Windows File Explorer’s left pane, also known as the navigation pane is the easiest way to access the available drives, libraries, and commonly viewed folders. But some users cannot see the left pane in their File Explorer on Windows. The most common reasons for File Explorer’s left pane missing include glitched Windows Explorer, inactive navigation pane, and corrupt system files. Try these eleven fixes to get the navigation pane back in File Explorer.
Table of Contents
1. Restart Windows Explorer Using Task Manager
Windows Explorer process offers GUI support for all system apps. If this process glitches, you can face unexpected issues with File Explorer like the left pane missing. Here’s how to restart it using Task Manager:
1. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once to open the Task Manager.
2. Locate the Windows Explorer process in the list and right-click on it. Select the Restart option.
3. Your screen will flash for a second, and the process will restart. Close the Task Manager.
2. Perform a Complete System Shutdown
Windows uses Fast Startup to speed up the boot process. But it hibernates kernel-level processes which can often remain glitched unless you do something about it. So, perform a complete system shutdown. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once.
2. The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button.
3. Type the following command and press Enter:
shutdown /s /f /t 0
4. Press the power button to start the PC. Open File Explorer and check if all elements including the left sidebar work properly.
If you have accidentally disabled the navigation pane in File Explorer settings, the left space will be occupied by other elements of the app. To rule out this possibility, check the File Explorer View properties. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows key + E to open the File Explorer.
2. Click on the View button.
3. Hover on the Show option and click on the Navigation pane option. If the navigation pane was disabled, it will appear now.
Left pane in File Explorer should be visible now.
4. Clear File Explorer History
Corrupt or outdated File Explorer history can also cause problems with the app. So, you must clear the history forcing the app to recreate everything again. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key + E to open the File Explorer.
2. Click on the meatballs button. Then click on Options.
3. Go to the Privacy section. Click on the Clear button next to the Clear File Explorer History option.
4. Close the Folder Options window.
You can also enable the missing navigation bar using the Registry Editor. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once.
2. The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button.
3. Input the following command and press Enter:
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\GlobalSettings\Sizer" /v PageSpaceControlSizer /t REG_BINARY /d a0000000000000000000000056050000 /f
4. Close the Command Prompt window.
5. Restart your PC.
6. Re-Register shdocvw.dll file
If the File Explorer’s navigation pane is still not visible, you can try re-registering a crucial dll file. Here’s how to do it:
1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once.
2. The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button.
3. Type the following command in the Command Prompt window and press Enter:
regsvr32 /i shdocvw
4. Close the Command Prompt window.
7. Re-Register System Apps
File Explorer is a system app and you can reinstall all system apps in one go using PowerShell. Follow the below-mentioned steps:
1. Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, and simultaneously press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys.
2. The User Account Control window will launch. Click on the Yes button.
3. Input the following command in the PowerShell window and press Enter:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "SystemApps"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
4. Patiently wait for the command to re-register all system apps. Then, close the PowerShell window.
Is the left pane in File Explorer now visible? If not, continue reading.
8. Rollback Windows Update
Windows updates fix existing bugs within the OS but can introduce new ones as well. If you see the navigation pane missing issue in File Explorer after installing a new update, roll it back. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows key, type uninstall updates, and press Enter.
2. Locate the most recent update that you installed and click on the Uninstall button.
3. Click on the Uninstall button once again.
4. Close the Settings app.
9. Run an SFC and DISM Scan
SFC and DISM are in-built command-line tools that can service the Windows image and replace corrupt system files with correct ones. Here’s how to run both of these scans:
1. Press the Windows key, type cmd, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys at once.
2. The User Account Control window will open. Click on the Yes button.
3. Type the following command to run the DISM scan and press Enter:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth4. Thereafter, execute the following command:
sfc /scannow10. Use System Restore
If you don’t see any changes after uninstalling the system update, you can use the system restore feature to revert to the last known good system configuration and fix the left pane missing issue. Here’s how:
1. Press the Windows key, type rstrui, and press Enter.
2. Click on the Next button.
3. Select an appropriate restore point and follow the on-screen instructions to apply the restore point.
Check if the File Explorer works now.
11. Reset Your PC
The last resort is to reset your Windows PC. It is essentially a factory result that will wipe the existing Windows installation and then reinstall the operating system with the latest updates. You can check our guide to learn more about what happens when you reset your PC.
The File Explorer’s left pane missing is a troublesome issue because most users are accustomed to changing drives and accessing locations from there. Start with a Windows Explorer restart and do a complete system shutdown. Change File Explorer properties and wipe its history. After that re-register system apps, use system restore, or reset your PC to get rid of the issue.
