diff --git a/lazy-lock.json b/lazy-lock.json
index f0b9dce..e992dc8 100644
--- a/lazy-lock.json
+++ b/lazy-lock.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "LuaSnip": { "branch": "master", "commit": "3732756842a2f7e0e76a7b0487e9692072857277" },
-  "NvChad": { "branch": "v2.5", "commit": "eb209a4a82aecabe609d8206b865e00a760fb644" },
+  "NvChad": { "branch": "v2.5", "commit": "30e75dbbdf33f393430d6e7612dd32ef84e2a710" },
   "actions-preview.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "cb938c25edaac38d362555f19244a9cb85d561e8" },
   "base46": { "branch": "v2.5", "commit": "fde7a2cd54599e148d376f82980407c2d24b0fa2" },
   "cmp-async-path": { "branch": "main", "commit": "b8aade3a0626f2bc1d3cd79affcd7da9f47f7ab1" },
@@ -8,28 +8,26 @@
   "cmp-nvim-lsp": { "branch": "main", "commit": "cbc7b02bb99fae35cb42f514762b89b5126651ef" },
   "cmp-nvim-lua": { "branch": "main", "commit": "e3a22cb071eb9d6508a156306b102c45cd2d573d" },
   "cmp_luasnip": { "branch": "master", "commit": "98d9cb5c2c38532bd9bdb481067b20fea8f32e90" },
-  "conform.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "6208aefd675939cc7c8f1a57176135974dad269f" },
+  "conform.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "9b8fa5e0b78168f68bee9bf886dc20f287c61e02" },
   "diffview.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "4516612fe98ff56ae0415a259ff6361a89419b0a" },
   "friendly-snippets": { "branch": "main", "commit": "572f5660cf05f8cd8834e096d7b4c921ba18e175" },
-  "fzf-lua": { "branch": "main", "commit": "3170d98240266a68c2611fc63260c3ab431575aa" },
+  "fzf-lua": { "branch": "main", "commit": "3b53b0eb26972686c5825d7c0e63b3cffd0c4f2b" },
   "git-conflict.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "a1badcd070d176172940eb55d9d59029dad1c5a6" },
-  "gitsigns.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "cdafc320f03f2572c40ab93a4eecb733d4016d07" },
-  "hardtime.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "b4e431934af1fe224a3a801f632c008278cb7628" },
+  "gitsigns.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "5813e4878748805f1518cee7abb50fd7205a3a48" },
   "hop.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "08ddca799089ab96a6d1763db0b8adc5320bf050" },
   "indent-blankline.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "005b56001b2cb30bfa61b7986bc50657816ba4ba" },
   "lazy.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "85c7ff3711b730b4030d03144f6db6375044ae82" },
   "lspkind.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "3ddd1b4edefa425fda5a9f95a4f25578727c0bb3" },
   "mason.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "57e5a8addb8c71fb063ee4acda466c7cf6ad2800" },
-  "mdx.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "464a74be368dce212cff02f6305845dc7f209ab3" },
+  "mdx.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "30222997ed4c0c7cc7447c4fce360fce87101bbf" },
   "menu": { "branch": "main", "commit": "7a0a4a2896b715c066cfbe320bdc048091874cc6" },
-  "mini.pick": { "branch": "main", "commit": "b4351399db5043a781a32699a1bde60b747f711f" },
+  "mini.files": { "branch": "main", "commit": "22c64f010eef047ed270e29e7cc266cd4740787e" },
   "minty": { "branch": "main", "commit": "aafc9e8e0afe6bf57580858a2849578d8d8db9e0" },
-  "neogit": { "branch": "master", "commit": "d93d7813cbd7acc44d2b058490c399ab84bf8d21" },
-  "nui.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "de740991c12411b663994b2860f1a4fd0937c130" },
-  "nvim-autopairs": { "branch": "master", "commit": "7a2c97cccd60abc559344042fefb1d5a85b3e33b" },
+  "neogit": { "branch": "master", "commit": "d8bf9102692250193b855acd9025a826f1af2729" },
+  "nvim-autopairs": { "branch": "master", "commit": "d9e44e54384e5b0f3536339c65484f2e41b528e3" },
   "nvim-cmp": { "branch": "main", "commit": "d97d85e01339f01b842e6ec1502f639b080cb0fc" },
-  "nvim-lsp-endhints": { "branch": "main", "commit": "35fe27c3b442afaf5a9884a3fb12710bbfa57099" },
-  "nvim-lspconfig": { "branch": "master", "commit": "30a2b191bccf541ce1797946324c9329e90ec448" },
+  "nvim-lsp-endhints": { "branch": "main", "commit": "6a2bfb7e31a2c08c1ce895e614f5a541bdfa1451" },
