Policy
Start File Explorer with ribbon minimized
Windows 11 25H2
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, Windows8, Windows81, WindowsRT, WindowsRT81, WindowsServer2012, WindowsServer2012R2, WindowsServer2016
This policy setting allows you to specify whether the ribbon appears minimized or in full when new File Explorer windows are opened. If you enable this policy setting, you can set how the ribbon appears the first time users open File Explorer and whenever they open new windows. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, users can choose how the ribbon appears when they open new windows.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
No explicit registry values are set for enabled or disabled states.
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
| Element | Type | Registry mapping | Constraints & behavior |
|---|---|---|---|
Pick one of the following settings ID ExplorerRibbonStartsMinimizedDropdown | enum | HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\ExplorerRibbonStartsMinimized Type REG_DWORD | Options: Always open new File Explorer windows with the ribbon minimized. (1), Never open new File Explorer windows with the ribbon minimized. (2), Minimize the ribbon when File Explorer is opened the first time. (3), Display the full ribbon when File Explorer is opened the first time. (4) |
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