Windows 10: How do I remove an unavailable folder from the file explorer sidebar

there's an old now deleted folder on my laptop's sidebar that I've wanted to get rid of for a while but whenever I try to right click and delete it the option is nowhere to be seen nor does the option to unpin it. attempting to open it gives me the error message provided here

:)

 

Files remain in original folder after moving them to new folder in file explorer

Hi,

The issue that you’ve encountered regarding the File Explorer may be caused by some configuration or files mismatched. To sort out your concern, we suggest that you reset the folder settings from the
Folder Options. This will reboot the folder’s preferences to its default state and remove any possible software conflict. To do this, you may follow these steps:

• Click Start, type File Explorer, and press
  Enter.
• On the File Explorer window, click the View tab > Options > Change folder and search options > View.
• Under the Folder views section, click Reset Folders, and then select
  Yes to confirm.
• Once you’re done, click OK, and then check if the issue persists.

Note: This process will remove the list of files that you recently opened.


Let us know if the suggestion works for you.

 

Tabbed File explorer sidebar takes a long time to load

Soon after receiving the update to add tabs to the file explorer, the sidebar takes quite a while to load. Often it will take up to around 10 seconds to load the sidebar with all my pinned locations.

I notice this issue whenever I open the file explorer, open a new tab in file explorer, or when explorer opens to display locations to save a file.

Is this a bug? Are there any known troubleshooting steps or workarounds?

 

Windows 11 “File Explorer” / “Windows Explorer” sidebar: remove specific folders in the folder tree to simplify the look back to XP sensibilities

My father is turning 84 this year. He ain’t got the time nor the inclination to learn a new OS. Unfortunately, a new laptop purchase means that he is now “stuck” on Windows 11. And with Windows 10 EOL coming in 2025, there is a reasonably high probability that he will have to move to Windows 11 eventually anyhow.

Up to this point, I have been able to tweak the various versions of Windows to look remarkably like Windows XP, which is what he is most familiar with and enjoys. Unfortunately, Windows 11 has introduced an ungodly mess to the Windows Explorer sidebar that I have been unable to “correct”.

And by ungodly mess, I mean an absolute UI clusterf**k, in that all the icons that you see directly within the folder tree (and beside/visually-above “This PC”) is also found within the user profile directory, which also sits at that same level. He has become deeply confused as to where he actually is in the file system due to this needless and extremely user-hostile duplication of folders.

Please note:

• I have gone into the registry and have completely disabled/neutered and removed the Quick Access, Library, & Home folders. I find these to be exceptionally user-hostile, in that they also needlessly duplicate content in a highly confusing manner.
  
• This specific sidebar layout (“Show All Folders” under Options->View) is the one that most closely matches the old Windows XP folder tree layout. I will not be changing away from it, and please don’t recommend any move away from it. This is what my father is used to, and as such, is the limitation within which I need to operate.
  

For reference:





I am looking for either one of two solutions. Within the Desktop level - as in BESIDE “This PC”, and NOT WITHIN “This PC” - I need either one of two groups of icons removed (as per the red, above):

1. All the folders that also appear within the user profile, or
   
2. The user profile itself
   

Now, to be absolutely clear:

• 100% of all instructions on the Internet that I have found so far deal with folders WITHIN the “This PC” folder. As such, NONE OF THOSE SOLUTIONS WILL WORK.
  
• I am looking for a solution that will remove specific folders that are BESIDE the “This PC” folder, and leave either one group or the other.
  
• I need everything to remain within a folder tree branching off of Desktop, and not scattered over the sidebar like birdseed thrown on the ground. This is why Quick Access, Library, & Home folders have been removed entirely. Please do not advocate their usage.
  
• The removal of the virtual user profile directory is actually slightly more desired than the removal of all the other virtual folders, since he will likely never need anything outside of Documents, Downloads, and Pictures. So not having the virtual user profile directory there is actually the slightly more desirable outcome as it leads to greater simplicity. Most of his confusion comes from its contents being needlessly duplicated beside it. Unfortunately, any attempt to select that folder and delete it provides a “removal successful” type message (which references desktop icon preferences to restore its visibility, if desired), but nothing changes. That folder remains visible.
  
• These limitations are a result of my father being 84 this year, and not in any sort of a position to be learning new tricks. He might be with us for only another six months, or he could hang on for another sixteen years. I just don’t know. But he is able to use what he knows, and he knows the more traditional XP-style interface. As such, I am trying my best to provide him with the latest OS, while tweaking it such that it gives the closest experience possible to XP. Including the start menu (solved) and the folder tree sidebar (unsolved), which are the two largest Win11 deviations with regards to how he uses the PC on a daily basis.
  

I have already had Winareo Tweaker recommended to me, however it cannot solve this problem due to two issues:

• It has the ability to remove items from “This PC”, which is not what I need.
  
• Both of the “Navigation Pane” entries also fail to do anything meaningful. Custom Items is completely empty, and Default Items only contains the standard items that have always been there like Libraries and This PC, not the User Profile items like Documents, Downloads, and Pictures.
  

Please also note that Winaero Tweaker was run in portable app mode, no changes were made to the system, and it no longer exists on the system.

I have also had various Windows Explorer replacements suggested to me, unfortunately I need a visual clone of what can be found in Windows XP. Or, something that _very closely_ replicates it, especially with the folder tree sidebar, without adding any additional visual or behavioural complexity. It needs to be a drop-in replacement that my father can pick up and use with zero additional training, and zero visual confusion as to what is what.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, as this UI clusterf**k is driving my dad nuts.