Introducing Files v0.7.3

Continuing our focus this series on providing Files UWP with a fast, stable, and modular foundation for future releases, we're pleased to announce version 0.7.3. 🎉🎈

New Features

• We are testing a design refresh, made possible by our modular code base. The new design seeks to remove redundancy and simplify the look for future form factors. We're not done yet, and are thrilled to provide you with this early look that will continue to iterate based on your feedback. If you notice that we missed a certain feature, or would like to help shape the creative direction for the app, please leave us a feedback item. (No coding experience required!)
• We started work on a status bar, which will gain additional functionality in future updates.
• Added the option to change the layout mode.

Introducing Files v0.7.2

New Features

• Added the option to set an image as the desktop background.
• Improved the reveal effect on the sidebar.
• Added the option to choose if file extensions are displayed.
• Added a confirmation dialog that shows when deleting files and folders.
• Added an option to permanently delete files and folders.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug with navigating the settings pages.
• Fixed an issue where clicking twice on an item in the sidebar would navigate to the wrong location.
• Fixed a crash some users were getting when opening the app.
• Fixed a crash with right-clicking on pinned items in the sidebar.

Known Issues

• The Sidebar may display weird transition animations. We hope to get this resolved in a future release.

Introducing Files v0.7.1

• Fixed multiple bugs

Introducing Files v0.7.0

New features

• The app is more responsive when resizing the windows to smaller sizes.
• Added the ability to jump to a directory item by hitting a letter on the keyboard. Thank you @jeffsieu for all your work on adding this.
• The Ribbon and Sidebar now have a refreshed design
• The "File" ribbon item is now a flyout which is more descriptive of its commands
• You will notice a new flyout that appears during Paste and Delete operations to provide information about their progress. More work on this flyout will be done in future updates.
• New Fluent icon for folders.
• QuickLook integration is now available (thanks @lampenlampen)
• The setting pages have been redesigned, it now has a cleaner interface that will allow us to add many new options while keeping them easy to access.
• We have made a lot of improvements to loading large directories, and the speed should now be closer to what it is like in File Explorer.
• We added an option to disable the OneDrive integration.
• We started work on localization for other languages, this is still a work in progress and some areas of the app are missing strings.
• Over the past few months, we have done a lot of work on refactoring the codebase. As a result, a few things that worked previously might be broken in this build, if you find anything, make sure to send us a report.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed where some users were running into issues accessing the downloads folder.
• Fixed an issue that prevented users from opening executable files that required administrative rights.
• Keyboard Accelerators (e.g. CTRL + V) should be more reliable now
• Navigating Up will use the current layout mode

Known Issues

• If you turn toggle the setting for OneDrive off and then on again you will see two items for OneDrive in the sidebar.

Microsoft Store

You may have noticed that over the past few months we haven't released any updates to the store. This is because we have run into a bug with creating release packages. While this issue still exists we were able to create a package that you can sideload, we know this is not ideal and we hope to be able to release an update to the store in the near future.

Introducing Files v0.6.6

Several bug fixes based on your feedback

Introducing Files v0.6.5

NOTE: There is currently an issue preventing creation of non-x64 packages in Visual Studio, so we're releasing v0.6.5 as a preview to x64 users only. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope to bring this new version to the other architectures in the near future.

New features

• Remove recent item option (Thanks @RobbyRobbyRobby)
• Open in Terminal
• Redesigned Unhandled-Exception message
• Tweaks to Home layout
• Added icons and rounded corners to instance tabs
• Allow reordering of instance tabs
• Make splash screen optional (Thanks @yaichenbaum)
• Tweaks to density of PhotoAlbum layout
• Open in new tab & new window context menu items
• Easy creation of new items from context menu (Thanks @jeffsieu)
• Dynamic refresh of Drives list
• Sorting Storage Items (Thanks @jeffsieu)
• In-line renaming of items (Thanks @jeffsieu)

Bugs fixed

• Defer loading of recent items until permission is granted
• Users can now launch all executable files
• Prevent tab content from disappearing when Ctrl is pressed while clicking it
• Properly display version number in About page
• Splash screen delay has been reduced (thanks @yaichenbaum)
• Request smaller thumbnail sizes in PhotoAlbum view
• Don't hold references to selected tab instances in ItemViewModel
• Ensure item loading is properly canceled upon navigation
• Prevented display of stale items after back/forward navigation
• Improvements to executable launching from Recent Items
• Fix related to compiling the solution

Rollout of the New App Icon

Thanks to a lengthy, community-driven discussion since the summer, we've finally decided on a wonderful new app icon. The community members who we're recognizing for this contribution are listed in the Settings > About page.