+  "nvim-lspconfig": { "branch": "master", "commit": "9e36c0d1efc46859d8349b45deabb01ca7aaf7a0" },
   "nvim-spectre": { "branch": "master", "commit": "72f56f7585903cd7bf92c665351aa585e150af0f" },
   "nvim-tree.lua": { "branch": "master", "commit": "3fb91e18a727ecc0385637895ec397dea90be42a" },
   "nvim-treesitter": { "branch": "master", "commit": "42fc28ba918343ebfd5565147a42a26580579482" },
@@ -41,8 +39,7 @@
   "statuscol.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "c46172d0911aa5d49ba5f39f4351d1bb7aa289cc" },
   "supermaven-nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "07d20fce48a5629686aefb0a7cd4b25e33947d50" },
   "tailwind-tools": { "branch": "master", "commit": "fbe982901d4508b0dcd80e07addf0fcb6dab6c49" },
-  "telescope-repo.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "a5395a4bf0fd742cc46b4e8c50e657062f548ba9" },
-  "telescope.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "83a3a713d6b2d2a408491a1b959e55a7fa8678e8" },
+  "telescope.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "3d757e586ff0bfc85bdb7b46c9d3d932147a0cde" },
   "tint.nvim": { "branch": "master", "commit": "586e87f00c8b0f5e857cefe10839e41f3e8c6d01" },
   "todo-comments.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "31e3c38ce9b29781e4422fc0322eb0a21f4e8668" },
   "trouble.nvim": { "branch": "main", "commit": "bd67efe408d4816e25e8491cc5ad4088e708a69a" },
diff --git a/lua/configs/nvimtree.lua b/lua/configs/nvimtree.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index 7d2785c..0000000
--- a/lua/configs/nvimtree.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-local nvchad_options = require "nvchad.configs.nvimtree"
-local api = require "nvim-tree.api"
-
-local options = {
-  renderer = {
-    icons = {
-      git_placement = "after",
-    },
-  },
-  on_attach = function(bufnr)
-    api.config.mappings.default_on_attach(bufnr)
-    vim.keymap.del("n", "<C-e>", { buffer = bufnr })
-  end,
-}
-
-return vim.tbl_deep_extend("force", nvchad_options, options)
diff --git a/lua/mappings.lua b/lua/mappings.lua
index 5670f02..180ebb6 100644
--- a/lua/mappings.lua
+++ b/lua/mappings.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 require "nvchad.mappings"
 
+-- remove nvim-tree mappings (using mini.files instead)
+vim.keymap.del("n", "<leader>e")
+vim.keymap.del("n", "<C-n>")
+
 -- add yours here
 
 local map = vim.keymap.set
diff --git a/lua/plugins/file-explorer.lua b/lua/plugins/file-explorer.lua
index 0237874..54c4f03 100644
--- a/lua/plugins/file-explorer.lua
+++ b/lua/plugins/file-explorer.lua
@@ -1,10 +1,52 @@
 return {
-  -- file managing , picker etc
   {
     "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua",
-    cmd = { "NvimTreeToggle", "NvimTreeFocus" },
-    opts = function()
-      return require "configs.nvimtree"
+    enabled = false,
+  },
+  {
+    "echasnovski/mini.files",
+    version = false,
+    lazy = false,
+    config = function()
+      require("mini.files").setup {
+        mappings = {
+          close = "q",
+          go_in = "l",
+          go_in_plus = "<CR>",
+          go_out = "h",
+          go_out_plus = "H",
+          reset = "<BS>",
+          reveal_cwd = "@",
+          show_help = "g?",
+          synchronize = "=",
+          trim_left = "<",
+          trim_right = ">",
+        },
+        windows = {
+          preview = true,
+          width_focus = 30,
+          width_nofocus = 15,
+          width_preview = 50,
+        },
+        options = {
+          use_as_default_explorer = true,
+        },
+      }
+
+      local map = vim.keymap.set
+      map("n", "<leader>e", function()
+        local MiniFiles = require "mini.files"
+        if not MiniFiles.close() then
+          MiniFiles.open(vim.api.nvim_buf_get_name(0))
+        end
+      end, { desc = "File explorer (current file)" })
+
+      map("n", "<leader>E", function()
+        local MiniFiles = require "mini.files"
+        if not MiniFiles.close() then
+          MiniFiles.open(vim.uv.cwd())
+        end
+      end, { desc = "File explorer (cwd)" })
     end,
   },
 }