The popular third-party file manager for Windows, Files, just received a minor but impactful update. Version 4.1.3 introduces on-demand folder-size calculation, significant improvements to the tagging system, layout selection persistence, and a slew of bug fixes that enhance stability and usability. If you’ve been relying on Files for its modern interface and tabbed browsing, this update makes daily file management smoother and more intuitive.

What’s New in Files 4.1.3

Files continues to mature as a robust alternative to Windows File Explorer. This release focuses on user-requested productivity features and squashes several persistent bugs. The headline addition is on-demand folder-size calculation—a feature that many users have been clamoring for since the early days of the app.

On-Demand Folder Sizes

Previously, Files displayed folder sizes only when you explicitly triggered a calculation, or not at all. Now, with the 4.1.3 update, you can set folder sizes to appear automatically in the Details layout without the heavy performance hit that usually accompanies real-time scanning. The implementation is smart: it calculates sizes only for folders currently visible in the file list, and it does so asynchronously, keeping the UI responsive. You’ll find a new toggle in Settings > Preferences > Layout to enable “Show folder sizes on demand.” Once turned on, the Size column populates progressively as you browse directories.

This feature is particularly useful when hunting down disk-space hogs. Instead of switching to a dedicated disk analyzer, you can now quickly scan large directories and spot oversized folders right from your everyday file manager. Power users will appreciate that Files 4.1.3 doesn’t preemptively calculate sizes for every subfolder—it waits until you expand a directory tree or scroll down, conserving CPU and I/O resources.

Tagging System Overhaul

Tags have long been an underutilized organization tool in Windows, largely because the native File Explorer offers minimal tag support. Files has always embraced tags, but version 4.1.3 makes them far more practical. The update streamlines tag creation, assignment, and removal.

You can now remove tags directly from the file list without opening the properties pane. Simply right-click a file or selection, navigate to the Tags submenu, and uncheck the tags you want to detach. The context menu also gains a “Clear all tags” option for bulk operations. On the creation side, the tag management dialog received a facelift: it now suggests existing tags as you type, reducing duplicates and speeding up categorization.

Behind the scenes, the tagging engine now handles alternative data streams more reliably, fixing a bug where tags sometimes didn’t persist across OneDrive syncs. If you use Files to manage cloud-synced libraries, your tags should now remain intact regardless of the backend.

Preserving Selections Across Layout Changes

Another long-standing annoyance eliminated in 4.1.3 is the loss of file selections when switching between layouts. In earlier versions, toggling from the Details view to Grid view (or any other layout) would deselect everything, forcing you to re-select files. Now, the app remembers your active selection and restores it after the layout change. This small quality-of-life improvement saves time when you’re visually scanning through folders and need to switch views without breaking your workflow.

Enhanced OneDrive Integration

Files has consistently offered better OneDrive integration than the stock File Explorer, and 4.1.3 tightens that bond further. The app now displays OneDrive status icons more accurately—distinguishing between “Always available on this device,” “Online-only,” and “Syncing” states with sharper visual indicators. Right-clicking a OneDrive file also shows a “Free up space” option when applicable, mirroring the native Explorer’s functionality but within the Files interface. Additionally, the app correctly handles OneDrive’s Files On-Demand reparse points, meaning that when you copy or move online-only files, Files prompts you to download them first, preventing broken links.

Performance and Stability Fixes

No release is complete without under-the-hood optimizations. Files 4.1.3 addresses several crashes related to the built-in archive preview feature. Users who frequently opened ZIP or RAR files within the app reported occasional freezes; these have been traced to a threading issue in the extraction library and are now resolved.

The update also reduces memory usage when browsing folders with thousands of files. The thumbnail caching mechanism has been made more aggressive in releasing memory, and the application startup time has been trimmed by roughly 15% on average systems thanks to lazy loading of certain extension modules.

Other notable bug fixes include:
- Corrected an issue where the “Open in Terminal” command failed on systems with PowerShell 7 installed as the default.
- Fixed a regression that prevented drag-and-drop extraction from nested archives.
- Resolved a display glitch where the sidebar background color did not respect the selected theme after waking the PC from sleep.
- Improved compatibility with high-contrast themes and Windows accessibility settings.

Why Choose Files Over File Explorer?

If you haven’t yet tried Files, now is an excellent time to jump in. The open-source application, available via the Microsoft Store or direct download from its official website, brings a modern, fluent-design-inspired interface to Windows file management. Key advantages over File Explorer include:

  • Tabbed browsing: Open multiple folders in a single window, much like a web browser. This alone can transform your productivity.
  • Custom themes: Choose from light, dark, or custom accent colors, and even import community themes.
  • Dual-pane view: Compare and transfer files between two locations without juggling two separate windows.
  • Better search: Files offers a more responsive search experience with filters for date, type, and size, often outperforming Windows Search.
  • Rich context menus: Taskbar jump lists, built-in terminal support, and quick access to favorite directories make it a true power tool.

With 4.1.3, Files closes the gap with File Explorer even further, especially in the cloud-integration department. The addition of on-demand folder sizes and improved tagging addresses two major capability gaps that have kept some users tethered to third-party disk analyzers or Explorer add-ons.

Community Reaction and Feedback

Since the update rolled out on GitHub and the Microsoft Store, user reactions have been predominantly positive. Many users have called the on-demand folder size feature a “game changer” for their workflow. One user on the Files subreddit commented, “I’ve been waiting for this since Version 2. Finally, I can see which folders are eating my SSD space without running WinDirStat!”

Some users, however, have reported that the folder-size calculation can be slow on network drives, where latency is high. The development team has acknowledged this and is investigating ways to cache or throttle calculations for UNC paths in future releases. Another common piece of feedback is a request for a “stop calculating” button for when users accidentally enter a massive folder with millions of files. Currently, the app continues calculating in the background, although it does prioritize visible items.

Several users also noted that the tag improvements make Files a viable digital asset management (DAM) lightweight tool. Photographers and designers who tag images for project organization now have a more efficient right-click workflow.

Installation and Update

Files 4.1.3 is available immediately. If you already have the app installed from the Microsoft Store, it should update automatically in the background. You can also check for updates manually by visiting the app’s “About” page in Settings. For those who prefer sideloading, the latest installer and MSIX bundle are published on the project’s GitHub releases page.

Note that Files requires Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update) or later. The developers recommend keeping your Windows installation up to date to ensure compatibility with all features, especially the OneDrive integration which relies on modern cloud APIs.

What’s Next for Files

The development roadmap indicates that the next major milestone, version 4.2, will focus on enhanced FTP/SFTP support, a revamped properties dialog, and deeper network location handling. The team is also experimenting with a “smart archive” feature that would allow you to browse archived files without extracting them—similar to how you navigate native folders—but with read/write capabilities for ZIP files.

In the shorter term, expect a 4.1.4 hotfix release within the next two weeks to address the network drive performance issue and a few other edge-case bugs reported by early adopters of 4.1.3.

Final Thoughts

Files 4.1.3 may be labeled a minor update, but it delivers meaningful improvements that elevate the day-to-day Windows experience. The on-demand folder size calculation alone is worth the upgrade, and the persistent selections and tag enhancements show that the development team is listening closely to community feedback. If you’re stuck using File Explorer out of habit, it’s time to give Files a serious look. You’ll wonder why you waited so long.

For more information, visit the official Files website or check out the comprehensive changelog on GitHub. As always, backup your important data before installing any new software, and enjoy a more efficient file management journey on Windows.