Windows 11 introduced major design changes to the operating system and the file explorer ribbon was one of the newly designed elements.

It is now much cleaner, and sleeker, and adapts better to differently-sized windows. However, you might like the old one better or have not been able to get accustomed to the new layout. Whatever the reason, you can easily revert to the classic File Explorer ribbon using the methods mentioned in the guide.

1. Use the Registry Editor

Registry Editor contains all the critical system files for your PC. If you know what you are doing, altering them typically does not create any problems. However, backing all the files before tinkering with them can serve as a fail-safe for you.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Registry Editor. Then, click on the respective tile.

After that, to back up the registry editor files, click on the ‘File’ option and click on the ‘Export’ option to proceed.

Then, enter the appropriate name for the backup file. Next, click on the ‘All’ option and then click on the ‘Save’ button.

Now, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate to the directory.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Shell Extensions

After that, right-click on the ‘Shell Extensions’ folder and hover over the ‘New’ option. Then, click on the ‘Key’ option. Next, rename the folder to Blocked. Perform this step only if there’s no key of a similar name already present.

Then, select the ‘Blocked’ folder and right-click on the empty space. After that, hover over the ‘New’ option and click on the ‘String Value’ option.

Finally, type or copy+paste the below text as the file name.

{e2bf9676-5f8f-435c-97eb-11607a5bedf7}

Once done, restart your PC and check if the classic ribbon is being displayed in the File Explorer or not.

2. Use the Command Prompt

If you are not comfortable with the Registry Editor method, you can use the Command Prompt method. Moreover, it is much simpler this way.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to perform a search. Then, right-click on the ‘Terminal’ tile and click on the ‘Run as administrator’ option.

After that, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button.

Then, click on the chevron (downward arrow) and select the ‘Command Prompt’ option.

Afterward, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter to execute.

reg delete "HKCU\Software\Classes\CLSID\{d93ed569-3b3e-4bff-8355-3c44f6a52bb5}" /f​

Once executed, restart your computer and check if you are able to view the classic ribbon.

3. Use the Control Panel

This method only works if you have yet not installed the cumulative update of Windows 11 (10.0.22000.71) on your PC.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Control to perform a search. Then, click on the ‘Control Panel’ tile.

After that, click on the ‘File Explorer Options’ to proceed.

Next, locate and enable the ‘Launch folder in a separate process’ option and click on the ‘Apply’ button to save the changes.

That’s it, folks. Using the above-mentioned methods, you should be able to bring back the classic file explorer with the ribbon menu on your Windows 11 computer.