Windows 11 File Explorer Gets Extra Photo Gallery Layer

T0@st · Apr 17, 2023

Microsoft has introduced a handy new feature within the Windows 11 File Explorer application - an update was released last week (Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23434), and it adds a Photo Gallery feature layer. It does not look too far removed from the operating system's standard photo/picture viewer, as well as the discontinued (as of 2012) Windows Photo Gallery app - although the latter offered a wide range of image organization, photo editing and photo sharing functionalities.

Microsoft's Amanda Langowski (Head of Insider Program) and Brandon LeBlanc (Senior Program Manager) go into further detail about the latest addition in an official Windows blog: "We are introducing Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to make it easy to access your photo collection. The set of content shown in Gallery is the same as what you'll see in the All Photos view in the Photos app."

They continue the explanation: "Gallery is optimized for accessing your most recently taken photos. If you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up on your phone, photos you take will show up automatically at the top of the view. You can choose which folders are shown in Gallery through the Collection dropdown. You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content, such as desktop backgrounds and SD card/camera imports. Gallery also works from the file picking dialog, bringing that same ease of use to situations such as inserting attachments, building a PowerPoint deck, or crafting social media posts."

Gallery has been introduced through a preview build, so is not available to everyone: "We are beginning to roll this out, so the experience isn't available to all Insiders in the Dev Channel just yet as we plan to monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone." The team welcomes feedback from anyone willing to access and test out the early version of Gallery.

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Rus4kova · Apr 17, 2023

Wasn't ther something similar in Windows 95 ??

Aleksandar_038 · Apr 17, 2023

Great, now they can discontinue new Photos app in Windows 11, introduced to replace old Photos app from Windows 10 (just as that one became good one...).

Christ...

Rus4kova said:
Wasn't ther something similar in Windows 95 ??

I think there was with that Microsoft Plus add-on...

TumbleGeorge · Apr 17, 2023

Rus4kova said:
Wasn't ther something similar in Windows 95 ??

I think some icons used in windows 11 are from windows 95...and gif for moving files is from hmm DOS?

Luke357 · Apr 17, 2023

Aleksandar_038 said:
Great, now they can discontinue new Photos app in Windows 11, introduced to replace old Photos app from Windows 10 (just as that one became good one...).

Thankfully, You can still download the Windows 10 style one. The new one is technically a different program and can be installed separately.

Aleksandar_038 · Apr 17, 2023

Luke357 said:
Thankfully, You can still download the Windows 10 style one. The new one is technically a different program and can be installed separately.

Yes, I know. They were even kind enough to leave a reminder in "new" app about availability of "old" app...

What puzzles me is the fact that "old" app was terrible and despised by many for years. But with last few updates it really became great little app, as far as built-in app can go. And just when they finally made it work properly, they make "new" app which is missing half features from Win10 app ???

I mean, it have great OneDrive integration, which I use, but couldn't they add that integration to old app - it is not like it was build ages ago, it was relatively new too...

Sometimes, I am pretty sure that different departments in Microsoft do not talk to each other at all. Nor use their own products.

ThrashZone · Apr 17, 2023

Hi,
Yeah gallery going way back to win-7 windows live photo gallery app from windows live essentials days :laugh:

Already a tutorial to remove the silly entry
There is also one to move Home.. crap to the bottom instead of the top of the navigation pane

Move Home to Top or Bottom of Navigation Pane in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to move Home to show at the top or bottom of the navigation pane in File Explorer for your account in Windows 11. Starting with Windows 11 build 22593, Quick access is now called Home. The name Quick access has been repurposed for the pinned/frequent Folders...

www.elevenforum.com

Add or Remove Gallery in File Explorer Navigation Pane in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Gallery in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account or all users in Windows 11. Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2 KB5030310 Build 22621.2361, Microsoft is introducing Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to make it...

www.elevenforum.com

Starting with Windows 11 build 23435, Microsoft is introducing Gallery, a new feature in File Explorer designed to make it easy to access your photo collection. The set of content shown in Gallery is the same as what you’ll see in the All Photos view in the Photos app.

Gallery displays the contents of the Pictures library. When you include a folder, the files appear in the Gallery but continue to be stored in their original locations.

Gallery is optimized for accessing your most recently taken photos. If you have OneDrive Camera Roll Backup set up on your phone, photos you take will show up automatically at the top of the view. You can choose which folders are shown in Gallery through the Collection dropdown. You can also add subfolders of existing sources to filter to a subset of your content, such as desktop backgrounds and SD card/camera imports.

Gallery also works from the file picking dialog, bringing that same ease of use to situations such as inserting attachments, building a PowerPoint deck, or crafting social media posts.

If you do not want Gallery in the navigation pane of File Explorer, you can remove it.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Gallery in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.

The disable reg file adds this to the registry

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}]
"System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree"=dword:00000000

lexluthermiester · Apr 18, 2023

Rus4kova said:
Wasn't ther something similar in Windows 95 ??

No. That feature was introduced in Windows 98SE. It has remained ever since. Not sure what about this is "new". It just looks like selecting extra large icons in the "View" menu..

Chaitanya · Apr 18, 2023

Windows 7 and 10 both have RAW codecs which even allows to view RAW files.

lexluthermiester · Apr 18, 2023

Chaitanya said:
Windows 7 and 10 both have RAW codecs which even allows to view RAW files.

Windows 11 does as well, AFAIK.

tpa-pr · Apr 18, 2023

Getting some Longhorn vibes again.

mrnagant · Apr 18, 2023

If you save photos to OneDrive, you can then sync them locally right? What Google Photos used to be able to do?

lexluthermiester · Apr 18, 2023

tpa-pr said:
Getting some Longhorn vibes again.

View attachment 292009

Right? It should be an ok feature as long as it is not annoying and does not intrude on the existing functionality of the file manager.

mrnagant said:
If you save photos to OneDrive, you can then sync them locally right? What Google Photos used to be able to do?

Maybe?

TheinsanegamerN · Apr 18, 2023

Luke357 said:
Thankfully, You can still download the Windows 10 style one. The new one is technically a different program and can be installed separately.

For now. Until MS decides to replace the old one with the new one, as is their custom.

Aleksandar_038 · Apr 18, 2023

TheinsanegamerN said:
For now. Until MS decides to replace the old one with the new one, as is their custom.

They already did

You have Photos app in Windows 11, which is default now - it have great integration with OneDrive and iCloud, but lacks some features... And Photos (Legacy) app which is original app from Windows 10 - now it is not slow-as-hell, it works great, have some nifty features, but half-assed OneDrive integration and no iCloud integration...

Complete mess.

chodaboy19 · Apr 18, 2023

At least Microsoft is finally trying to update their built-in apps. While some changes are useless, there have been some useful updates in Windows 11 such as tabbed notepad, terminal and file explorer. I think this photo feature will be a useful tool as well.

ThrashZone · Apr 18, 2023

Hi,
Yeah well I got really tiered fast of ms messages of apps being moved blah....
I'll stick with low resource/ basic photo viewer

FYI, just a folder with images in it is pretty much a gallery if you're organized :kookoo:

Seems ms just wants to bring back tags because they think people are to stupid to organize files :laugh:

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Windows 11 File Explorer Gets Extra Photo Gallery Layer

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