Windows 11 is certainly a very beautiful operating system, but there are many missing features that make users unhappy. In Windows 11 Build 22557 released to the Dev channel, Microsoft finally returned to a taskbar feature based on user feedback: drag and drop files such as images or text to an application icon on the taskbar to facilitate the use of the application to open a file.
Folder preview
In addition to improvements to the taskbar, Microsoft has also brought back the “folder preview” feature in the file manager. Folder preview was a handy feature that was present in all previous versions of Windows, and it was something that many people used every day, so the fact that it was removed by Windows 11 angered many users. Starting with Windows 11 Build 22557, it is now possible to preview a folder’s files in Explorer without opening the folder.
If you want to try out the upcoming features of Windows 11, install the preview in a virtual machine and navigate to a directory in File Explorer that has a folder containing media like pictures or documents that you want to preview. As shown in the screenshot below, if the media content has been indexed by Windows, you will immediately see a folder preview thumbnail.
Pinned files on the left side of the file manager
The Quick Access view of File Explorer now allows you to pin files. Previously, Microsoft allowed users to pin folders, but this update expands support to include files. Microsoft has created a new section above recent files to highlight pinned files. If your Microsoft account is connected to the device, File Explorer will also sync pinned and recent files from Office .com. This includes OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams.
This will be synced in real-time, so if you pin or unpin an Office.com file in Quick Access, it will also be reflected in Office.com and Office applications.
New ways to share content to Outlook
Microsoft is testing a feature called “Outlook Desktop Integration” that will allow you to share local files to Outlook and compose emails directly from File Explorer. The email compose box and attachments will appear inside Explorer’s share window, so you can easily send emails from Explorer.
Currently, the Outlook integration of File Explorer only works with local files, it is not possible to share files stored in OneDrive folders. Additionally, Windows 11’s Share window includes support for contacts from Microsoft 365, and lists are automatically synced, making it easier to share files via Outlook in Explorer.
File manager integrated with OneDrive
Microsoft is making it easier to manage OneDrive directly from File Explorer. As you can see in the screenshot below, you can browse your OneDrive folders and watch the sync status and quota usage within an explorer window. Storage is now displayed in File Explorer without even opening the OneDrive folder.
