The File Explorer has different pane features that help the users to view and navigate easily through files. The Preview pane and Details pane will show the information of the file on the left side of the File Explorer. It can be useful for the users who always check the details of the files and folders through the properties option. These two panes are disabled by default in the Windows 10 operating system. The Navigation pane is enabled and it can be seen on the right side of the File Explorer. However, the users can enable or disable these features according to their needs.

Enable/Disable the Pane Features in File Explorer - 1

Enable/Disable the Pane Features in File Explorer

In this article, we will show you methods through which you can easily enable or disable any of the pane features in File Explorer. We have included Preview, Details, and Navigation pane options in different steps under each method. Since they all have pretty much the same starting steps; therefore, you can skip the specific pane step that you are not configuring.

Method 1: Using the File Explorer

These options are already available in File Explorer and can be accessed anytime. By default, the navigation pane will be enabled in the File Explorer. However, the Preview pane and the Details pane will not be enabled by default. You can either use the Preview pane or the Details pane. You can try and see which one you want. Follow the below steps and see how it works:

  1. Open the File Explorer by clicking on the File Explorer icon in Taskbar. You can also simply press the Windows + E keys together on your keyboard.
  2. Click on the View menu in the menu bar and click on the Preview pane icon as shown. Enabling preview pane
  3. The preview pane will appear in the File Explorer window for all the files and folders.
  4. You can also click on the Details pane icon under the View menu as shown. Enabling details pane
  5. This will enable the details menu for all files and folders.
  6. Lastly, you can also click on the Navigate pane icon and it will show a drop-down list. Now you can click on the Navigation pane to enable it. Enabling navigation pane Note : Additional options in the drop-down list are up to your needs.
  7. It will change the navigation pane on the left pane of the window.
  8. These all can be disabled by clicking on the same options again and it will uncheck or disable it.

Method 2: Using the Registry Editor

These options can also be configured in the Registry Editor menu. The values that are available for these specific options will be in binary format. These values and keys will already be available in the Registry Editor. You can also create a backup or note down the default values to use for reverting the settings. You can notice that the difference between the enabled and disabled binary value data will have only a single number difference. Follow the below steps and try to use them carefully without making any mistakes:

Note : The value for the Preview pane and the Details pane is the same and only the value data will be different.

  1. Open a Run command box by pressing the Windows + R keys together on your keyboard. Now, just type “ regedit ” in the box and press the Enter key to open the Registry Editor window. Click on the Yes button for the UAC (User Account Control) prompt dialog. Opening the Registry Editor
  2. Now before you configure new changes, you can also create a registry backup for safety. Click on the File menu in the menu bar and choose the Export option from the list. Provide the name, path, and click on the Save button. Creating a registry backup Note : You can click on the File menu and choose the Import option to restore a registry backup.
  3. Now in the Registry Editor window, go to the provided path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\GlobalSettings\DetailsContainer
  4. Now double-click on the value named “ DetailsContainer ” to open it. You can add different data values to either enable Preview or Details pane. Note : If by any chance the value does not exist, you can create it by right-clicking on the right pane and choosing the New > Binary Value option. Navigating to the value
  5. Now to add the Preview pane you need to type the following binary code in the value data. 02 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 Changing the value data to enable the Preview pane
  6. To add the Details pane in the File Explorer, you need to type the following binary code in the value data: 01 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 Changing the value data to enable the Details pane
  7. You can always disable the Preview pane and Details pane by changing the value data back to the following binary value. 02 00 00 00 02 00 00 00
  8. For the Navigation pane , go to the following location: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\GlobalSettings\Sizer
  9. The Navigation pane will be enabled by default. If you want to disable it, then double-click on the value named “ PageSpaceControlSizer ” and it will open in a dialog box.
  10. Now type the following binary value as shown. c5 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 80 07 00 00 Changing the value data to disable the Navigation pane Note : If you have a bit different value then simply change the 01 to 00 from your binary value as shown.

How to Fix “Printer is in an error state” Issue?

The “ Cannot change fingerprint or PIN ” problem in Windows 11 happens when the options to change these settings are greyed out in Settings → Accounts → Sign-in options. Even if you are the administrator, you can’t update your Windows Hello credentials. You might also see a message like “ This option is temporarily unavailable. ”

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

This usually happens because Windows Hello’s stored data (in the Ngc folder) is damaged or not in sync. Other reasons include security rules set by your workplace or school, connected work accounts, or restrictions set in the registry or group policy.

Now that you’re aware of the potential causes, let’s go through some steps that have helped other users fix or work around this problem:

1. Change the PIN or Fingerprint the Conventional Way

If your goal is to remove the fingerprint or PIN without setting up another sign-in method, please note that this is not possible on Windows 11.

Windows 11 requires you to have at least one Sign-in option enabled. The Remove button will remain grayed out if you only have one active sign-in method.

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Can’t disable PIN or Fingerprint on Windows 11

For example, the Remove button for your PIN will stay unavailable until you add a different sign-in option (like Facial Recognition, Fingerprint, or a Security Key).

If you want to stop using your PIN or Fingerprint, you’ll need to set up an additional way to sign in.

Below are step-by-step instructions to set up a new sign-in option and then remove your current one:

  1. Press Windows key + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. Inside the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the vertical menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If the left menu is hidden by default, click the menu button (top-left corner) to reveal it.
  3. Once in the Accounts menu, move to the right-hand section of the screen and select Sign-in options. Accessing the Sign In Options menu
  4. Now, choose which sign-in method you’d like to set as a fallback. Sign-in Options Note: Your available options depend on your device. If your PC doesn’t support facial recognition or you don’t have a security key, you can switch between PIN and fingerprint.
  5. After you pick your new sign-in method, follow the on-screen instructions to set it up.
  6. Once your second sign-in option is set, you’ll be able to click the Remove button to get rid of your previous sign-in method. You can also choose Change PIN or Change Fingerprint to update, rather than remove, your sign-in credentials. Modify the current PIN or remove one of the configured sign-in options

2. Remove PIN or Fingerprint Requirement by Using a Local Account

If you want to completely remove all sign-in options like PIN or Fingerprint, you will have to switch to a local account .

We generally don’t recommend this unless you really need to, as it can limit the functionality of some built-in Windows features (like Windows Update and the Microsoft Store).

If you still want to remove your PIN or Fingerprint sign-in, you’ll need to set up a local account with a password instead. Keep in mind, this means you’ll need to stop using your Microsoft account on your PC.

Important: This method isn’t available if you’re enrolled in the Windows Insider program.

To change from a Microsoft account with PIN or fingerprint to a local password, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings menu in Windows 11.
  2. In the Settings menu, click on Accounts from the menu on the left. Accessing the Accounts menu Note: If you don’t see the left menu, click the menu icon (top-left corner).
  3. Inside Accounts , click on Family & other users on the right-hand side. Accessing the Family and other users tab
  4. In the Family & other users tab, check for any accounts listed under Other users. If you find any, remove them before moving on.
  5. Next, return to the main Accounts menu and click on Your info on the right. Accessing the Your Info tab
  6. Scroll down to Account Settings and click on Sign in with a local account instead . Sign in with a local account instead
  7. On the next screen, click Next .
  8. When prompted, enter your current PIN or use your fingerprint as requested. Inserting the PIN
  9. Then, you’ll be asked to create a username and password for your new local account, along with a password hint in case you forget. Configure the local account
  10. Finally, click Sign out and finish to complete the switch.