Key Points
- To remove the Gallery folder in File Explorer for all users, you must delete the key “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}” at the path “Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327” inside the Windows Registry.
- You can run the command “reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}” in an elevated Command Prompt to delete the key.
The “Gallery” folder in the File Explorer on Windows 11 is a recently added feature by Microsoft. They added a new pre-existing folder, named “Gallery”, that is available in File Explorer’s navigation pane.
This new folder was added with the “KB5030310 Moment 4 Update“. However, not everyone accepted this change, and many wanted to remove the folder and revert File Explorer to the way it used to look before the update. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not provide the option to remove it.
The purpose of the Gallery folder is to apply a special template to the images on the system for better viewing. It expands the thumbnail preview icons of the images. It also provides an additional navigation bar to jump between timelines. You can also select what images to include and which to exclude from the “Collections” menu.
If you want to get rid of the Gallery folder, this article will show you several methods to do so.
Note: The methods in this post suggest to make changes to the Windows Registry. Misconfiguration of critical values in the registry could be fatal for your operating system. Therefore, we insist that you create a system restore point or a complete system image backup before proceeding forward with the process.
You can also use our top selection of disk imaging and backup software so you never lose your data or operating system again.
Table of Contents
Remove Gallery from File Explorer for all users
Remove Gallery from File Explorer using Registry Editor
One way to remove the Gallery folder is directly through the Windows Registry. Perform the following steps to remove it:
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Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run Command box.
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Type in “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
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Paste the following in the navigation bar and press Enter for quick navigation:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327
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Right-click the “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}” key and click Delete.
Delete the Gallery key -
When asked for confirmation, click Yes.
Confirm action
After performing these steps, you do not need to restart the PC for the changes to take effect. If you open Explorer, you’ll find that the Gallery folder will have disappeared.
In case you want to restore the Gallery folder at a later time, all you need to do is recreate the “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}” key that you deleted in Step 4 above. You can use the provided .REG file to restore it as well given below in this post.
Remove Gallery folder from File Explorer using command line
If you prefer using the Windows command line, then you can use a single command to remove the Gallery folder by deleting the same Registry key as in the method above.
To remove the key using the command line, follow these steps:
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Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run Command box.
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Type in “cmd” and press CTRL + Shift + Enter to launch an elevated Command Prompt.
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Then run the following command:
reg delete HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace_41040327\{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c} -
If asked for confirmation, enter Yes.
Remove Gallery folder in File Explorer using the command line
After executing the command, the key will be deleted in the Windows Registry, and the Gallery folder will be removed in File Explorer.
In case you want to restore it, you can use the provided .REG file below, or manually create the key “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}” where it was deleted from inside the Windows Registry.
Remove Gallery folder from File Explorer using Registry file
If you want to avoid performing the methods above, you can simply use the Registry files provided below to remove (or restore) the Galery folder inside File Explorer.
Remove Gallery Folder In File Explorer (401 bytes, 266 hits)
Restore Gallery In File Explorer (402 bytes, 252 hits)
Simply download the respective ZIP file, extract the .REG file within, and run it. When asked for confirmation, allow the file to make the changes and then restart the computer to see the changes happen.
Remove Gallery from File Explorer for current user
If you only want to remove the Gallery folder from File Explorer for the current user account, that is also possible. Here is how:
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Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run Command box.
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Type in “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
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Paste the following in the navigation bar at the top and press Enter for quick navigation:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
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Right-click the CLSID key, expand New, and then click Key.
Create a new key under CLSID -
Name this key “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}“.
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Now right-click the new key “{e88865ea-0e1c-4e20-9aa6-edcd0212c87c}“, expand New, and then click “DWORD (32-bit) Value“.
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Name this DWORD “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree“.
Create the new DWORD -
Leave the Value Data for the DWORD “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree” to 0.
After performing these steps, you do not need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
You’ll notice that the Gallery folder will have disappeared from the navigation pane of File Explorer after performing these steps. However, this will only be applied to the current user account.
Alternatively to the steps above, you can use the following Registry files to perform the same task:
Remove Gallery Folder File Explorer Current User (419 bytes, 257 hits)
Restore Gallery Folder File Explorer Current User (422 bytes, 265 hits)
Simply download the respective ZIP file, extract the .REG file within, and run it. When asked for confirmation, allow the file to make the changes and then restart the computer to see the changes happen.
Ending thoughts
The Gallery folder in the navigation pane of the File Explorer is an add-on to its previous version. While some might find it convenient, others may not like the change it applies to the rest of the File Explorer’s Navigation bar layout.
This is why I have provided multiple methods to remove or add the Gallery folder at will. You can change the Registry value simply by running the provided .REG files, or perform the task manually yourself. However, caution is always advised when making changes to the Windows Registry.
