General Open File Explorer in Windows 11


File_Explorer_banner.png

This tutorial will show you different ways to open File Explorer in Windows 11.

File Explorer ("C:\Windows\explorer.exe") in Windows 11 helps you get the files you need quickly and easily.

Reference:

File Explorer in Windows - Microsoft Support

Find and open File Explorer in Windows, and customize Quick access by pinning and removing files and folders.
support.microsoft.com support.microsoft.com


Contents



EXAMPLE: File Explorer

File_Explorer.png





Option One

Open File Explorer using Keyboard Shortcut


1 Press the Win :win: + E keys.




Option Two

Open File Explorer from Taskbar


1 Click/tap on the File Explorer icon pinned to the taskbar. (see screenshot below)

explorer-taskbar_icon.png





Option Three

Open File Explorer from Win+X Quick Link Menu


1 Perform one of the following actions: (see screenshot below)
  • Open the Win+X Quick Link menu, and click/tap on File Explorer.
  • Press the Win :win: + X keys, and press the E key.
  • Press the Alt key while right clicking on the Start :win: button, and press the E key.
explorer-WinX.png





Option Four

Open File Explorer from Start Menu


1 Open the Start menu :win:.

2 Perform one of the available actions: (see screenshots below)
  • Click/tap on File Explorer if pinned to Start.
  • Click/tap on All apps, and click/tap on File Explorer.
Explorer_Start_menu-1.jpg
Explorer_Start_menu-2.jpg





Option Five

Open File Explorer from Search


1 Open Search (Win+S). (see screenshot below)

2 Type explorer into the search box, and either press Enter or click/tap on Open when File Explorer is shown as "Best match".

Explorer_search.jpg





Option Six

Open File Explorer from Run


1 Open Run (Win+R). (see screenshot below)

2 Type explorer into the box, and either press Enter or click/tap on OK.

explorer-Run.png





Option Seven

Open File Explorer from Task Manager


1 Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete).

2 Click/tap on Run new task on the command bar. (see screenshot below)

explorer-Task_Manager-1.png

3 Type explorer into the box, and either press Enter or click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

explorer-Task_Manager-2.png




Option Eight

Open File Explorer using Command


1 Open Windows Terminal, and select either Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt.

2 Type explorer into Windows Terminal, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

explorer-command.png



That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 
Last edited:
Click to expand...
Option Nine - Open File Explorer using File Explorer

I've tried it! Enter explorer in the address bar, opens a new Explorer window. ;-)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
garlin said:
Option Nine - Open File Explorer using File Explorer

I've tried it! Enter explorer in the address bar, opens a new Explorer window. ;-)
Click to expand...

Gotta open it first. :wink:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I don’t know how, but I never knew of the keyboard shortcut. Very helpful, thanks Shawn. 🙏
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build 22631.5039
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz (4th Gen?)
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / MX Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    1000/400Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 Build: 22631.4249
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Did not realize you could open file explorer with Win :win: + E either.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Laptop 15-cw1xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Memory
    8.00 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    LITEON CV8-8E128-HP (SSD)
    WDC WD10SPZX-60Z10T0 (Hard Drive)
    PSU
    Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery
    Case
    Proprietary HP Pavilion Laptop 15 shell
    Cooling
    Active Fan Cooling
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    ELAN Clickpad
    Internet Speed
    35.50 Mbps download 23.44 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 24h2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5" (Late 2012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-3330S Processor
    Motherboard
    Ivy Bridge (LGA 1155)
    Memory
    8.00 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
    Sound Card
    Cirrus Logic CS4206B (AB 90)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic Monitor (iMac)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 (Hard Drive 1TB)
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    iMac Aluminum Body
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Lenovo
    Keyboard
    HP SK-2085
    Internet Speed
    90.8 Mbps download 23.4 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Option Nine: Oi (Co)Pilot, Open Explorer :woozy:

s1.png


After updating to 23H2 and the new Explorer, sometimes the address bar list remains flying! Even if I browse the folders inside the window. Is this a bug?

s2.png
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 11 Enterprise
    Computer type
    Laptop
    CPU
    i7
    Hard Drives
    SSD
atinfo said:
Option Nine: Oi (Co)Pilot, Open Explorer :woozy:

After updating to 23H2 and the new Explorer, sometimes the address bar list remains flying! Even if I browse the folders inside the window. Is this a bug?

