I agree with @ndcenterdiplomas.

Just disable/clear all the stuff under directories for the login at the Login manager > Edit > Advanced > Directories. That's the way I use with it all disabled/cleared so that it starts one way each time.

Before you connect though, its going to look like that, until you connect... then it becomes the view for the remote connection which is ultimately required at that point anyway for there to be two views.

When using Windows 11 with WinSCP, you might encounter an issue where the local directory of the last session opens alongside a remote site folder set to Documents. This behavior is likely due to session settings being saved automatically. To resolve it, disable "Remember last used directories" in WinSCP's settings.

I am asking for the option to have the old default behaviour available without this new local file manager window opening.

Since 6.0, WinSCP works as a file manager, not only as FTP/SFTP client.
And the default view is that of (local) file manager.
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/task_file_management

And I know this is free software and you don't owe anyone anything, not even an explanation but I think if you have forums for user communication then it a reasonable thing to ask.
I can not think of a single reason for this changes and in this whole discussion none has been offered. Is there any way this make the software better, what does it enable that the old behavior did not have. Is there reasoning behind this that makes the change understandable ?

And open a seemingly random window for the remote. Now I have a pointless tab opens that I did not ask for, don't want, can't use and can't get rid of no matter how hard I try.

@Guest: WinSCP remembers folders of the local (file manager) tab. So you have control over what directories open.

@martin: The behaviour changed after a recent upgrade, the problem this causes is that you now open a window which 'seems' to be random and I have no control over the directories opened and which I did not ask for or want to open. And even if I close this it get re-opened every time I close all active connections.
The problem is the changed behaviour and the program no longer respecting my preference.

I'm sorry, but you just wrote that you like WinSCP to behave some way, without really explaining what problem does the current behaviour causes you.

The change of behaviour from previous versions that creates the "Dummy" session. Prior to this change WinSCP always opened without an session. Even If I do close the "Dummy" session at startup it comes back as soon as I close all other sessions. The previous behaviour with no tabs open except when I explicitly open a connection is more desirable rather that automagically opening tabs which I have no control over.

D wrote:

There is a whole 'dummy' session that has local directories only, previously there was only the New Tab. See attached

But what is the problem? If you do not use the local tab, close it.

@martin,

By "disabled", do you mean "unchecked"? So WinSCP does not open the Login dialog automatically (and you want it that way). Is that correct?

Correct, this is the way I want it.

And you click "New Tab" ("New Session" in older versions) to open a new session. Correct?

Correct

And what is different now (in 6.x)?

There is a whole 'dummy' session that has local directories only, previously there was only the New Tab. See attached

@D: Sorry, I do not understand, what is the problem. By "disabled", do you mean "unchecked"? So WinSCP does not open the Login dialog automatically (and you want it that way). Is that correct? And you click "New Tab" ("New Session" in older versions) to open a new session. Correct? And what is different now (in 6.x)? Except that until you click the "New Tab", the right panel shows a local directory, while in 5.x it was gray?

I never ever use WinSCP as a local file manager and before v6 never saw this behavior.
And I have always had "Show login dialog on startup and when the last session is closed" disabled. Previously when opening WinSCP I just got a single "New Tab" now I have this second local stuff.
So how do we stop this local two pane window from being opened?

See also WinSCP suddenly opens with two local panels with seemingly no option to open a connection to my server. What do I do?

I have been working with WinSCP for a very long time and am very satisfied. The behavior was never as described. Only since I switched to a new PC with Windows 11. But whatever – I can live with it.

This has nothing to do with Windows 11. WinSCP behaves like this since 5.8 (2015).
And since 6.0, WinSCP is two-panel local file manager, in addition to being a file transfer client. So it's not like the "right" panel is "target directory".

This window makes no sense (it wasn't like this before Windows 11!). The target directory points to "Documents" on the local PC!?

Why does it make no sense? What is the problem?

Thank you for asking. The wording really is a bit confusing. The attached PrtSc shows the situation. At the same time as opening the start box, the window opens in the background, which makes no sense.

Can you please explain what you mean by "start window" or "desired dialog box in the start box". Maybe few screenshot might explain this better.

No, I have not deactivated the dialog box. When I open the start window, a dialog box also starts in the background, but this makes no sense. If I click on the desired dialog box in the start box, it opens correctly.

Do I understand right, that you by mistake disabled an automatic Login dialog popup?
You can re-enable it in preferences:
https://winscp.net/eng/docs/ui_pref_window

Since I installed Windows 11, when I click on the WinSCP start window, a window opens at the same time with the local directory of the last session and as the directory of the remote site the local folder "Documents".
Why is this and what can I do about it?
Thanks for any tips.
Regards
langi