This post will help you enable or disable access to Folder Options in Windows 10. Folder Options or File Explorer Options window helps to set many settings such as reset folder view, hide or show all drives, show/hide drive letters, show hidden folders and files, show or hide menus, and many more. You can open Folder Options using the Search box, File menu of File Explorer, etc., and customize settings easily. If you don’t want someone to change such settings, then disabling Folder Options is good. You can also re-enable Folder Options anytime.
Enable or disable access to File Explorer Options
There are two native options in Windows 11/10 to do that and this post covers both options. These are:
- Using GPO or Group Policy Editor
- Using Registry Editor.
1] Using GPO
Group Policy Editor or GPO feature is available in Enterprise and Pro editions of Windows 10. Home edition users can install Group Policy manually to use this option. The steps are:
Open GPO and then access the File Explorer folder. Its path is:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
On the right-hand side, open the Do not allow Folder Options to be opened settings.
When a new window is opened, select Enabled, and save it.
Folder Options window is disabled now. To enable it again, follow all the steps mentioned above, use the Not Configured Option in the last step, and save the change.
2] Using Registry Editor
- Launch Regedit or Registry Editor window
- Go to Explorer key
- Create NoFolderOptions DWORD value
- Set value data of NoFolderOptions value to 1.
Use the search box and type regedit to open Registry Editor or Regedit window.
Now go to Explorer key using the following path:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
On the right-hand section, open the right-click menu, use the New menu, and click on the DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Rename this newly created value to NoFolderOptions.
Double-click on NoFolderOptions and you will see a small box. Add 1 in the Value data field and press OK.
Restart File Explorer to apply the changes.
To enable Folder Options again, use the above steps, add 0 in Value data, and restart File Explorer.
Read next: How to Reset Folder View in Windows.
That’s it!
