open in a new tab.
Startup
- Fixed a crash that would occur when starting Files from WSL directories.
- Resolved startup freeze caused by a heavily populated Recycle Bin.
- Fixed an issue where the previous session’s tabs were briefly displayed when the startup setting was set to ‘open new tab’.
- Fixed an issue where launching Files from Terminal didn’t use the correct path.
Tabs
- Resolved an issue where tabs weren’t placed in the correct order when dragged from other windows.
Tags
- Resolved an issue with displaying properties for tagged items.
- Fixed an issue where tags sometimes displayed with the wrong color.
Title Bar
- Fixed an issue where the title bar drag region was sometimes missing.
