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Does enabling explorer preload in Windows 11 25H2 really improve performance or just eat RAM?
Microsoft acknowledges a significant performance bottleneck within the Windows 11 File Explorer. In response to widespread user complaints regarding sluggish launch times in the 24H2 and upcoming 25H2 builds, developers introduced a background “preload” mechanism. The current architecture suffers from latency caused by the heavy integration of AI features and web-based components, which tax system resources more heavily than previous Windows iterations.
How the Preload Feature Functions
The logic behind preloading is straightforward: the system keeps the File Explorer process active in the background memory, preventing it from fully terminating when you close the window. This eliminates the initialization delay during subsequent launches. Users testing Insider builds can manage this via the “Enable window preloading for faster launch times” setting located within the Folder Options menu.
Performance Analysis: Memory vs. Speed
Technical analysis reveals a trade-off between resource consumption and responsiveness. Enabling preload increases baseline RAM usage by approximately 35 MB. While this footprint is negligible for modern systems equipped with 16 GB of RAM or higher, the resulting performance gains during idle usage are surprisingly marginal. Detailed testing required 0.25x slow-motion video playback to visually confirm any startup speed improvement on a system at rest.
Efficacy Under System Load
The feature proves more utility during multitasking scenarios. Tests conducted with heavy browser usage—specifically with multiple Edge tabs active—demonstrated that a preloaded Explorer launches noticeably faster than a cold instance. This suggests the feature effectively safeguards the Explorer process against being paged out to disk during high memory pressure, ensuring readiness when the user switches contexts.
The Core Issue Remains Unresolved
Despite incremental gains in launch speed, preloading acts as a patch rather than a cure. It addresses the symptom of initialization lag without resolving the underlying architectural inefficiencies. The File Explorer remains burdened by “bloatware” integrations, such as Copilot prompts and web-based editing tools, which delay UI elements like the context menu. Consequently, even with preloading enabled, the Windows 11 Explorer fails to match the snappy, instantaneous responsiveness of the legacy Windows 10 environment.