The quickest way to reload a folder in Windows 11

Press F5 while File Explorer is open and the folder you want to refresh is visible. That's it. File Explorer will reload the folder contents and show any files or changes that appeared since you last opened it.

If F5 doesn't work on your keyboard (some laptops reassign it), hold Ctrl and press R instead. Both do the same thing: they tell Windows to check the folder again and display what's actually there right now.

You can also right-click in the empty space of any folder and select Refresh from the menu that appears. This works the same way as F5, just slower because it takes more clicks.

Key Takeaways

  • Press F5 or Ctrl+R to reload a folder and see files that appeared after you opened it.
  • File Explorer sometimes shows an outdated view, especially after moving, deleting, or downloading files.
  • Reloading a folder does not delete anything — it just refreshes what you see on screen.
  • If a file still doesn't appear after refreshing, check whether it's actually in that folder or hidden by your view settings.

Why a folder sometimes shows outdated information

File Explorer caches what it displays — meaning it holds a snapshot of the folder in memory rather than checking the actual disk every time you look at it. This is faster, but it means if you move a file, delete something, or read a new document, the folder view might not update automatically.

This happens most often when you've moved files using a different program, when you've downloaded something while File Explorer was already open, or when you've deleted files from the command line or another tool. The folder view is still showing what was there five minutes ago, not what's there now.

Reloading the folder tells Windows to stop using the cached view and check the actual folder on your disk instead. The files were always there — you're just making File Explorer look again.

When F5 doesn't seem to work

On some Windows 11 laptops, the F5 key is mapped to something else — brightness, volume, or a special function. If pressing F5 does nothing, use Ctrl+R instead. Both commands refresh the folder, and Ctrl+R almost always works even when F5 is reassigned.

If neither shortcut works, your keyboard might be in a mode that requires you to hold Fn (function) to access the F keys. Try Fn+F5 or Fn+Ctrl+R. If you're still stuck, the right-click menu method always works: click empty space in the folder, select Refresh, and wait a moment for the view to update.

Reloading a folder versus closing and reopening it

Pressing F5 is faster and more reliable than closing File Explorer and opening it again. When you close and reopen, Windows has to rebuild the entire folder view from scratch, which takes longer and sometimes still shows cached information if the folder was open recently.

F5 is also safer because it doesn't interrupt what you're doing. If you have multiple folders open in different windows or tabs, F5 refreshes only the one you're looking at. Closing and reopening File Explorer closes everything.

What to do if a file still doesn't appear after refreshing

If you've reloaded the folder and a file you expect to see is still missing, the file might not actually be in that folder. Check whether you moved it somewhere else, or whether it's in a subfolder you haven't opened yet.

The file might also be hidden. Windows hides certain files by default to prevent accidental changes. To see hidden files, click the View tab at the top of File Explorer, then check the box next to Hidden items. Refresh the folder again with F5, and any hidden files will now be visible.

If the file was recently downloaded, check your Downloads folder first. If it was moved by another program, search for it using the search box in File Explorer — type the filename and let Windows look through all your folders.

Reloading folders on external drives and network locations

F5 works the same way on external USB drives, SD cards, and network folders as it does on your main hard drive. Press F5 to refresh and see any changes that happened since you opened the folder.

Network folders sometimes take longer to refresh because Windows has to check a remote location. If you're on a slow connection, wait a few seconds after pressing F5 before assuming nothing happened. You'll see the folder update once the network responds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does refreshing a folder delete anything?

No. Refreshing only changes what you see on screen — it tells Windows to look at the folder again and display the current contents. Nothing is moved, deleted, or changed by pressing F5.

Why do I need to refresh if I just opened the folder?

If you downloaded a file, moved something using another program, or another person added a file to a shared folder while you were looking at it, the view won't update on its own. Refresh to see the changes.

Can I set File Explorer to refresh automatically?

Windows 11 does not have a built-in auto-refresh setting for folders. You have to press F5 manually when you want to see new changes. This is by design — constant automatic refreshing would slow down File Explorer.

What if F5 and Ctrl+R both do nothing?

Right-click in empty space inside the folder and select Refresh from the menu. If that also does nothing, close File Explorer completely and open it again. This forces Windows to rebuild the folder view from scratch.

Does refreshing work the same way in older versions of Windows?

Yes. F5 and Ctrl+R refresh folders in Windows 10, Windows 7, and earlier versions. The keyboard shortcuts have worked the same way for decades, so if you're used to refreshing on an older computer, the same methods work in Windows 11.