My File Explorer is showing duplicate "items" and information at the bottom of the screen

moon totoro 0 Reputation points
2026-07-15T20:31:56.4066667+00:00

Hello! I've never had this issue before, and I'm not sure how it happened but I've seen people asking how to fix this and no one has responded. My File Explorer suddenly is displaying a duplicate bottom bar, how can I turn it off? I've attached an image to this post. Thanks for any help!Screenshot 2026-07-15 163035

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

2 answers

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  1. Hendrix-V 20,790 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-07-17T06:39:54.8933333+00:00

    Hi moon totoro,

    From the description, this appears to be a File Explorer display issue rather than actual duplicate files. In some cases, an Explorer pane or information bar can remain visible unexpectedly due to a temporary view configuration.

    You can try the following step by step:

    1. Open File Explorer and go to View > Show.
    2. If Details pane is enabled, toggle it Off, then turn it On again.
    3. Select the three dots (...) > Options > View tab, then choose Restore Defaults.
    4. Open Task Manager, locate Windows Explorer, and select Restart.

    If the extra bar still appears afterward, check whether the behavior is present in all folders or only specific locations. This can help determine whether the issue is related to the current Explorer view or a particular folder configuration.

    I hope this helps point you in the right direction. Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.


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  2. John DeV 171.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-07-15T21:14:00.73+00:00

    Hi, good day!

    To help narrow down the cause, could you please answer a few questions

    Did this start after a Windows update or after installing any new software?

    Does the duplicate bar appear in every File Explorer window, or only in a specific folder?

    If you restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager (select Windows Explorer > Restart), does the duplicate bar disappear temporarily?

    • If you open File Explorer in Safe Mode or create a new Windows user account, does the issue still occur?

    Open File Explorer > click 3 dots > Options

    Select View tab, under Advanced settings

    Find and uncheck Show Status bar

    Click Apply

    Restart your computer

    Go back to the same option and this time tick Show Status bar > Apply

    I look forward to receiving your update and I'm willing to collaborate with you till we resolve the issue. Do keep me informed by clicking "Add comment" below.

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