Adjusting Windows 10 Details Pane Location

Windows 10 users have expressed frustration over the position of the details pane, which appears on the right-hand side of the screen and takes up a significant amount of space, especially when multiple folders are open. In previous versions of Windows, the details pane appeared at the bottom of the screen, and some users are interested in moving it to the bottom in Windows 10 as well. While it seems that this is not possible without using third-party tools, one suggested solution is to download OldNewExplorer, a free tool that allows users to check a box to Show details pane on the bottom. However, it appears that this solution may not work on newer builds of Windows 10. Another possible workaround is to pin specific tab buttons to a Quick Access ribbon that can be placed above or below the toolbar, providing one-click access to the desired functions.

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Download OldNewExplorer

OldNewExplorer is a free and open-source shell extension and tweaker that can undo "improvements" to file browsing added in Windows 10, 8.1, and 8. It allows users to modify the appearance of the Explorer, restoring the classic look, adding ribbons, altering file displays, and even introducing new features like a preview pane.

To download OldNewExplorer, you can visit the official website or other sites like MajorGeeks.com. Once you have downloaded the zip file, you will need to extract it to a folder on your hard drive. You can then run the OldNewExplorerCfg.exe file and click "Install" in the Shell extension section.

After installing OldNewExplorer, you can configure it by accessing the "OldNewExplorer Configuration" option by right-clicking in the Explorer. Here, you can check the box that says "Show details pane on the bottom".

Note that OldNewExplorer is not supported by Microsoft and may not be compatible with all Windows versions. There is also an issue where Explorer may seem to ignore the settings configured in OldNewExplorer.

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Check Show details pane on the bottom

To check "Show details pane on the bottom", you can download and install the free tool "OldNewExplorer". This tool allows you to move the "Details Pane" in Windows 10 to the bottom of the File Explorer window, similar to how it appeared in Windows 7/8.

• Download OldNewExplorer from a trusted source, such as the official website.
• Run the installation process and ensure that during installation, you check the box that says "Show details pane on the bottom".
• Click "Install".
• The Details Pane should now appear at the bottom of your explorer windows.

Please note that there might be issues with this method for newer builds of Windows 10, such as build 1809 and above. Additionally, you may need to enable "Launch folder windows in a separate process" inside Folder Options > View for it to work correctly.

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Enable Launch folder windows in a separate process

To enable "Launch folder windows in a separate process", you can follow these steps:

• Open Folder Options.
• Click/tap on the View tab.
• Check (enable) Launch folder windows in a separate process under the Files and Folders settings.
• Click/tap on OK.

This setting is useful if you want to prevent all File Explorer windows from crashing or hanging when one window does. By default, all File Explorer windows run in a single explorer.exe process, so if one window crashes, the others will too. Enabling "Launch folder windows in a separate process" gives each explorer.exe process its own process ID (PID), which improves stability.

However, there are some considerations to keep in mind. Enabling this option may cause an increase in memory and CPU usage due to the use of additional processes. It is also not recommended for systems with less than 4GB of RAM, as it uses more memory. Additionally, it can confuse Explorer extensions when they find multiple instances of them running.

You can also manually open folder windows in a new process by using the "Open in new process" context menu option.

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Add details with a reg hack

While Microsoft doesn't offer a built-in option to move the Details pane in File Explorer to the bottom of the window in Windows 10, you can achieve this by editing the Windows Registry. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to do it:

Backup the Registry: Before making any changes to the Windows Registry, it's always a good practice to create a backup. This will allow you to restore the Registry to its previous state if anything goes wrong. To create a backup, open the Registry Editor by searching for "regedit" in the Start menu and selecting "Run as administrator." Then, click on "File" and select "Export." Choose a location to save the backup file and make sure to select "All" under the "Export range" option.

Navigate to the appropriate key: In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. You can navigate through the hierarchy in the left pane or simply paste the key path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window.

Create a new DWORD value: Right-click on an empty space in the right pane, hover over "New," and select "DWORD (32-bit) Value." Name the new value "NavPaneBelowShortcuts." Double-click on the new value to open its properties window.

Modify the value data: In the value data field, enter "1" to enable the Details pane to be moved to the bottom of the window. If you want to move it back to the default position, you can change this value to "0."

Restart File Explorer: For the changes to take effect, you'll need to restart File Explorer. You can do this by opening Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), finding "Windows Explorer" in the Processes tab, right-clicking on it, and selecting "Restart." Alternatively, you can restart your computer.

After following these steps, you should see the Details pane at the bottom of the File Explorer window in Windows 10. Keep in mind that editing the Registry can have significant impacts on your system, so always exercise caution and ensure you have a backup before making any changes.

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Pin tabs to the Quick Access ribbon

To pin tabs to the Quick Access ribbon in Windows 10, you can try using OldNewExplorer. This is a free tool that allows you to customise the placement of the details pane in File Explorer.

Here's how you can use OldNewExplorer to pin tabs to the Quick Access ribbon:

• Download and install OldNewExplorer.
• During the installation, check the box that says "Show details pane on the bottom".
• Click Install.
• The details pane should now be at the bottom of your explorer windows.

Note that there might be an issue where Explorer seems to ignore the settings you've made in OldNewExplorer. In this case, you may need to enable "Launch folder windows in a separate process" inside Folder Options > View.

Additionally, you can also pin specific tab buttons to a Quick Access ribbon that can be placed over or under the toolbar with the File, Main Tools, and View tabs. This allows for easy access to different tabs with just a single click. To do this, simply right-click on the buttons in the View and other tabs and add them to the Quick Access panel.

Frequently asked questions