You type a keyword in File Explorer search on Windows 11. The search returns file names that match. But it does not return documents where that keyword appears inside the file. This happens when the Windows Search index is incomplete, corrupted, or configured to skip file contents. Without content indexing, File Explorer treats every search … Read more
You open File Explorer and the pinned folders you carefully set up in Quick Access are gone. This is a common complaint after a Windows update, a disk cleanup, or a profile corruption. The pins disappear because the system file that stores your Quick Access settings gets reset or corrupted. This article explains why this … Read more
You open File Explorer in Windows 11 and every OneDrive file shows a blue cloud icon instead of a green checkmark or a solid green circle. The files appear to be online-only even after you have opened them or set a folder to “Always keep on this device.” This problem means OneDrive is not downloading … Read more
Your Windows 11 mapped network drives disappear or show a red X after the computer wakes from sleep. This happens because Windows 11 disconnects network sessions during sleep to conserve power. When the PC wakes, the drive mapping fails to reconnect automatically. This article explains why the disconnection occurs and provides three reliable fixes to … Read more
When you try to install a game from the Xbox app on Windows 11 to an external drive, the installation may fail with an error message or the drive may not appear in the list of available locations. This problem occurs because the Xbox app and the Xbox Game Pass service require specific drive formatting … Read more
You are trying to save a file or let an app write to a protected folder, but Windows 11 blocks the action with a notification from Controlled Folder Access. This feature in Microsoft Defender Antivirus monitors specific folders and prevents untrusted applications from modifying files in them. The problem occurs when the app you trust … Read more
You open File Explorer expecting your previous browsing session with multiple tabs, but the tabs reopen showing different folders or the default Quick Access view. This behavior occurs because File Explorer’s session restore feature relies on a specific system setting and a corrupted cache file. This article explains why the wrong folders appear and provides … Read more
You click a mapped network drive in File Explorer and wait 10 seconds or more before the folder contents appear. This delay happens because Windows 11 is trying to restore a previous folder view or scanning the network for offline files before showing the drive. The issue often stems from the Folder View cache or … Read more
When you select a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file in Windows 11 File Explorer, the preview pane may stay blank or show a placeholder icon instead of the document content. This problem often occurs after a Microsoft 365 update, a Windows update, or corruption in the preview handler registration. The preview pane depends on specific … Read more
You enabled the “Enable Win32 long paths” Group Policy setting on Windows 11, but File Explorer still refuses to open or create files with paths longer than 260 characters. This happens because the policy alone does not apply to the Windows Shell, including File Explorer, which has its own separate long path limitation. This article … Read more