How to Fix OldNewExplorer Not Working on Windows 10 (22H2) & Windows 11

While OldNewExplorer is one of the most reliable and lightweight shell utilities for Windows, users occasionally encounter issues after major Windows feature updates (such as Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 Moment updates). Common symptoms include the ribbon failing to disappear, File Explorer crashing upon opening, or "Install" buttons having no effect.

Below are verified step-by-step solutions to diagnose and fix all known OldNewExplorer issues.

Issue 1: The "Install" Button Does Nothing / Access Denied

Cause: Windows protects shell extension registration in the Windows Registry (`HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers`). Running OldNewExplorer as a normal user will fail silently.

Solution:

1. Make sure OldNewExplorer is extracted to a permanent folder (e.g. C:\OldNewExplorer), not inside AppData\Temp.
2. Right-click OldNewExplorerCfg.exe and select Run as Administrator.
3. Click Install. You should see the button text turn into Uninstall, confirming successful registration.

Issue 2: The Ribbon Still Shows in Windows 10 / 11

Cause: Explorer processes cache UI states in memory. If any folder window, file dialog, or third-party background tool was open during installation, the changes won't take effect immediately.

Solution:

1. Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. In the Processes tab, scroll down to Windows Explorer.
3. Right-click it and click Restart.
4. If the ribbon persists, log out of Windows and log back in, or restart your PC.

Issue 3: Windows 11 Tabbed Explorer Ignores OldNewExplorer

Cause: Windows 11 build 22621+ renders File Explorer inside a modern XAML/WinUI frame rather than the Win32 `explorer.exe` shell frame.

Solution: To restore the Win32 frame so OldNewExplorer can hook into it:

• Use ExplorerPatcher to enable the "Windows 10 Ribbon" frame. Once the Windows 10 frame is selected, OldNewExplorer will seamlessly replace that frame with the pure Windows 7 Command Bar!

Issue 4: Explorer Crashing in a Loop (Emergency Reset)

If a corrupted custom theme causes File Explorer to crash repeatedly on startup, execute this emergency unregistration command:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click File > Run new task, type cmd.exe, check Create this task with administrative privileges, and click OK.
3. Navigate to your OldNewExplorer folder and unregister both DLLs:

   cd "C:\Path\To\OldNewExplorer"
   regsvr32 /u OldNewExplorer32.dll
   regsvr32 /u OldNewExplorer64.dll

4. Restart Explorer: taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe.