Set File Explorer to Show Extensions and Open This PC

**HideFileExt** and its neighbours live under the Explorer Advanced key. The values are what Explorer actually uses, regardless of what the dialog shows.

Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' | Select-Object HideFileExt,Hidden,ShowSuperHidden,LaunchTo
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' | Select-Object * -ExcludeProperty PS*

**HideFileExt = 0** shows every extension. A file named report.txt.exe then looks like what it is, which is the single most useful security setting in Explorer.

Set-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' -Name HideFileExt -Value 0 -Type DWord
Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' | Select-Object HideFileExt

**LaunchTo = 1** opens This PC, **2** opens Downloads and **3** opens Home. The setting is per user and applies to new windows only.

Set-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' -Name LaunchTo -Value 1 -Type DWord
Get-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' | Select-Object LaunchTo
Start-Process explorer.exe

Hidden files are a separate toggle from extensions. System files stay hidden by default, and that is the right default for daily use.

Set-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' -Name Hidden -Value 1 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced' -Name ShowSuperHidden -Value 0 -Type DWord
Get-ChildItem C:\ -Force | Select-Object -First 10 Name,Attributes

Window size and column layout are stored per folder type. **Apply to Folders** in the View options copies the current view to every folder of the same type.

# Explorer > ... > Options > View > Apply to Folders
Get-ChildItem 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags' -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Measure-Object
Get-ChildItem 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object -First 5 Name

Create a file with a double extension and look at it in Explorer. If it shows both extensions, the setting is active and the warning about disguised files is gone.

New-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\invoice.pdf.exe" -ItemType File -Force | Out-Null
Start-Process explorer.exe -ArgumentList "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop"
Get-ChildItem "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop" | Select-Object Name,Extension