Windows 11: why Microsoft puts a lick of paint on File Explorer

The publisher wants to make Windows 11 less dependent on File Explorer to avoid crashes and other issues while in use.

File Explorer is possibly one of the most important components of Windows, upon which many elements of the system rely.

Microsoft wants to restore independence to many processes, today linked to File Explorer

File Explorer is indeed linked to other elements of the system, such as the taskbar or the notification center. The explorer.exe application shares a number of resources with these other elements of the operating system.

The problem with this design is that crashing one element, such as the taskbar, can cause File Explorer to crash completely, rendering it unusable unless you force a restart of the computer.

Fortunately, Microsoft has started the big maneuvers to make each element of Windows 11 independent, and the work is already visible in the latest beta versions of the OS.

Long-term work that is just beginning

The company’s developers have in fact isolated the Immersive Shield element in Windows 11 build 25252. The latter, introduced with Windows 8 and the charms bar, is currently present in Windows 11 through the ShellAppRuntime.exe process, related to File Explorer. Since this last beta, Immersive Shield has regained its independence.

This change is only a first step for Microsoft, which wants to detach as many processes as possible from File Explorer. This will improve system performance, reduce the execution time of these different applications and avoid complete system shutdowns as much as possible.

Obviously, this new architecture of Windows 11 will not be done by a simple update, and this work should take several years for Microsoft teams before being completed. The developers of the American group will probably play the card of caution and modify Windows 11 in small touches with each major version.

Source : Windows Latest