Press kit — TidyMerge

What it is

TidyMerge is a Windows 11 utility that merges every open File Explorer window into a single tabbed window — with one click or a hotkey (Ctrl+Shift+M). An optional background mode routes new Explorer windows into tabs automatically as they appear, with drag-out detection so deliberately separated windows stay separate.

Windows 11 added File Explorer tabs in 2022, but never a way to merge the windows you already have open into one. PCWorld called the native tabs launch "profoundly disappointing"; gHacks called the implementation "lacking severely." TidyMerge is that missing merge button. Beyond the merge it adds the workflow layer Windows never shipped:

Workspaces — save a named set of open folders ("Tax 2026", "Project 4471") and restore the whole set later in one click, including from the taskbar Jump List.
Tab quick-switcher (Ctrl+Shift+Space) — filters all open tabs by full path and activates the exact tab, even when two tabs share a folder name.
Custom folder hotkeys — e.g. Ctrl+Alt+1 opens a chosen folder as a tab, from anywhere.
Reopen closed tab (Ctrl+Shift+T), smart dedupe and sorting on merge, excluded-paths list, dark theme.

Under the hood the emphasis is reliability: crash logging, surviving Explorer restarts, re-verifying hotkeys after sleep/wake, atomic settings writes, and a plain-language notice if a Windows update changes File Explorer internals.

Who makes it

UpDog Technologies, Inc. — a one-person studio run by Doug Lenz, a mechanical design engineer who built the tool he wanted after one too many afternoons with fifteen Explorer windows open. TidyMerge is designed, built, and supported by the same person who uses it all day.

Pricing & availability

Price	$4.99 USD, one-time purchase (no subscription, no account)
Trial	7-day free trial — full app, handled by the Microsoft Store
Availability	Microsoft Store only — listing link available at launch (tidymerge.com)
Privacy	No tracking, no network access, fully local

System requirements

Windows 11 22H2 (build 22621) or later. TidyMerge uses File Explorer's native tab feature, which does not exist in earlier Windows versions (including Windows 10).

Contact

Press & support	support@updogtechnologies.com
Web	tidymerge.com
Review copies	Free copy available to journalists on request
Trust signal	Independently scanned by 60+ antivirus engines via VirusTotal (report link published at launch), and the installer's SHA-256 is published so you (or your readers) can verify the download and re-scan it
Assets	Screenshots (1920×1080), icon, and a 15-second demo clip available on request

Quotes (use freely)

"TidyMerge turns fifteen scattered File Explorer windows into one tabbed window with a single hotkey."

"Windows 11 added Explorer tabs but never gave you a way to herd your existing windows into them — TidyMerge is that missing button, plus saveable Workspaces for whole projects."

"Built by a mechanical design engineer who lives in File Explorer all day: $4.99 once, a 7-day trial, no tracking, and a developer who answers his own support email."