Development is back on with Files 0.6.2

In case you do not want to build from the source there is now an option to download the preview from the Microsoft Store https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9NGHP3DX8HDX.

What's New:

• Up navigation Button
  
  The ability to navigate to the parent directory is finally here

• Clickable PathBar
  
  You can now click through the directories in the PathBar, rather than entering the whole path

• Easily open new instances of Files from the ribbon
  

• Layout Clear all command - This makes it easier to clear selected items

• Properties Dialog
  
  View basic properties for items. (this experience will improve in the future)

• Navigation Crash prevention - Navigating to many locations rapidly would cause a crash, now this has been fixed

• App will now properly detect system theme on first launch - Thanks @yaichenbaum

• Ensure item is deleted during Cut operation - Fixed

• Progress box during Delete Operation

Know Issues With This Release:

• Opening a large directory and clicking a location on the PathBar while it's still loading will cause instability. (Fixed in master)
• Version number in Settings menu is incorrectly displaying 0.5.0 instead of 0.6.2

Files UWP v0.5

⚠This and future versions will now only work on 1809+

What's New:

• Custom Locations - You can now customize where Files looks for your common locations from the Settings menu. Just enter a path, different drive or not, press save, and restart the app for these changes to take affect.
• Pinning Sidebar Items - A commonly used feature in Windows File Explorer is pinning locations to the sidebar for easy access. Files can do this from a folder's context menu, starting today.
• Keyboard Accelerators - These should work more reliably in this version, and have changed to be more familiar.
• Remove Ugly Cell Focus Indicator from DataGrid - This was always an eyesore. Now it's gone. You're welcome. 😀
• Closing the Last Tab Will Now Close the App - This is now implemented to match the behavior of your favorite web browsers.
• Crash fixes - Files should no longer crash when switching between tabs while a directory is loading, and shouldn't crash on startup.
• Compact Sidebar Layout - You'll no longer have to scroll to see all of your drives since they take up less space.
• More Subtle Rounded Corners - This is still a work in progress until supported by every control, but you should things look less playful while still striking that natural balance.
• Removing Sidebar Acrylic - While I understand many users may be disappointed by this change, it was necessary because heavy splashes of acrylic can distract the user. This change is also in-line with the revised Microsoft Fluent Design guidelines for navigation panes, which I am committed to utilizing fully. I will be closely monitoring user feedback from this change.

Files UWP v0.5.0-newui_snapshot2

What's New:

• Ensure v1903-Specific Features Aren't Attempted On Older Releases - This fixes a crash occuring on versions below 1903. Special thanks to the members of the community who helped me narrow this bug down. Also, I still remain committed to supporting v1803+

• Took Advantage of UWP MostRecentlyUsedList for Recent Items - This method is far more efficient than the previous way, which required writing item paths to a file.

• Fixed PhotoAlbum Layout Right Click and Selection Behavior - Right clicking a GridViewItem will display the context menu and allow for use of most commands. While I'm continuing my work to ensure consistency between the DataGrid and GridView commands when invoked, I am happy to announce this effort is nearing completion for both layouts. Meaning, we are coming very close to nailing the basics.

• Removed Window Size on Application Startup - We now allow the shell to remember your window size preferences again.

• Prevented a Crash When Inserting/Removing Certain Drives - You should see a decrease in unhandled exceptions when interacting with removable drives and their respective recent items entries.

Known Issues:

• Snapshot Number Not Updated - For this snapshot, the version string in Settings > About was never updated to reflect the increase in snapshot number.

Thanks for your participation as we continue to grow and stabilize Files UWP. Keep the issue reports coming!

- Luke Blevins

Files UWP v0.5.0-newui_snapshot1

• This release contains a new page that helps to display error messages to the user, rather than simply aborting the app.
• (No new features)