v1.37.0

January 2025 (Version 1.37.0, build 20241221.4)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.37.0. This version adds a number of new features to improve your app experience.

For a detailed list of issues closed in v1.37.0, visit our Issues page.

Pin File Share Folders

You can now pin folders within file shares to Quick Access.

Detach All Blob Containers

You can now detach all attached blob containers at once.

Similar functionality for other resource types will be added in future releases (see #3688).

Additional Encoding Support for Text Preview

Text preview now supports displaying contents with UTF-16BE and UTF-16LE encodings. Storage Explorer will automatically detect these encodings, but you can manually select the appropriate encoding in the preview panel.

System Formatting for DateTime Table Values

Storage Explorer can now apply your system's format settings to DateTime values in tables with the new Data Explorers → Table Explorer → DateTime Format setting using either UTC or your local time zone.

Export Queue Messages

You can now export the top 32 messages of your queues.

Due to limitations with the Azure Queues API, it is not possible to read more than the top 32 messages without potentially destructive data modifications to the queue. If you need the ability to export more than the top 32 messages of a queue, you may open a new feature request on GitHub.

Single or Multiple AzCopy Processes

In previous versions, Storage Explorer always allowed up to 5 separate transfers to run concurrently. This had the potential of negating any performance tuning benefits from other AzCopy settings, because each transfer spawns a separate AzCopy process that competes with the others for system resources.

You now have the choice of controlling whether Storage Explorer can launch multiple AzCopy processes with the Transfers → AzCopy → Allow Multiple AzCopy Processes setting. Storage Explorer now only spawns one AzCopy process to handle transfers by default. Multiple transfers are queued and processed sequentially. You can enable this setting to get the original behavior of multiple concurrent transfers.

App Configuration Extension Now Included with Storage Explorer

The Azure App Configurations extension for Storage Explorer is now included as part of the base app. The extension is still in preview, but all future updates to the extension will be included in regular Storage Explorer releases.

Support for .NET 8 and Above

In previous versions, Storage Explorer explicitly required a version of .NET 8 to be installed. Windows users with only .NET 9 were required to install .NET 8 during Storage Explorer installation.

Storage Explorer installation has relaxed the .NET requirement so that either .NET 8 or .NET 9 is supported.

Separate Options for Opening Blob Containers in New Tabs

Originally, opening a blob container from the Blob Containers explorer would create a new tab in a split panel. This was not optimal for some users' workflows.

We've changed the default behavior and added a new menu item to make it easier for users to open blob containers from the Blob Containers explorer the way they prefer:

• "Open" now opens the container in a new tab in the current panel.
• "Open to the Side" opens the container in a new tab in a split panel.

v1.36.2

October 2024 (Version 1.36.2, build 20241029.2)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.36.2. This release addresses additional issues based on user feedback and fixes a few bugs.

v1.36.1

October 2024 (Version 1.36.1, build 20241023.2)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.36.1. This release addresses several issues based on user feedback and fixes a few bugs. A full list of the closed issues in this release can be found here.

v1.36.0

October 2024 (Version 1.36.0, build 20241012.1)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.36.0. We have added several new features to help improve various workflows. For a detailed list of all issues closed, visit our Issues page.

OAuth Support for File Shares

Storage Explorer now supports OAuth for file shares. This means that turning on the Services → Disable Usage of Keys setting will also apply to file shares.

Automatic Connections to Azurite Docker Containers

If you are running one or more instances of Azurite in Docker containers, Storage Explorer will detect these containers and automatically create emulator connections for you.

Storage Explorer leverages the Docker command-line interface to detect Docker containers. If Storage Explorer is not finding any containers, make sure that the Docker CLI is installed, the location of the CLI executable is included in your system's PATH, and that your containers are configured properly and running.

Due to the isolated nature of Linux snaps, this feature is not yet available for the snap distribution of Storage Explorer, but we're working on a solution (#8161).

Right now, Storage Explorer only supports connecting with the default account name and key. If you need better support for advanced features, feel free to leave feedback.

Overwrite Blob Option

In previous versions, Storage Explorer would only ask if you want to overwrite existing blobs if a conflict occurred during an upload. This required you to watch the upload process for any potential conflicts, which could be tedious for large uploads.

Storage Explorer now lets you set the overwrite option in the Upload dialog before the upload starts. This way, you can start an upload and walk away while the upload completes.

Tab Differentiation

Storage Explorer tabs are labeled using the container name whose contents they are displaying. Users can often find themselves working with containers with the same name, such as from different storage accounts. This means they would have several open tabs all with the same name which made it difficult to tell which tab was associated with which container.

Storage Explorer tabs now show additional information to differentiate from other tabs with the same label. For example, if you are working on several blob containers with the same name but from different storage accounts, the name of the storage account will be displayed next to the tab label.