View attachment 81308
Click to expand...
Just found out this bug yesterday!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion Laptop 15-cw1xxx
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 3500U with Radeon Vega Mobile Gfx
    Memory
    8.00 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon(TM) Vega 8 Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic PnP Monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    LITEON CV8-8E128-HP (SSD)
    WDC WD10SPZX-60Z10T0 (Hard Drive)
    PSU
    Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery
    Case
    Proprietary HP Pavilion Laptop 15 shell
    Cooling
    Active Fan Cooling
    Keyboard
    Standard PS/2 Keyboard
    Mouse
    ELAN Clickpad
    Internet Speed
    35.50 Mbps download 23.44 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 24h2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Apple iMac "Core i5" 2.7 21.5" (Late 2012)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-3330S Processor
    Motherboard
    Ivy Bridge (LGA 1155)
    Memory
    8.00 GB DDR3 1600 MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M
    Sound Card
    Cirrus Logic CS4206B (AB 90)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Generic Monitor (iMac)
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    APPLE HDD HTS541010A9E662 (Hard Drive 1TB)
    PSU
    Integrated
    Case
    iMac Aluminum Body
    Cooling
    Fan
    Mouse
    Lenovo
    Keyboard
    HP SK-2085
    Internet Speed
    90.8 Mbps download 23.4 Mbps upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
I'd like to be able to open a file explorer window with multiple tabs. I've tried something like this in a command prompt:

explorer c: d:

I was hoping this would open a window with the first tab being the root of the C drive & the second tab being the root of the D drive. But it just doesn't do that. It seems like explorer accepts only a single argument, & it will open a window with a single tab showing the directory you specify in the argument. With multiple arguments, it does not open a tab for each argument, but rather always opens on the Documents directory as the only tab. Kind of weird that it doesn't at least open a single tab on the first argument you specify. I don't follow the logic behind opening Documents.

If supplying multiple arguments like my example above is not the right way to do this, then what is? I know well-meaning folks sometimes come up with fancy Power Shell scripts. That's not what I want. I want something simple & intuitive that will work in a regular command prompt.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 64-bit 24H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z790-Plus WiFi TUF Gaming
    Memory
    4x32G Teamgroup TForce Vulcan DDR5 6000 DIMMs
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI/NVidia GeForce RTX 4070 Gaming X Trio 12G GDDR6X + built into motherboard Intel UHD Graphics
    Sound Card
    Built into graphics card + built into motherboard Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Both connected to the NVidia adapter - Primary: Dell SE2417HGX 23" diagonal connected via HDMI-to-DisplayPort dongle, Secondary: Toshiba TV 32" diagonal connected via HDMI through Onkyo TX-NR717 surround receiver
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080 on each monitor
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 2T
    6xSATA-to-USB 3.0 Fideco external enclosures holding SATA drives of various brands & sizes 1x20T, 2x18T, 2x6T, 1x500G, all connected to a multi-port USB hub
    For backups: USB 3.0 HDDs of various brands & sizes 3x20T, 1x1T + SSDs of various brands & sizes 2x480G, 1x1T, all connected to another multi-port USB hub, powered on only while actually performing backups & (may it never happen) restores
    PSU
    MSI MPG A1000G PCIe5 1000W, TrippLite Smart1500TSU 1200W UPS for the main system, TrippLite ECO850LCD 850W UPS for the DASD & my Internet connectivity boxes (no reason to throw out legacy equipment that stil works fine)
    Case
    Fractal North
    Cooling
    DeepCool AK620 CPU cooler (air, 2 fans), 2 case fans, 1 fan in PSU, 3 fans in graphics adapter; 4xpersonal cooling fans strategically placed to cool the external HDDs
    Keyboard
    Cherry MX 11900 USB (wired)
    Mouse
    Touchpad built into the keyboard
    Internet Speed
    500Mbps via Spectrum cable TV/cell phone bundle
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Built into Windows 11
    Other Info
    The ethernet adapter integrated into the motherboard died. I am now using a TPLink TX201 ethernet adapter in a PCIe expansion slot for Internet connectivity.
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