Download ExplorerPatcher
Download ExplorerPatcher only from github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/releases/latest. Pick ep_setup.exe for Intel and AMD PCs or ep_setup_arm64.exe for Snapdragon PCs. The current version is 26100.9711.71.1 (29 Oct 2026). Use the verifier below to compare your file with the hashes we computed ourselves.
Checked against ExplorerPatcher 71.1 (26100.9711.71.1) on Windows Server 2025 (24H2 shell) 26100.33674 and Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 26200.9725 · Nov 6, 2026On this page
Both buttons open the same GitHub page, because both files live on it. We never host ExplorerPatcher files: no download on this site starts a file from our domain. If you searched for “Explorer Patcher download”, GitHub is the only official source.
Which file do you need?
| Your PC | File | Size (71.1) | Typical machines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64-bit Intel or AMD | ep_setup.exe |
11.8 MB | Almost every desktop and laptop |
| Arm64 (Qualcomm Snapdragon and similar) | ep_setup_arm64.exe |
11.5 MB | Copilot+ PCs, Surface Pro (Arm), Windows on Arm laptops |
To check your CPU type, open Settings, System, About and read System type. “64-bit operating system, x64-based processor” means ep_setup.exe. “ARM-based processor” means ep_setup_arm64.exe. There is no 32-bit setup.
Check that your file is genuine
Drop the file you downloaded here. Your browser computes its SHA-256 locally and compares it with the hashes in the table below. The file never leaves your computer.
Drop ep_setup.exe or ep_setup_arm64.exe here
The file is hashed in your browser and never uploaded.
If you prefer the command line, open PowerShell in your Downloads folder and run:
Get-FileHash .\ep_setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256The long value it prints must equal the SHA-256 in the table for the same version and file name. We computed these hashes ourselves from the files GitHub serves (on a Linux job and again on each Windows test machine). For the x64 files they also match the installer hash in the winget manifest, which is an independent record.
Hashes of the stable releases
| Version | Released | File | Size | SHA-256 (we computed it) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26100.9711.71.1 | Oct 29, 2026 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.5 MB | 28891243b046d310f5401b21bd480b900dfd4f80812c7c0c1357ba9c7d3237ba |
| 26100.9711.71.1 | Oct 29, 2026 | ep_setup.exe | 11.8 MB | 2165c7d12f10b1a137472de5b64abdc64dcdd9fc31362c7ff41d7c5b57c8e9e6 |
| 26100.8457.70.3 | Jun 20, 2026 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.3 MB | 382b00065cdee23bd707983149dd0caa8a7ee1ae7913bb07056a822c41bfe056 |
| 26100.8457.70.3 | Jun 20, 2026 | ep_setup.exe | 11.7 MB | 8146db4d3a87201fb80ad1d3712ba8f56883e9a0811758bd39f62d73a9f2c586 |
| 26100.8457.70.2 | Jun 10, 2026 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.3 MB | 89cc56ee0f74d11bca9d89e01e18554e5cf559ea5ac7e712bee77503f2e3bd18 |
| 26100.8457.70.2 | Jun 10, 2026 | ep_setup.exe | 11.7 MB | 40d1853738ed8f6933104cf89db29309252bbdda27235281a3872bd2c2449910 |
| 26100.8457.70.1 | May 19, 2026 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.2 MB | b3521f2db4c66f26fa4b8f84416170116b2f78c82426dafa538bea11c709dec3 |
| 26100.8457.70.1 | May 19, 2026 | ep_setup.exe | 11.6 MB | f689c068d61e7339efc6eba266d9674b41c5ef96dff0cc90ab0ff80c11a84ae8 |
| 26100.4946.69.6_7384790 | Nov 3, 2025 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.1 MB | c7f18a0c28179dc4b2982ea133831a63f5e5de9966ec57e742e2466b16bea24e |
| 26100.4946.69.6_7384790 | Nov 3, 2025 | ep_setup.exe | 11.5 MB | 8e3dd4f24f65234cfc2aaae7d84f2a9ebc167ab47cb50f4422d5974d44d5ffe7 |
| 26100.4946.69.5_206dcf5 | Oct 16, 2025 | ep_setup_arm64.exe | 11.1 MB | 79be5b395fd0c15e1311a0f03f83b7d36cae0fb809e325d1bf75d5ac791b19c0 |
| 26100.4946.69.5_206dcf5 | Oct 16, 2025 | ep_setup.exe | 11.5 MB | 3f4be6f544daf0067d6eb6811c641a3a073aeeb974e6e6b2bc5f16f6f72daa7e |
Install with winget
The winget package is valinet.ExplorerPatcher. Its manifest downloads the x64 file from GitHub and declares /S as the silent switch (we found no /S handling in the setup’s source code, and we did not test the winget install ourselves):
winget install valinet.ExplorerPatcherOn 6 Nov 2026 winget offered version 26100.9711.71.1, matching the latest GitHub release, but only for x64. There is no Arm64 entry, so Snapdragon PCs need the GitHub file. Read the install guide first, because installing from a command line skips the screens that explain what is about to happen.
