With Windows, Microsoft continues to dominate the software solution ecosystems, both at the consumer and enterprise level. Some of its components are notorious for being resource-intensive compared to other operating systems such as Linux, including File Explorer, which is built into the core of the Windows experience. However, Microsoft has been committed to improving the efficiency of its Windows-based File Explorer, and continues to do so, to reduce its resource-intensive nature.
The company recently rolled out an Insider Preview Build update that reduces File Explorer search settings for greater efficiency, reducing unnecessary RAM usage and allowing the computer to run faster when searching for files.
Microsoft is preparing this update behind the scenes, even as more and more gamers and casual users of Windows 11 denounce the performance problems of the operating system and the looming RAM crisis, encouraging users and OEMs to get the most out of existing memory modules.
This update promises to reduce redundant operations that consume memory without providing any additional benefits. Like pruning branches on a tree, the next update will reduce duplicate file indexing sessions in File Explorer. According to Microsoft’s official release notes for build 26620.7523, the new update “eliminates duplicate file indexing operations, which should help speed up searches and reduce system resource usage during operations.”
In other words, the operating system skips the extra steps of scanning and cataloging the same paths across multiple disks. It will focus on a single effective indexing method. This will not only reduce the load on your RAM modules, but also speed up indexing, making your system run faster when navigating through folders to access your important documents.
This is a real upgrade for older systems and Windows 11 laptops because it reduces the load on aging CPUs and disk activity. Currently, early reports indicate that searches could be twice as fast. However, Microsoft has not yet quantified the exact effect on RAM in absolute terms.
This is a significant small step, given that memory and storage costs continue to skyrocket amid the ongoing DRAM and memory crisis, and many end users hope to hold on to their aging devices a little longer.
Currently, the update is only available to Windows Insiders through the Dev and Beta channels through Build 26220.7523. The update is rolled out through a controlled feature rollout. Users can choose to participate in the update by turning off the “Receive the latest updates as soon as they become available” option in Settings. Reports suggest that Microsoft will roll out this feature in late January or February 2026.
While this update won’t result in blazing performance on your system, it’s a small step toward a more responsive Windows 11 experience. While Microsoft’s new Copilot+ PCs have an official RAM requirement of a minimum of 16GB of DDR5 or LPDDR5 memory, this could indicate that the Redmond-based giant is increasingly looking to optimize core Windows features to enable better AI performance wherever possible in its ecosystem for end users and enterprise customers.
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