
It's been close to 5 years since Microsoft shipped Windows 11, but it took a little while for the operating system to actually gain some real traction and broad adoption, famously following Microsoft's unpopular decision to pull the plug on Windows 10 on October 14, 2025.
Some of the best-known impediments preventing users from upgrading to Windows 11 include flawed design elements coupled with stringent hardware requirements. As a result, there has been an influx of third-party apps emerging, designed to improve the operating system's user experience, including the 'Files' app as an alternative to Windows 11's Files Explorer.