Easily Remove Home and Gallery from File Explorer in Windows 11

Many users have expressed frustration that Windows 11's File Explorer no longer places Quick Access at the top by default. Instead, it introduces a new section called Home, which includes Quick Access, Favorites, and Recent files, offering more robust functionality. Additionally, there's a new Gallery feature that allows users to browse photos from their devices and cloud storage in one place. While these changes might be beneficial for some, others prefer a more streamlined File Explorer experience. This article will guide you through the process of removing the Home and Gallery features from File Explorer.

1. Understanding Home and Gallery in File Explorer

Before deciding whether to remove Home and Gallery, it's important to understand what they offer:

Home: Home is the new version of the old Quick Access, rebranded and expanded in Windows 11 (Version 22H2). It still displays frequently used files and folders, but now also includes Favorites and Recent items, providing a more comprehensive view of your most used content.

Gallery: This new feature in Windows 11 allows users to access photos from their PC, phone, and cloud storage directly within File Explorer. It centralizes photo access, making it easier to view images without needing to open other apps.

For users who find these features unnecessary or want to simplify their navigation pane, it is possible to remove them. The steps below will guide you through this process.

2. How to Remove Home and Gallery from File Explorer

Removing Home

To remove the Home section, you will need to make changes to the Windows registry. Follow these steps carefully:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.

Step 2: Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to the following location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{f874310e-b6b7-47dc-bc84-b9e6b38f5903}

Caution: Before making any changes, back up the registry key by clicking on File > Export. Save the backup in case you need to restore it later.

Step 4: Right-click on the {f874310e-b6b7-47dc-bc84-b9e6b38f5903} key and select Delete.

Step 5: Confirm the deletion. After this, Home will no longer appear in File Explorer.

Note: Even after removing Home, File Explorer may still try to open to that location. Change the default opening path to This PC by following this Microsoft guide.

Removing Gallery

If you wish to remove the Gallery feature from File Explorer, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor as described above.

Step 2: Go to: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}

Note: Just like with Home, back up this registry key by exporting it before proceeding.

Step 3: Right-click on the {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} key and choose Delete.

Step 4: Confirm the deletion to remove the Gallery from the navigation pane.

Note: If it doesn't take effect, restart File Explorer for them to take effect.

To do this, open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc, find Windows Explorer, and click Restart.

3. How to Restore Home and Gallery

If you later decide that you want the Home and Gallery sections back, you can easily restore them using the backup files or by manually recreating the registry keys:

Restore from Backup

Double-click the .reg file you previously saved during the backup. This will re-add the necessary registry keys and restore Home and Gallery.

Manually Recreate the Registry Keys

For Home, navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\

Next, right-click NameSpace, select New > Key, and name it {f874310e-b6b7-47dc-bc84-b9e6b38f5903}.

For Gallery, follow a similar process and create a key with the name {e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}.

4. Conclusion

Whether you find the new Home and Gallery features in File Explorer helpful or not is a matter of personal preference. Some users appreciate the additional functionality, while others prefer a cleaner, simpler interface. For those who wish to disable these features, the steps provided in this guide make it easy to remove them from the navigation pane. And if you ever change your mind, restoring them is just as straightforward. Customize your File Explorer to best suit your needs and enjoy a more tailored experience in Windows 11.