Explorer Tab Utility

[!TIP] Force new File Explorer windows to open as tabs in Windows 11, making your workflow cleaner and more organized!

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[!IMPORTANT] This application requires Windows 11 (22H2 Build 22621 or later) with the File Explorer Tabs feature.

🤔 Why Explorer Tab Utility?

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Say goodbye to cluttered desktops with multiple Explorer windows! Explorer Tab Utility automatically converts new windows into tabs, providing a cleaner and more organized file management experience.

✨ Features

<details> <summary>🔄 Automatic Window to Tab Conversion</summary>

• Seamlessly converts new Explorer windows into tabs
• Switches to existing tabs if path is already opened
• Supports virtual desktop switching with a hotkey
• Supports attaching/detaching tabs
• Handles "Show in folder" file selection elegantly
• Handles opening multiple tabs at once

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>🖨️ Duplicate Current Tab</summary>

• Quickly duplicate the current tab/window
• Choose whether to duplicate as a tab or new window (toggle Tab option)
• Preserves the current location and selected items

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>♻️ Reopen Closed Tabs</summary>

• Reopen previously closed tabs/windows
• Choose whether to reopen as a tab or new window (toggle Tab option)
• Restores the exact location and selected items
• History is saved across application restarts (enable "Save closed history" in settings)

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>🔄 Restore Previous Windows</summary>

• Automatically restore previously opened windows if File-Explorer restart/crash or system reboot
• Configurable via "Restore previous windows" setting
• Confirmation dialog allows you to choose whether to restore windows on first launch

</details> <details> <summary>📋 Detach & Snap Windows</summary>

• Detach current tab to a new window
• Snap windows to screen edges (right/left/top/bottom)
• Chain multiple actions with a single hotkey
• Example setup (CTRL + Q):
  1. First profile: Detach current tab
  2. Second profile: Snap original window to the left
  3. Third profile: Snap new window to the right (with customizable delay)
• Customize delays to match your system's performance

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>⬅️ Navigate Back & Forward</summary>

• Navigate back/forward/up in File Explorer using:
  • Keyboard shortcuts (customizable)
  • Mouse clicks on any empty space in the folder
• Perfect for quick navigation between directories

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>📁 Custom Path Navigation</summary>

• Assign hotkeys to quickly open your favorite locations
• Choose whether to open as a tab or new window (toggle Tab option)
• Supports multiple formats:
  • Standard paths: C:\Users\Documents
  • Environment variables: %USERPROFILE%\Downloads
  • Windows CLSID paths: {A8CDFF1C-4878-43be-B5FD-F8091C1C60D0} (Special Folders)
  • Programs and files: C:\file.txt
  • URLs: https://github.com/w4po/ExplorerTabUtility (opens in default browser)
• Perfect for frequently accessed locations
• Instant access to system folders using CLSIDs

See it in action:

</details> <details> <summary>🔍 Tab Search/Switcher</summary>

• Quickly find and switch between open Explorer tabs/windows
• Search by typing part of a folder name or path
• Keyboard navigation with up/down arrows and Enter to select
• Special modifiers for different actions:
  • Default: Switch to existing tab or open location in a new tab
  • SHIFT key: Open selected location in a new window instead of a tab
  • CTRL key: Duplicate the tab even if it already exists
• Clear recently closed windows history with a single click

</details> <details> <summary>🪟 Force New Window with Ctrl+Shift</summary>

• Hold Ctrl+Shift while opening a location to force it to open as a new window
• Temporarily overrides the window hook and tab reuse settings
• Perfect for when you need a separate window without disabling the tab functionality

</details> <details> <summary>⚡ Performance & Reliability</summary>

• Lightweight and resource-efficient
• Fast and responsive tab creation
• Stable COM-based implementation
• Reliable window state management

</details>

🚀 Getting Started

1. Download the latest version from the Releases page or install it via winget or choco:

   winget install w4po.ExplorerTabUtility --interactive
   

   choco install explorertabutility --version 2.5.0 --params "/interactive"
   

2. Run the application

3. Look for the tray icon and you're ready to go!

   

⚙️ Configuration

[!NOTE] The application runs in the system tray minimized by default. To configure it, double-click or right-click the tray icon.

<details> <summary>🔧 General Settings</summary>

• Window Hook: Enable/disable automatic window-to-tab conversion
• Reuse Tabs: Switch to existing tabs instead of opening duplicates
• Keyboard Hook: Enable/disable keyboard shortcuts
• Mouse Hook: Enable/disable mouse navigation features
• Startup: Configure automatic startup with Windows
• Settings Persistence:
  • Your settings are stored in a JSON file located in your AppData folder:

  %APPDATA%\ExplorerTabUtility\settings.json
  

  If you need to reset to default settings, simply delete the settings.json file.

</details> <details> <summary>⚙️ Preferences</summary>

• Auto update: Automatically check for updates on startup to ensure you're always using the latest version
• I have theme issues: Use an alternative window hiding method that preserves your custom File Explorer theme. Enable this if you experience theme-related issues
• Save closed history: Save recently closed windows for reopening later (ReopenClosed, Tab Search)
• Restore previous windows: Restore previously opened windows after restart or crash
• Hide tray icon: Hide the system tray icon for a cleaner taskbar experience.
  • You must first configure a hotkey with the ToggleVisibility action before enabling this option

</details> <details> <summary>⌨️ Hotkey Profile Management</summary>

Profile Options

• Create new profiles
• Import profiles from file
• Export profiles to file
• Enable/disable individual profiles

Profile Settings

Each profile contains the following settings:

1. Basic Configuration

   • Hotkey: Set keyboard shortcut (supports modifier keys)
   • Scope: Global (system-wide) or Explorer (only in File Explorer)
   • Action Type:
     • Open: Open a specific location
     • Duplicate: Duplicate the current tab
     • ReopenClosed: Reopen the last closed location
     • TabSearch: Open the tab search/switcher popup
     • NavigateBack: Navigate back in the current tab
     • NavigateForward: Navigate forward in the current tab
     • NavigateUp: Navigate up one directory level
     • SetTargetWindow: Mark the current window as the target for new tabs
     • ToggleWinHook: Toggle the window hook on/off
     • ToggleReuseTabs: Toggle tab reuse on/off
     • ToggleVisibility: Show/hide the main window
     • DetachTab: Detach the current tab to a new window
     • Snap: Snap the current window to the screen edges (right/left/top/bottom)
   • Path Field (for Open action)
     • Optional: Leave empty to open new tab
     • Supports multiple path formats (see Custom Path Navigation section)

2. Advanced Settings

   • Execution Delay: Slider to set delay before action execution
   • Key Handling: Toggle whether hotkeys are passed to other applications
   • Profile Deletion: Remove unwanted profiles

[!TIP] Use the "Handled" toggle to prevent or allow hotkey propagation to other applications that might be listening for the same key combination.

[!NOTE] The SetTargetWindow action lets you choose which Explorer window will receive new tabs. This is useful when you have multiple Explorer windows open or working on different virtual deskt