Pin a folder to Quick Access in three steps
Quick Access is the list of folders that appears on the left side of File Explorer when you open it. Pinning a folder there means it shows up every time you open File Explorer, without you having to navigate through nested folders to find it. The fastest way is to right-click the folder you want, select "Pin to Quick Access", and it appears in the list when ready.
If you use the same folders repeatedly — a project folder, a downloads staging area, a shared drive you access daily — pinning saves you clicks every single time you open File Explorer. You can pin as many folders as you want, and remove them just as easily when your workflow changes.
Key Takeaways
- Right-click any folder in File Explorer, then click "Pin to Quick Access" to add it to your left sidebar.
- Pinned folders appear at the top of Quick Access, above the default folders like Desktop and Documents.
- You can drag pinned folders up and down to reorder them, putting your most-used folder at the very top.
- Pinning a folder does not move it or create a copy — it only creates a shortcut in Quick Access.
- Unpin a folder by right-clicking it in Quick Access and selecting "Unpin from Quick Access".
Where to find the Pin option
Open File Explorer and navigate to any folder you want to pin. You can pin a folder that is on your Desktop, in your Documents, on an external drive, or anywhere else on your computer. The folder does not have to be empty or contain anything specific.
Right-click the folder name. A menu appears with several options. Look for "Pin to Quick Access" — it is usually near the top of the menu, above options like "Rename" or "Delete". Click it once, and the folder is pinned.
If you do not see "Pin to Quick Access" in the menu, the folder may already be pinned. You will see "Unpin from Quick Access" instead, which means it is already in your Quick Access list.
Reorder your pinned folders
Once you have pinned a few folders, you can arrange them in any order you want. The folder you use most often should probably go at the very top, so it is the first thing you see when you open File Explorer.
Click and drag any pinned folder up or down in the Quick Access list. Your mouse cursor will show a small arrow or line indicating where the folder will land. Release the mouse button, and the folder moves to that position. You can rearrange them as many times as you want — there is no limit.
Pin folders from different locations
You can pin folders from your main hard drive, external USB drives, network drives, or cloud storage folders like OneDrive. The process is identical: right-click the folder and select "Pin to Quick Access".
If you pin a folder from an external drive, the pin stays in Quick Access even when the drive is unplugged. However, clicking the pin will show an error if the drive is not connected. Once you plug the drive back in, the pin works again. This is useful if you regularly use the same external drive — you do not have to navigate to it each time.
For network drives or shared folders, pinning works the same way. The folder path is stored, so as long as your computer can reach the network, the pin will work.
Remove a pinned folder
To unpin a folder, right-click it in the Quick Access list on the left side of File Explorer. Select "Unpin from Quick Access". The folder disappears from Quick Access when ready, but the folder itself remains on your computer — unpinning only removes the shortcut.
You can pin and unpin folders as often as you want. If your project ends and you no longer need quick access to a folder, unpin it. If you start a new project later, pin it again.
What happens to the original folder
Pinning a folder creates only a shortcut in Quick Access. The original folder stays exactly where it is — nothing moves, nothing is copied, and nothing is deleted. If you move the original folder to a different location on your computer, the pin in Quick Access updates automatically and still points to it.
If you delete the original folder, the pin in Quick Access becomes broken and will show an error when you click it. You can then unpin it from Quick Access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pin a folder that is inside another folder?
Yes. Navigate to the folder you want to pin, no matter how deep it is in your folder structure, then right-click it and select "Pin to Quick Access". This is one of the main reasons pinning is useful — you do not have to click through five nested folders every time you need to access it.
How many folders can I pin?
There is no hard limit, but Quick Access becomes cluttered if you pin too many. Most people pin between three and ten folders. If you find yourself pinning more than that, consider whether some folders could be organized into a single parent folder that you pin instead.
Can I pin a folder on someone else's computer?
Yes, but the pins are specific to your user account. If another person logs into the same computer with a different account, they will not see your pinned folders. Each account has its own Quick Access list.
What if I pin a folder and then rename it?
The pin updates automatically. If you rename the original folder, the pin in Quick Access shows the new name and still points to the correct location.
Can I pin a folder to Quick Access on a Mac?
Mac uses a feature called "Favorites" instead of Quick Access. The process is similar: drag the folder to the Favorites section in Finder's sidebar, or right-click the folder and select "Add to Favorites". The behavior is the same — it creates a shortcut without moving the original folder.