Navigation Pane Show all folders - Turn On or Off

How to Turn Navigation Pane "Show all folders" On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to turn Show all folders on or off in the navigation pane of Windows Explorer in your user account in Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT 8.1.

If you turn on Show All Folders, it will also add your user profile folder, Control Panel, and Recycle Bin items in the navigation pane of Windows Explorer.

   Warning

If you have "Show all folders" checked, then the Show in Navigation Pane option for libraries will be grayed out.

EXAMPLE: "Show all folders" Turned On and Off

​

​

OPTION ONE

To Turn "Show all folders" On or Off from within Navigation Pane

​

1. Open File Explorer, and do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do​

​

2. Right click or press and hold on an empty area in the navigation pane, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

3. Click/tap on the View tab, click/tap on the Navigation Pane button in the ribbon, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

4. Do step 5 or 6 below for what you would like to do.​

​

5. To Turn On "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane ​

​

A) Click/tap on Show all folders to check it. (See screenshot above)​

​

6. To Turn Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

​

A) Click/tap on Show all folders to uncheck it. (See screenshot above)​

​

OPTION TWO

To Turn "Show all folders" On or Off from within Folder Options

​

1. Open Folder Options, click/tap on the General tab, and do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)​

​

​

​

2. To Turn On "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane​

​

A) Check the Show all folders box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)​

​

3. To Turn Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

​

A) Uncheck the Show all folders box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)​

​

OPTION THREE

To Turn "Show all folders" On or Off using a BAT File Download

   Note

The .bat files below are for the registry key and value below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

NavPaneShowAllFolders DWORD

0 = off
1 = on

​

1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.​

​

2. To Turn On "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane​

​

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

​

Turn_On_Show-all-folders_in_Navigation_Pane.bat ​

​

​

​

3. To Turn Off "Show all folders" in Navigation Pane​

​

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.​

NOTE: This is the default setting.​

​

Turn_Off_Show-all-folders_in_Navigation_Pane.bat ​

​

​

​

4. Save the .bat file to the desktop.​

​

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .bat file to run it.​

​

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run and Yes (UAC).​

NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.​

​

7. You will now notice a command prompt open and your screen flash as explorer is restarted to apply the registry changes.​

​

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Show or Hide Navigation Pane in File Explorer in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Turn Navigation Pane "Expand to Current Folder" On or Off in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove "Computer" from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove Control Panel from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove "Favorites" from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove "Libraries" from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Add or Remove "Network" from Navigation Pane in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Move Libraries above This PC in Navigation Pane in Windows 8.1

 

[dsim]

I have W8.1 64bit pro installed. In the Navigation pane I have "show all folders" unchecked. However all the folders under SkyDrive are shown.

I have tried selecting Show all folders and then unchecked it, in the hope that this would collapse the folders under SkyDrive, but it did not.


Can you suggest what I may try next?

 

[Brink]

Hello dsim, and welcome to Eight Forums.

The "Show all folders" setting doesn't apply to the separate "SkyDrive" group in the navigation pane.

You should be able to click on the arrow to the left of the SkyDrive folder or double click on the SkyDrive folder in the navigation pane to collapse it.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[dsim]

Thanks Shawn. I had previously collapsed the SkyDrive folder list by clicking on its arrow, but when next opening File Explorer all these folders were again displayed.

However since reading your advice I right clicked SkyDrive and selected Collapse from there. Now File Explorer opens with SkyDrive collapsed.

 

[Brink]

Great news. By default, it should open the same way as it was last closed.

 

[dsim]

I am sorry to report that using the Collapse feature no longer works.

Is there some way to make sure that file explorer opens the same way that it last closed?

 

[Brink]

dsim,

If a folder's view is not the same as when you last closed the folder when you open it next from the same location (ex: taskbar), then you might see if resetting your folder views back to default may help.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/9282-folder-view-settings-reset-default-windows-8-a.html

 

[dsim]

Yes, that fixed it, thankyou Shawn

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.