Windows ARM64 Generally Available

We're pleased to announce that Storage Explorer is now generally available for Windows ARM64. You can download the ARM64 version of Storage Explorer from the Storage Explorer webpage.

Authentication Broker/WAM Support on Windows

Storage Explorer now uses Web Account Manager (the built-in authentication broker on Windows) for sign in by default. By using WAM, Storage Explorer can access any of the Microsoft (personal, or work or school) accounts you have linked to Windows. If you'd like to keep signing in via your browser, you can change the Application → Sign In with setting to "Default Web Browser". If you already have a non-default sign in method configured in settings, you should not see any change as part of this update.

v1.35.0

August 2024 (Version 1.35.0, build 20240810.1)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.35.0. Here we highlight some of the features we've added for this version. For a detailed list of all issues closed, visit our Issues page.

Pin Blob Subdirectories

You can now pin subdirectories in blob containers to Quick Access, making it easier to open specific paths with just one click.

To pin a subdirectory, right-click on the subdirectory and select Pin to Quick Access.

Multi-select Blob Containers in Blob Container Explorer

You can now perform the following operations on multiple selected blob containers in any blob container explorer:

• Delete containers
• Acquire leases
• Break leases

If you would like to see additional operations enabled for multiple containers, please leave a comment in our tracking issue.

Group Storage Accounts by Resource Group

We have added a new setting—Services → Organize by Resource Groups—for grouping storage accounts by resource group in the tree view. If you work with lots of storage accounts in the same subscription, this setting can help keep your storage accounts organized.

Persistent Sort Order

In addition to column order, size and visibility, Storage Explorer will now remember the sorting column and sort order in all explorers across sessions.

Global Sort, Load All, and View All Enabled by Default

We've changed the default values for the following settings:

• Data Explorers → Global Sort is enabled by default. When clicking a header to sort items, Storage Explorer will retrieve all available items from Azure and then sort them.
• Data Explorers → Load All is enabled by default. When clicking "Load more" in any explorer, Storage Explorer will retrieve all available items.
• Services → Storage Nodes Trailing Action is now set to "View all" by default. This changes the "Load more" action in the tree view under Blob Containers to "View all", which will open the list of blob containers in an explorer panel.

If you prefer the older behaviors, you can change these settings to the previous defaults.

Removed Support for Classic Accounts

We have removed support for classic storage accounts from Storage Explorer. Classic storage accounts have been deprecated since August 31, 2021 and will be retired August 31, 2024. If you have any classic storage accounts, you should migrate your data before they become inaccessible. If you need to manage classic storage, you can still use the Azure Portal or Storage Explorer 1.34 (or older).

Electron 30

Storage Explorer is now using Electron 30. You can learn more from the Electron blog.

v1.34.0

May 2024 (Version 1.34.0, build 20240523.2)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.34.0. A detailed list of all issues closed for this release can be found on our Issues page. For a look at major changes, continue reading below.

3D Model File Previewing

You can now preview 3D model files in your blob containers or file shares in Storage Explorer.

3D model file preview supports .gltf (>= v2.0), .glb, .stl, and .obj. All models must be self-contained in a single file. Models which reference assets from other files/folders are not supported.

Parallel File Transfers

You can now have up to five AzCopy transfers (i.e. uploads, downloads, or copies) running in parallel. As a reminder, AzCopy will do its best to use all available system and network resources. Therefore, if you run into performance issues while running concurrent transfers, consider making use of the following settings to tune AzCopy's behavior:

• Transfers → AzCopy → Maximum Transfer Rate: controls the maximum amount of network bandwidth an individual AzCopy process will use at once.
• Transfers → AzCopy → Network Concurrency: controls the maximum number of HTTP connections an individual AzCopy process will use at once, consider using Adjust dynamically as an initial solution to network congestion.
• Transfers → AzCopy → File Concurrency: controls the maximum number of files an individual AzCopy process will access at once.

Windows ARM64 Preview

Storage Explorer for Windows ARM64 is now available for preview. In Windows ARM64 Storage Explorer, all binaries and executables other than AzCopy natively target ARM64. This greatly reduces the amount of emulation used to run Storage Explorer, leading to better performance and battery life.

We encourage users on Windows ARM64 devices to try the preview and share your feedback. We will be working towards the general availability of Storage Explorer for Windows ARM64 in the near future, and all feedback helps towards this goal. You can download the latest version of the preview here.

General Data Explorer Improvements

Double Click to Resize Data Explorer Columns

You can now double click on the right-border of columns to automatically resize the column to be the minimum size needed to fit its content.

Sorting Datetimes with Nanosecond Precision

When sorting a column in a data explorer which contains datetimes with nanosecond precision, the nanosecond component of the datetime will now be taken into account.

