How to install and uninstall File Explorer extensions on Windows 10
File Explorer is a really good file manager as far as features are concerned. It may not have the greatest dark theme but it is nevertheless a good file manager. As great as it is, it may lack in some areas but most of its shortcomings can be filled with extensions. You can change how File Explorer works with apps that modify it or with just stand alone extensions. Here’s how you can install and uninstall File Explorer extensions.
File Explorer extensions
There’s no particular repository for File Explorer extensions so I can’t point you to a website for it. You can look for them via a Google search, or you can try out this extension that lets you enable SVG file previews in File Explorer.
Install extensions
File Explorer extensions are really EXE files so all you have to do is run it like you would any other desktop app. You will need admin rights to install it. Like most apps, the extension should start working right away but if it doesn’t, you should restart File Explorer.
Uninstall extensions
Since extensions for File Explorer install like ordinary desktop apps, you will uninstall them the same way. Open Control Panel and look through the list of installed apps and you will find the extension that you installed. It is important that you know the extension’s name because the Control Panel doesn’t sort items by type.
Select the extension from the list, and click the Uninstall button to remove the extension.
File Explorer extensions are desktop apps because File Explorer itself is still a desktop app. Microsoft hasn’t introduced a UWP file manager, and we can only hope they don’t do so until they have a really, really good app to replace it with.
Extensions for UWP apps are also UWP apps themselves. An example of this are the various extensions that are available for the Photos and TV & Movies apps. UWP app extensions are uninstalled from the Apps group of settings in the Settings app.
File Explorer extensions are great but remember to only install them if you’re sure they’re safe. File Explorer is an integral app on Windows 10 so if you end up installing an extension that hijacks it, getting rid of it might be an ordeal. If you’re unsure whether an extension is safe or not, and you are still determined to install it, make sure you know how to run Windows 10 in safe mode so that you can uninstall it if it goes rouge.
