Windows 11, File Explorer, and Why Gamers Still Care
Windows 11 adoption has been slower than Microsoft probably hoped. Part of that is down to hardware requirements, and part of it is that many users, including gamers, just do not feel a strong reason to switch from Windows 10 yet. Performance and responsiveness matter a lot when you are gaming or juggling multiple apps, and one of the weak spots in Windows 11 has been File Explorer.
Microsoft is now testing a new tweak for File Explorer in Windows 11: preloading it into memory so it opens faster. On paper that sounds like a clear win. In practice, early testing shows a more complicated story, especially when you compare it to the snappy feel of Windows 10.
How File Explorer Preloading Works
In the latest Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26220.7271, available to users on the Dev and Beta channels, Microsoft is trying out a feature that preloads File Explorer in the background. The idea is simple. Instead of waiting for File Explorer to load when you click it, Windows quietly loads it into memory ahead of time so the window appears faster when you actually need it.
Testing by Windows focused on this change using a virtual machine limited to 4 GB of RAM. That setup mirrors a lower end PC or an older laptop that might still be in use for casual gaming or everyday tasks. With preloading turned off, launching File Explorer used about 32.4 MB of RAM. When preloading was enabled, that memory use nearly doubled to 67.4 MB.
On any modern gaming PC, 67 MB of RAM is tiny. Even on a 4 GB machine, it is not a serious hit. The real question is whether this extra memory use translates to a noticeable boost in responsiveness when you are actually using your system.
At first glance, the answer seems to be not really. With a normal look at the test footage, File Explorer appears to open in roughly the same time whether preloading is enabled or not. Only when you slow the video down to a quarter speed does the preloaded version clearly win. Technically that is an improvement, but if you need slow motion playback to notice, it is not a game changer for everyday use.
Performance Under Load and the Windows 10 Comparison
Where the new feature does start to show its value is under heavier workloads. With 16 tabs open in Microsoft Edge, preloading File Explorer did make it noticeably faster to open. That is closer to a real world scenario for many users. Gamers often keep browsers, launchers, and background tools running while playing or streaming, so anything that keeps Windows feeling responsive when the system is busy is welcome.
However, there is still a big catch. Even with preloading, core parts of the File Explorer experience remain sluggish. The right click context menu is still slow to appear, and additional options such as Edit in Notepad or Ask Copilot take their time to load. These delays erode the feeling of a fast and responsive desktop, especially for users who constantly right click to manage files, mod folders, or screenshots.
There are a few settings tweaks that can help. If you go into Settings, then Accessibility, then Visual effects, you can turn off Transparency effects and Animation effects. Disabling these visuals can make the interface feel a bit snappier, which might be worthwhile on lower spec systems or older gaming rigs.
The real problem for Microsoft is the comparison to Windows 10. Windows Latest tested File Explorer on a Windows 10 machine with only 2 GB of RAM. Even with half the memory of the Windows 11 test system, File Explorer in Windows 10 still opened almost instantly. In Windows 11, even with preloading, it can still take a couple of seconds to appear. That is a noticeable downgrade in responsiveness.
For gamers and PC enthusiasts who care about every bit of system performance, that difference matters. It is not just about benchmarks or frame rates. A fast feeling operating system makes the whole experience of using your PC more satisfying, from launching games to managing huge folders of game installs, captures, and mods.
AI Focus vs Core OS Quality
While Microsoft has been heavily focused on artificial intelligence across Windows 11, including new AI agents that sometimes hallucinate and can pose security concerns, changes like File Explorer preloading highlight that some of the basics still need work. Many users would rather see a rock solid, fast desktop and file manager before yet another AI driven feature is added.
Preloading File Explorer is a step in the right direction, but right now it feels more like a technical tweak than a real fix. You get slightly better performance under load at the cost of some extra RAM, but you still do not get the snappy, instant Explorer experience that Windows 10 delivered even on weaker hardware.
Microsoft plans to roll out the preloading feature more broadly through a regular Windows Update, likely in 2026. By then, there is still time to refine it and hopefully address the lingering issues with context menus and general snappiness. For now, if you are on Windows 10 and enjoying a responsive system for gaming and everyday tasks, this change alone is not a compelling reason to move to Windows 11.
If you are already on Windows 11, keep an eye on upcoming Insider builds and updates. Testing these features early can help you decide whether the performance trade offs are worth it on your particular hardware, especially if you are juggling a lot of apps, browser tabs, and games at the same time.
Original article and image: https://www.pcgamer.com/software/windows/hooray-microsoft-is-making-file-explorer-faster-but-its-still-slower-than-windows-10-and-consumes-more-ram-boo/
