It also includes new File Explorer icons that represent generic folders, documents, and special folders like “Pictures” and “Downloads.” Windows 11 is no exception, and it includes a fresh set of colorful icons for its built-in apps with a flat, shaded look to them.

RELATED: Windows 95 Turns 25: When Windows Went Mainstream New IconsĪlmost every new major version of Windows has brought along a set of new icons for the ride. Between Windows 95 and Windows 10, these have been written out in a list. If you select an item and right-click, you’ll see a series of icons that represent the common cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete operations. One of the most dramatic shifts away from tradition in Windows 11 File Explorer comes from the new right-click (context) menu.

You can pin items to it, move them around by dragging with your mouse, and access quick shortcuts to special folders, drives, and network shares. The sidebar in each Windows 11 File Explorer window operates almost identically to the sidebar in Windows 10.

File explorer with folder size