• To disable File Explorer tabs, open ViveTool with Command Prompt as admin.
  • Run the vivetool /disable /id:37634385 command.
  • Then run the vivetool /disable /id:36354489 command.

Windows 11 22H2 has an updated version of File Explorer that brings tabs that allow you to open folders and drive locations similar to how you browse pages on the internet with your web browser. 

Although this has been a highly requested feature for many years, it’s not something every user wants to use, and unfortunately, File Explorer doesn’t include an option to disable tabs. However, if the feature isn’t for you, it’s still possible to remove the tabs using the ViveTool app created by Rafael Rivera and Lucas on GitHub, which is usually used to enable the preview of experimental features.

This guide will teach you the steps to turn off the tabs feature on Windows 11 22H2.

Disable tabs for File Explorer on Windows 11

To disable tabs in File Explorer on Windows 11, use these steps:

  • Open GitHub website.
  • Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to disable the tabs feature.
  • Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.
  • Click the Extract all button.
  • Click the Extract button.
  • Copy the path to the folder.
  • Open Start.
  • Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:
  • cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.3.1
  • In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.
  • Type the following command to disable File Explorer tabs on Windows 11 and press Enter:
  • vivetool /disable /id:37634385
  • vivetool /disable /id:36354489
  • Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, File Explorer should now have tabs and the new navigation pane design on Windows 11 22H2.

Open GitHub website.

Download the ViveTool-vx.x.x.zip file to disable the tabs feature.

Double-click the zip folder to open it with File Explorer.

Click the Extract all button.

Click the Extract button.

Copy the path to the folder.

Open Start.

Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to navigate to the ViveTool folder and press Enter:

cd c:\folder\path\ViveTool-v0.3.1

In the command, remember to change the path to the folder with your path.

Type the following command to disable File Explorer tabs on Windows 11 and press Enter:

vivetool /disable /id:37634385 vivetool /disable /id:36354489

Restart the computer.

If you change your mind, you can revert the changes with the same instructions but on step 10, make sure to use these commands: vivetool /enable /id:37634385 and vivetool /enable /id:36354489 and then restart the device.

It’s important to note that even though these commands continue to work, Microsoft may remove the ability to disable this and other features in future updates, which means that it’s not guaranteed that tabs will stay disabled indefinitely.