Windows 10: Windows 11, File explorer - How do I go back to being able to type multiple letters of a...

I've seen several other closed posts about this but haven't found one with a solution. Yesterday, my PC updated to windows 11 in the middle of my work day despite having active hours set for 'do not restart', and repeatedly having selected the stay on windows 10 option. I didn't trigger or authorise an update. I had no recoverable files and lost a fair amount of work. The system did manage to save an hours old draft of an email though. All my default programs reset does anyone ever really want to open PDF files in Edge???? I've redone all the work I lost and reselected all the preferences I'

:)

 

Windows 11 File Explorer not showing external drive

If Windows 11 File Explorer is not showing an external drive that is connected to your device, there are a few steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check the connection: Make sure that the external drive is properly connected to your device. Try unplugging and replugging the drive, or connecting it to a different USB port.
   
2. Check Disk Management: Open Disk Management by pressing Windows key + X, then selecting Disk Management. Look for the external drive in the list of drives. If it appears but has no drive letter assigned, right-click on it and select "Change Drive Letter and Paths". Assign a drive letter to the external drive, and then check if it appears in File Explorer.
   
3. Update drivers: Make sure that your device's drivers are up to date, particularly the drivers for your USB ports. Use the Device Manager to check for any outdated or malfunctioning drivers, and update or reinstall them as needed.
   
4. Check power supply: If the external drive requires a separate power supply, make sure it is properly connected and functioning.
   
5. Test on another device: Try connecting the external drive to another device to see if it appears in File Explorer. This will help determine if the issue is with the drive itself or your device.
   

By following these steps, you may be able to resolve the issue of Windows 11 File Explorer not showing an external drive.

 

Setting File Explorer types

How do I set multiple file extensions for one file type? Since this new version of file explorer requires you to

select from a list of file types, how do I modify this list?

 

File Explorer Multi-Letter Search - Windows 11

Today's update:

I have run through the steps in https://thegeekpage.com/how-to-fix-file-explorer-search-not-working-in-windows-10/ where applicable. I have:

- Reset all View/Folder settings to "default" using the "Reset to default" buttons in the Folder Options dialogues

- Allowed the entire index to refresh completely

- Tested this with local and remote folders, all function the same.

- Ensured the "search" box and bar are functional, I can find all documents at all times.

- Restarted the computer

- Restarted Cortana and Windows Search, respectively both pre- and post-reboot

But my problem remains. Typing directly into the white-space of File Explorer should allow for multi-letter searching. tying in "m-y-space-b" should return any file containing that text, not three different folder results for each letter M, Y, and B. This is non-default behavior and must be a setting somewhere. i am also curious if it is simply a performance thing. After typing one letter, the search executes immediately and my mouse icon becomes the spinning-circle for "thinking" before I can even type a second letter. There is no lag, however, on the laptop input either from the remote USB keyboard nor from the integrated keyboard. Both function the same.

I am open to other suggestions, this is a very weird behavior. If nothing else, I can probably re-image the machine this coming weekend to see if I can get the search function to work correctly when typing directly into the file explorer window.