Is there a portable version?
No. The setup copies about 21 files (roughly 23 MB, including a copy of the setup itself) to C:\Program Files\ExplorerPatcher and places dxgi.dll in C:\Windows and in two system app folders. We listed every change in our install test; see how it works.
The real project versus lookalike sites
ExplorerPatcher’s own release notes say that its GitHub repository is the only official distribution channel. Other sites rank well in search because their domain contains the name. We opened each one on 6 Nov 2026:
| Site | Verdict | What we saw | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
explorerpatcher.app | Avoid | Says it is independent, but its main Download button led to a page on an unrelated domain (a guitar-shop site) titled "OpenSourceTools". | 2026-11-06 |
explorerpatcher.com | Parked | Parked and offered for sale through a domain registrar when we looked. | 2026-11-06 |
explorerpatcher.dev (this site) | Reference | An independent guide. We never host ExplorerPatcher files; every download link goes to GitHub. | 2026-11-06 |
explorer-patcher.com | Caution | A guide and marketing site; its download links pointed to an old release (26100.4946.69.6) when we looked. | 2026-11-06 |
github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher | Official | The official project. Releases, source, issues. The release notes state it is the only official distribution channel. | 2026-11-06 |
explorerpatcher.net | Caution | Says it offers the download "directly from our official servers" but also calls itself a reference resource; its buttons pointed to GitHub and it showed 71.1. | 2026-11-06 |
explorerpatcher.org | Caution | Describes itself as the official home. Its download button pointed to the GitHub releases page when we looked. It is not the project's site. | 2026-11-06 |
explorerpatchers.com | Avoid | Hosts its own ep_setup.exe and ep_setup_arm64.exe on its own file domain, labelled version 22621.4317.68.1, a version number that has no matching release in the project. | 2026-11-06 |
These verdicts describe what we saw on that date, not what the site owners intend. Sites change. If a site is not on the list, use the verifier above instead of trusting it.
Older versions
You rarely need an older version. If a Windows update broke the current release, check the status page first. The releases page lists every version in plain language with the Windows builds it was tested on, and links each to its GitHub page.
Download portals and package managers
| Source | What we found (6 Nov 2026) |
|---|---|
| GitHub releases | The project’s own channel. Always the newest files. |
| winget | valinet.ExplorerPatcher 26100.9711.71.1, x64 only |
| Chocolatey | An outdated package (22000.708.46.5, from 2022), so skip it |
| Scoop | No package in the Extras bucket |
| MajorGeeks | Lists 71.1; its download link goes to GitHub |
| Uptodown and similar portals | List versions, but we could not verify where their files come from |
When in doubt, use GitHub.
More short answers are in the ExplorerPatcher FAQ.
Common questions
Is ExplorerPatcher free?
Yes. It is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence and costs nothing. The developers accept donations through GitHub Sponsors, but nothing is locked behind a payment.
Is there a Windows 10 version?
There is one setup file per CPU type, and the same file installs on Windows 10 (version 1809 and newer) and Windows 11. Windows 11 shows 117 settings in the Properties window and Windows 10 shows 97.
Does ExplorerPatcher update itself?
It can check for updates and tell you when a new release exists, and you can turn the check off in the Updates section. Updating means running the new setup file over the old install; our test kept every setting.
Why does Windows or my browser warn about the file?
The setup file is not code-signed (we checked the signature on every file we downloaded: NotSigned), so a browser may call it uncommon. Compare the hash with the table on this page; if it matches, you have the file GitHub serves.