Headers Included When Copying Rows

When using a Copy Rows command in any data explorer which shows tabular data, the values for the headers of the tabular data are also now copied to the clipboard.

File Extension Column in File Data Explorer

The file data explorer now includes a File Extension column. This column simply shows the file extension (including a leading dot) of any file in a file share.

Blob Version ID in Blob Data Explorer

The blob data explorer now includes a Version ID column. This column will show the version ID for any blob with a version ID, even the current version. The version ID for any blob can also now be found when inspecting its properties via the Properties... command.

.NET 8

Storage Explorer now depends on .NET 8. For users on Windows, this means the Storage Explorer installer will prompt you to install a .NET 8 runtime if you do not already have it installed. For users on Linux, this means you will need to self-install a .NET 8 runtime if you do not already have it installed. For users on macOS, there is no action required.

Electron 29

Storage Explorer is now using Electron 29.

v1.33.1

February 2024 (Version 1.33.1, build 20240410.2)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.33.1. This release addresses several minor issues based on user feedback and fixes a few bugs. A full list of the closed issues in this release can be found here.

v1.33.0

February 2024 (Version 1.33.0, build 20240301.4)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.33.0. A detailed list of all issues closed for this release can be found on our Issues page. For a look at major changes, continue reading below.

Data Explorer Improvements

Several changes have been made to Storage Explorer's data explorers as part of continuing to improve user experiences.

The customize columns dialog has been refreshed with enhanced usability in mind. Columns can be resized to exact values from within the dialog, checkboxes to show/hide columns were changed to buttons, and the overall look and feel of the dialog has been updated.

As a reminder, as of 1.32.0, all data explorers now support customizing columns. Columns can be customized by any of the following methods:

• Click & drag column borders to resize
• Click & drag headers to reorder
• Right-click any header and choose Customize Columns...
• The Customize Columns button in the toolbar (tables only)

For all data explorers, sorting a column which contains string values now uses natural sort instead of lexicographic sort. If you prefer to continue using lexicographic sorting, you can disable natural sort by going to Settings (gear on the left) → Data Explorers → Natural Sort Order, and unchecking the checkbox.

Finally, two quality-of-life changes were made to the table data explorer specifically. First, you can now reset columns via a pop out menu next to the Customize Columns button in the toolbar. This functionality makes it possible to reset table columns to the default PartitionKey and RowKey columns when a table has no entities. Second, when deleting a table, the saved columns for the table will be cleared from saved column settings. This means that when you delete a table in a storage account, and then create a new one with the same name, none of the columns from the old version of the table will appear until you add entities which have those same columns.

Import Queue Messages from File

You can now import messages into a queue from a .csv file. To begin importing messages use the Import button in the queue data explorer's toolbar. Queue message import currently supports .csv files with no headers, where each row is a message, and the value in the first column is the message text. Each message created during import will have the default time to live and visibility timeout. If you'd like to provide input on more advanced import queue message functionality, please open an issue on GitHub.

Formatting Datetimes in Avro & Parquet Preview

For Avro and Parquet file preview, datetimes are no longer rendered as their raw value. Instead, they will now be rendered as UTC datetimes. The decision to use UTC datetimes instead of local datetimes was made following user feedback and discussion.

Customize AzCopy Command Shell Language

When AzCopy is invoked from Storage Explorer, a Copy AzCopy Command to Clipboard action is often made available. This allows you to easily reuse, remix, or learn from a command which does the equivalent to the operation just performed. Previously, this command would be written in a shell language which was considered to be a good match for your current OS. Now you can tell Storage Explorer to use a specific shell language by going to Settings (gear on the left) → Transfers → AzCopy Command Shell Language and choosing a language. At this time, only PowerShell and Bash are supported. If you'd like to see other shell languages supported, please open an issue on GitHub.

Splitting Nodes for ARM and Classic Storage Accounts

The nodes for ARM and classic storage accounts have been split to be under two separate group nodes. This has been done in anticipation of Azure's retirement of classic storage accounts on 8/31/2024. More information about this retirement can be found here. As a bonus, this split has allowed for the use of a more modern API when listing ARM storage accounts, which brings better performance when listing and interacting with ARM storage accounts.

Navigate to Directories Using Direct Link

In 1.30.0, Storage Explorer added the capability to generate direct links targeting blobs or blob directories. Starting from 1.33.0, if the direct link targets a blob or a blob directory, the "Navigate to Container" action will automatically navigate to the parent directory of the blob or the blob directory.

Bundling of JavaScript Files

Since its inception, each release of Storage Explorer has included many tens of thousands of individual files, most notably a large number of JavaScript files. However, after a gradual four-year effort, work has been completed to consolidate these JavaScript files into several large bundles. This effort has resulted in a 98% decrease in the number of JavaScript files shipped, and partly contributed to an overall 21% reduction in app size on disk. The bundling of these files has also resulted in slightly faster startup time of Storage Explorer.

