Explorer7: Public Beta Testing Now Available

After nearly two months of development, Explorer7 is now available for public beta testing. This project builds upon tihiy’s original “Windows 7 Explorer on Windows 8” tool, now updated to work on more recent Windows versions. Developers have addressed many of the COM objects and functions that were removed during the transition from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, making this program compatible with newer operating systems.

A Collaborative Project

Explorer7 is the result of a collaborative effort from multiple contributors, including developers, testers, and designers. The project wouldn’t have been possible without their teamwork.

Beta Phase Details

Explorer7 is still in beta, meaning that full functionality may not be guaranteed. The current focus is on ensuring full support for Windows 8.1, while Windows 10 and 11 are also supported. However, users are encouraged to report any bugs found while using Explorer7 on Windows 8.1, as these issues are currently the highest priority.

It’s important to note that there are no plans for a 32-bit version of Explorer7.

Download

Yyou can access the releases on GitHub: github.com/Erizur/explorer7-releases/releases.

Installation Instructions

1. Import the included “Import Me.reg” file into the system registry.
2. Run ex7forw8.exe, locate the necessary Windows 7 files, and proceed with the installation.
3. Select the Windows 7 shell option, log off, and log back in to switch to the Windows 7 Explorer interface.
4. For further details, refer to the README file included in the download.

Known Issues and Limitations

General Issues:

• UWP/Metro UI apps do not work.
• Multi-monitor taskbars are not supported (a limitation due to Windows 7 Explorer’s original functionality).
• Autoplay may not function properly.
• Pin/unpin options for start menu items are unavailable.
• Taskbar/Start menu transparency from Windows 8.x is not supported.

Windows 10/11 Specific Issues:

• The All programs list relies on a temporary workaround.
• Thumbnails use inactive DWM Colorization (Windows 10 1809+).
• Compression icon badges are visible.
• Accent color changes require restarting explorer.exe to take effect.
• Notification icon settings are missing from the Control Panel.
• The taskbar color may display abnormally if the system’s theme filename is “aero.msstyles”.
• Searching for executables by name instead of their shortcut may fail.

Source: https://x.com/thebobpony/status/1831948618846351750