File Explorer in Windows 11 has many issues, but the good thing is that Microsoft has improved it since its launch by adding useful features like tab support. Despite all the improvements, File Explorer is nowhere close to perfect, as it still lacks useful features that you'll find on its macOS equivalent, the Finder. And then, there are features in File Explorer that serve no purpose, and to many people, they do more harm than good.

One of those features is the "-File Explorer" label on the opened folder on the taskbar. Not only does it make the UI cluttered, but it also denies valuable space to other pinned items on the taskbar. If you're running Windows 11 and don't like that labeling, you now have a solution to this problem.

A new Windhawk mod makes File Explorer labels on the taskbar cleaner

The new Windhawk mod that does the job for you is called "Remove File Explorer Suffixes." It does exactly what its name suggests: the mod removes the "-File Explorer" label on the opened folders on the Windows 11 taskbar. While it's not exactly clear what update introduced this feature to Windows 11, users have been vocal about this issue on several online platforms, like Windows Eleven Forum, and even raised it as an issue on Ramen Software's windhawk-mods GitHub page.

However, the problem is now addressed by m417z, the brain behind the new Windhawk mod. Interestingly, another mod that solves the exact same problem is Aerexplorer. However, this mod seems to have compatibility issues with Windows 11. I tried it on my Windows 11 23H2 PC, but it failed to remove the File Explorer labels from the opened folders on the taskbar. So, if you have a Windows 11 PC and those labels bother you, make sure to get the latest Windhawk mod instead of the Aerexplorer.

How to remove the File Explorer labels from opened folders on Windows 11 taskbar

For those unfamiliar with Windhawk, it's one of the best customization tools available on Windows, offering you features that Microsoft failed to introduce to Windows 11 for some reason. So, to install the mod, you'll first need to download and install Windhawk on your PC. Once that's done, open the Windhawk app, type the name of the mod in the search bar, and install it. Follow the exact same process, if you're looking to remove the File Explorer label from each opened folder on the taskbar.

You'll see the change after installing the mod. However, it's worth pointing out that the File Explorer labels on the taskbar bother people who have set the Combine taskbar buttons and hide labels to Never. So, if you like to always combine taskbar buttons, the mod doesn't benefit you.