The option to add tabs to File Explorer in Windows 11 is one of the most well-liked features among users. The functionality was first noted in Windows 11 Dev Channel build 22572 back in March of this year, and by October, when it was prepared for the Windows 11 2022 upgrade, it eventually became generally available (G.A.) (version 22H2).
While File Explorer tabs weren’t introduced until Windows 11 22H2, Microsoft had been working on this function for a while. This is due to the fact that the Redmond business began testing and creating such a feature back when Windows 95 (Codenamed Chicago) wasn’t yet fully developed. That occurred over 30 years ago.
This intriguing discovery was shared with us by amateur Windows historian @wowstartsnow on Twitter. If they have knowledge of the inner workings of the organisation, Neowin veterans who have been around for a very long time may remember this feature.
Anyone can speculate as to why Windows 95’s tabbed File Explorer was never included in the final public version. Maybe the business decided the function was too time-consuming. Or perhaps there was a bug that could not be fixed. Or perhaps it was simply not prepared in the way Microsoft desired.
It’s interesting to note that Microsoft also released a feature called “Sets” in Windows 10 that allowed the grouping of apps. Regrettably, Microsoft cancelled Sets, and it was never tested by Insiders.
