How to Fix File Explorer Group Grayed out Windows 10/11?

File Explorer Group Grayed out

File Explorer is a source management tool that allows you to manage all the files on your computer. The Group by option in File Explore gives you the ability to organize your files and folders as per your convenience. However, this option might be grayed out due to some unknown reason. In the following paragraphs, we will show you how to fix the Group by option grayed out in File Explorer for you step by step.

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How to Fix File Explorer Group Grayed out Windows 10/11?

Fix 1: Restart File Explorer

Restarting File Explorer is one simple way to solve most issues including File Explorer group grayed out. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1.  Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager from the context menu.

Step 2. Under the Processes tab, locate File Explorer, right-click on it, and then select End task.

Step 3. Click on File in the top left corner and choose Run new task.

Step 4. Type explorer.exe in the dialog box and hit OK to restart File Explorer.

Fix 2: Uninstall Recently Installed Windows Update

Although installing the latest update can add new features, fix some known bugs, and contain security updates to improve your system performance, sometimes it might also cause issues like File Explorer Group grayed out. Uninstalling the most recently installed Windows update might help you out. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Open Control Panel.

Step 2. Under Programs, click on Uninstall a program.

Step 3. In the left pane, click on View installed updates.

Step 4. Locate the most recent updates and uninstall it from your device.

How to Uninstall Quality Updates or Feature Updates?

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Fix 3: Create a New User Profile

When your user account is corrupted, File Explorer Group grayed out will also appear. In this case, creating a new user account might do the trick. To do so:

Step 1. Press Win + R to open the Run box.

Step 2. Type netplwiz and hit Enter to launch User Account.

Step 3. Hit Add > select Sign in without a Microsoft account (not recommended) > enter a user name, password & password hint and confirm your password > hit Next > hit Finish to create the local account.

Also see: How to Fix a Corrupted User Profile Windows 10

Fix 4: Reset File Explorer

Customizing File Explorer can make it more convenient to locate your folders, files, drives, and more, but it can also mess up with certain settings and trigger issues like File Explorer Group grayed out. Therefore, you might need to reset File Explorer to its default settings. To do so:

Move 1: Reset View Settings

Step 1. Press Win + E to launch File Explorer > hit View > hit Options.

Step 2. Under the View tab, click on Reset Folders > confirm the action > hit Restore Defaults.

Step 3. After File Explorer is reset, hit OK to save the changes.

Move 2: Reset File Explorer Cache

Step 1. Right-click on the Start icon and then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Step 2. In the command window, type kill -n explorer and hit Enter.

Final Words

What to do when the Group by option is grayed out in File Explorer? You might be clear now. Also, don’t forget to create a backup with MiniTool ShadowMaker to ensure the safety of the data on your computer.