Electron 28

Storage Explorer is now using Electron 28. As a result of this change, Storage Explorer no longer supports macOS 10.13 and 10.14.

v1.32.1

November 2023 (Version 1.32.1, build 20231114.10)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.32.1. This release addresses several minor issues based on user feedback and fixes a few bugs. A full list of the closed issues in this release can be found here.

v1.32.0

November 2023 (Version 1.32.0, build 20231101.3)

Welcome to Storage Explorer version 1.32.0. A detailed list of all issues closed for this release can be found here.

Data Explorer Pagination Updates: Global Sort Expanded Support and Load All

In addition to being available in the table explorer, global sort is now also available for the blob and file explorers. As a reminder, when global sort is enabled, sorting by column will load all data for the current folder or view and then sort. While data is being loaded, progress can be monitored in the notification bar at the top of the explorer. If the load is taking too long, you can cancel it by clicking the cancel button in the notification bar. Global sort can be enabled by going to Settings → Data Explorers → Global Sort.

To further enhance the data explorer experience, a setting to load all items has also been added. When enabled, loading more will load all available data for the current view. Just like for global sort, progress can be monitored and canceled via the notification bar at the top of the explorer. Load all can be enabled by going to Settings → Data Explorers → Load All.

Finally, as a reminder, you can also control the load batch size of data explorers with the load batch size setting. This setting controls how many items are loaded per batch whenever a data explorer fetches data from the server. This includes initial loading of a view, refreshing, and when clicking load more (if load all is not enabled). This setting can be found at Settings → Data Explorers → Load Batch Size.

We hope that, with the global sort, load all, and load batch size settings, you will be able to easily load the data you need in the way that works best for you. If you have any feedback regarding any of these settings, please comment on this issue.

Customize Data Explorer Columns

Customizing columns is now supported by most data explorers. To customize columns, right-click on any column header and select Customize Columns.... You can then select which columns you want to see and in what order. You can also select Reset Columns to restore the columns to their default visibility, order, and size. Additionally, you can also drag and drop columns to change their order. Finally, customized columns are saved across sessions.

Customizing column visibility is supported in the following data explorers:

• Table explorer (saved per table)
• Blob explorer (saved across all blob containers)
• File explorer (saved across all file shares)
• Queue explorer (saved across all queues)

View All Blob Containers

As an alternative to loading more blob containers for a storage account in the tree view, you can now choose to view all blob containers. When viewing all blob containers, a blob container data explorer will be opened on the right-hand side which lists all blob containers in the storage account.

The blob container data explorer gives you the ability to sort your containers by several columns, filter by prefix, and directly open or perform other actions on the containers. When opening a container, the container will be opened in a new side-by-side tab, and a node for the container will be added in the tree view. At this time, actions can only be performed on one container at a time. However, this may be changed in a future release depending on feedback.

Additionally, the blob container data explorer supports global sort, load all, and load batch size, which can allow you to quickly load, sort, and find the container you are looking for.

To enable view all for blob containers, go to Settings → Services → Storage Accounts → Storage Nodes Trailing Action and choose View all from the dropdown menu. If you have any feedback regarding this feature, please comment on this issue.

New Keyboard Shortcuts and Mouse Forward/Back Button Support for Blob and File Explorer

In the blob and file explorers, you can now use the forward and back buttons on your mouse to navigate through your navigation history.

You can also now use keyboard shortcuts in the blob and file explorers to open the properties dialog for items with properties. Shortcuts differ across Windows/Linux and macOS:

• Windows/Linux: Alt+Enter
• macOS: Command+I

Copy DFS Path

For blobs in ADLS Gen2 storage accounts, you can now quickly copy their DFS path via the Copy URL → With DFS Endpoint action in the blob context menu.

Copy Queue Messages to Clipboard

You can now quickly copy the message text of queue messages to your clipboard via the Copy Message Text action in the queue message context menu. When copying multiple messages, their message texts will be separated by a new line.

Subscription Node Improvements

When subscriptions with duplicate names from different accounts and/or tenants are in the tree view, their tenant's name and/or subscription ID will now be included in the status portion of the subscription node.

Two new actions have also been added for subscription nodes. First, you can now filter out subscriptions directly from the tree view via the Filter Out action. Second, you can quickly jump to the account panel via the Manage Subscriptions action. Both actions can be found by right-clicking on a subscription node or by selecting a subscription node and then going to the Actions panel.

Electron 26

Storage Explorer is now using Electron 26. This version of Electron brings various improvements and bug fixes. This also means that this will be the last version of Storage Explorer to support macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) and 10.14 (Mojave).