Option to Automatically Resize File Explorer Preview Relative to Window Size

[awolpe]

With my file explorer window maximized, I like to have a larger preview pane size so I can see more of my selected file's content. There is plenty of "extra space" not occupied by my folder content details, so I typically increase the preview pane size to see more my selected file's content. However, if I shrink the window size, so I'm no longer maximized, the preview pane will remain the same pixel size, which ends up covering a lot of the content details, forcing me to manually resize the pane to correct this.

My suggestion is to automatically resize the preview pane relative to the window size. It could be a feature that users enable/disable in settings.

Users with higher display resolutions will probably appreciate this feature the most (which is most of us these days)...

[awolpe]

Here is an example of the preview pane set to a large size in a maximized window (preview pane is about 50% of the window size, excluding the navigation pane):

As seen below, once window size is reduced most of my folder content is not visible, including the names. Not very usable as a file explorer like this...:

I manually corrected the preview pane to a size ~50% of the window size, to show how this feature could work:

I realize that some on the columns will still be covered up, since the columns don't automatically resize themselves (for good reason), but at least the explorer is still usable because, most importantly, I can clearly see the file/folder names. In addition the preview is also very usable and looks great!
Of course, if you decrease you window size too much, then all bets are off; however, users generally don't go that far and keep windows at a usable size.

[Jay-o-Way]

Wouldn't it be good to suggest this to the people that build the File Explorer? Windows Feedback seems like the first route, or does one of the PT builders here know another way?

[awolpe]

@Jay-o-Way Your absolutely right, I'm sort of a newbie to using the preview pane, so I initially assumed it was a PT feature. I'll follow your advice and submit Windows Feedback, thanks!

That said, it might still be a lot quicker to build in support for this feature in PT, because I imagine it will take a lot more time for MS to integrate native support in Windows File Explorer (if even it's noticed/considered at all).

I submitted this feature request as a user, not a developer. However, I think I'm going to start digging into the code in my spare time. It's a cool project!

[mhidro]

We definitely need this. Currently on my win11 24H2 the preview pane REFUSES to remember it's size when I close/relaunch explorer. Always looking stupidly huge like this taking 90% of the screen space.

I've tried everything, reseting views to default, deleting keys in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Modules\GlobalSettings\Sizer, nothing works. This is infuriating.