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 when ready every time you open File Explorer, without having to navigate through nested folders. You pin a folder by right-clicking it and selecting "Pin to Quick Access" — the folder itself stays where it is, but a shortcut to it appears at the top of your Quick Access list.
This works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. The steps are identical on both versions. Once you pin a folder, it remains in Quick Access until you unpin it, even if you restart your computer or move the folder to a different location on your drive.
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 and stay there until you unpin them.
- You can pin folders from your Documents, Desktop, Downloads, or any other location on your computer.
- To remove a pinned folder, right-click it in Quick Access and select "Unpin from Quick Access".
- Pinning creates only a reference to the folder, not a copy, so it uses almost no storage space.
Open File Explorer and find the folder you want to pin
Click the File Explorer icon on your taskbar — it looks like a folder. If you do not see it, press the Windows key and the letter E at the same time. File Explorer will open and show you your default view, usually your home directory or recent files.
Navigate to the folder you want to pin. For example, if you want to pin your Downloads folder, click "Downloads" in the left sidebar. If you want to pin a folder buried deeper — like a project folder inside Documents — click through the folders until you see it in the main window on the right.
You do not need to open the folder. You just need to see it on your screen so you can right-click it. The folder can be anywhere on your computer: on your local drive, on an external drive, or in a cloud storage location like OneDrive.
Right-click the folder and select Pin to Quick Access
Right-click the folder name or icon. A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Pin to Quick Access" and click it. The folder now appears in your Quick Access list on the left sidebar, usually near the top of the pinned section.
If you do not see "Pin to Quick Access" in the menu, the folder is already pinned. You can close the menu by clicking elsewhere on the screen. The option only appears for folders that are not yet pinned.
Verify the folder appears in Quick Access
Look at the left sidebar of File Explorer. At the top, under the search bar, you should see a section labeled "Quick Access" with your pinned folders listed below it. Your newly pinned folder should appear there, usually near the top of the list above any folders Windows added automatically.
You can now click that folder name anytime you open File Explorer, and it will open when ready without navigating through other folders. This is especially useful for folders you use several times a day, since you save yourself multiple clicks each time.
Rearrange pinned folders if you want them in a different order
If you have pinned multiple folders, you can drag them up or down in the Quick Access list to change their order. Click and hold a pinned folder name, then drag it above or below another pinned folder. Release the mouse button when it is in the position you want.
This is useful if you use certain folders much more often than others — move your most-used folders to the very top so they are the first thing you see when you open File Explorer. You can rearrange them as often as you like without affecting the folders themselves.
Unpin a folder when you no longer need quick access to it
Right-click any pinned folder in your Quick Access list and select "Unpin from Quick Access". The folder disappears from the sidebar when ready. The folder itself is not deleted — it just no longer appears as a shortcut in Quick Access, and you will need to navigate to it the normal way if you want to open it later.
You can pin and unpin folders as many times as you want. There is no limit to how many folders you can pin, though pinning too many makes the list harder to scan quickly. Most people find that pinning between three and eight folders keeps Quick Access useful without cluttering it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pin a folder from the desktop or from outside File Explorer?
No, you must pin from inside File Explorer. Right-click the folder in File Explorer and select "Pin to Quick Access". If you right-click a folder on your desktop, you will not see that option in the menu.
What is the difference between pinning and creating a shortcut?
A pinned folder appears in the Quick Access sidebar inside File Explorer. A shortcut is an icon you can place anywhere — on your desktop, in a folder, or in the taskbar. Pinning is simpler if you spend most of your time in File Explorer, while shortcuts are better if you want fast access from your desktop.
Will pinning a folder slow down my computer?
No. Pinning a folder creates only a reference to the folder, not a copy of it. It takes up almost no space and has no effect on your computer's speed or performance.
Can I pin network folders or cloud folders?
Yes. You can pin folders stored on OneDrive, Google Drive, or network drives the same way you pin local folders. Right-click the folder in File Explorer and select "Pin to Quick Access". The pinned reference will work as long as you have access to that location.
Why does my Quick Access list keep changing on its own?
Windows sometimes adds folders to Quick Access automatically based on how often you use them. You can turn this off by opening File Explorer, clicking "View" at the top, then "Options", and unchecking "Show recently used files in Quick Access" and "Show frequently used folders in Quick Access".