Microsoft Will Soon Fix the Dumbest File Explorer Bug of All

The updated File Explorer in Windows 11 version 23H2 introduces serious reliability and performance issues, but there are older problems with this app. And Microsoft, inexplicably, is about to fix one of the oldest problems in Windows, one that’s been infuriating users for years.

That problem? You’re working in Windows, in whatever app, and a File Explorer window suddenly jumps in front of all the other windows and seizes the focus.

Yes, it’s not just you: This happens to all of us. And now, Microsoft is going to fix it (allegedly). The recently issued Windows 11 non-security preview update, KB5032288, was most notable for the new Copilot features that it introduced. But buried in the release notes is this little bit of goodness.

“This update addresses an issue that affects File Explorer windows,” the release notes explain. “When you do not expect them, they appear in the foreground.”

This preview update also fixes two other File Explorer issues, though I can confirm that the reliability and performance issues remain (and likely will for months to come). When you press Shift + F10, the shortcut (context) menu does not open, and the options in the left pane [navigation bar] show the wrong state. Actually, Microsoft did improve the performance of the File Explorer context menu too, so I guess that’s four total fixes.

Anyway. This fix will likely appear in stable in the monthly cumulative updates that Microsoft releases for Windows 11 on Patch Tuesday in January. But if you want it now, feel free to grab that latest preview update.

Thanks to Neowin for the tip. Not sure how I missed this.