The fastest way to open Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer is the file manager built into Windows — the program that shows you folders, documents, photos, and everything else stored on your computer. To open it, press the Windows key and the letter E at the same time. That keyboard shortcut works on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
If the keyboard shortcut does not work, you can open it through the Start menu instead. Click the Windows logo in the bottom left corner, type "file explorer" or "windows explorer", and click the result. On Windows 11, it may appear as "File Explorer" in the search results.
You can also right-click any folder on your desktop and select "Open" or "Open in File Explorer" — that opens Windows Explorer directly to that folder instead of starting at the home screen.
Key Takeaways
- Press Windows key + E to open Windows Explorer when ready on any Windows computer.
- The left sidebar shows your main folders — Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures — so you can jump between them without clicking through nested folders.
- The address bar at the top shows where you are in your folder structure, and you can click any folder name in it to jump back to a parent folder.
- Pinning frequently used folders to the sidebar saves you clicks and keeps your most-used locations one click away.
Understanding the Windows Explorer window
When Windows Explorer opens, you see three main parts. On the left is the sidebar, which lists your most important folders: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, and others. The center shows the contents of whichever folder you have selected. The top has the address bar, which displays the path to your current location — for example, "C:\Users\YourName\Documents".
The sidebar is the fastest way to move around. If you want to look at your Downloads folder, click "Downloads" in the sidebar instead of clicking through multiple folders. If you want to go back to a parent folder — the folder that contains the current folder — you can click the back arrow in the top left, or click the parent folder name in the address bar.
The search box in the top right lets you find files by name. Type part of a filename and Windows Explorer shows every matching file in the current folder and its subfolders. This is much faster than clicking through folders manually when you remember part of a filename but not where you saved it.
Pinning folders you use often
If you have a folder you open repeatedly — a project folder, a client folder, or a folder where you keep templates — you can pin it to the sidebar so it appears at the top of your folder list. Right-click the folder and select "Pin to Quick Access". That folder now stays in your sidebar until you unpin it, saving you from navigating the same path over and over.
You can also drag a folder directly onto the sidebar to pin it. Click and hold the folder, drag it to the sidebar, and release. The folder appears in your Quick Access section when ready.
Changing the view to see more or less detail
Windows Explorer can display files in different ways depending on what you need to see. Click the "View" tab at the top of the window, and you see options like "List", "Details", "Tiles", and "Large icons". Each view shows different information about your files.
List view shows filenames in a straightforward list, one per line. Details view shows the filename, file type, date modified, and file size in columns — useful when you need to find a file by when you last changed it. Tiles view shows larger previews of each file, which helps if you are looking for a photo or document by appearance. Large icons view shows big thumbnails, which is easiest on the eyes but takes up more space.
You can also adjust the size of icons using the slider in the View menu. Drag it right to make files appear larger, or left to make them smaller so you can see more files at once.
Creating new folders and organizing files
To create a new folder, right-click in the empty space of any folder window and select "New" and then "Folder". A new folder appears with the name "New Folder" highlighted so you can type a different name when ready. Press Enter when you are done typing.
Once you have folders set up, you can move files into them by dragging and dropping. Click and hold a file, drag it onto a folder, and release. The file moves into that folder. You can also cut and paste: right-click a file, select "Cut", navigate to the destination folder, right-click in the empty space, and select "Paste".
If you want to move multiple files at once, click the first file, hold Ctrl, and click each additional file you want to move. All selected files highlight. Then drag them all to the destination folder, or cut and paste them together.
Using the address bar to navigate quickly
The address bar shows your current location as a path — something like "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\Projects\ClientName". You can click any folder name in that path to jump directly to it. If you click "Documents" in the address bar, you jump back to your Documents folder without clicking the back arrow multiple times.
You can also type a path directly into the address bar if you know where you want to go. Click the address bar, clear the current path, type the new path, and press Enter. This is faster than clicking through many nested folders when you know the exact location.
Finding files by type or date
Windows Explorer has a filter feature that narrows down what you see. Click the "View" tab and look for options like "Sort by" and "Group by". You can sort files by name, date modified, file type, or size. Grouping by type shows all your documents together, all your images together, and so on — useful when a folder has many different kinds of files.
If you need to find files from a specific date range, the search box is more powerful than it first appears. Click in the search box, type your search term, and Windows Explorer shows a toolbar with options to filter by date, size, and type. You can narrow results to files modified "Today", "This week", "This month", or a custom date range you specify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Windows Explorer and File Explorer?
They are the same program. Windows 10 and earlier versions called it "Windows Explorer". Windows 11 renamed it to "File Explorer". The program works the same way regardless of the name.
Can I open Windows Explorer to a specific folder automatically?
Yes. Right-click the folder, select "Create shortcut", and place the shortcut on your desktop or taskbar. Double-clicking the shortcut opens Windows Explorer directly to that folder. You can also pin the folder to the sidebar for one-click access.
How do I see hidden files in Windows Explorer?
Click the "View" tab at the top of the window and check the box next to "Hidden items". Hidden files and folders now appear in gray. These are usually system files you do not need to touch, so leave them hidden unless you have a specific reason to see them.
What does the refresh button do?
The refresh button (or pressing F5) reloads the current folder. Use it if you have moved or deleted files in another program and Windows Explorer has not updated yet. Refreshing forces it to show the current state of the folder.
Can I undo a move or delete in Windows Explorer?
Yes. Press Ctrl+Z when ready after moving or deleting a file, and Windows Explorer undoes the action. If you delete a file to the Recycle Bin instead of permanently deleting it, you can also open the Recycle Bin, right-click the file, and select "Restore".