Bottom Line: Learn time-saving shortcuts for working with folders and files.
Skill Level: Beginner
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12 Keyboard Shortcuts
Below are 12 of my favorite keyboard shortcuts to use when working with Windows File Explorer. These will work for both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
1. Opening File Explorer
To open the File Explorer window, simply press the Windows button ⊞ + E.
2. Set Focus on Side Bar
Once your window is open, you may want to jump over to the Navigation Pane sidebar to navigate to pinned items in the Quick Access menu.
Shift + Tab will move your selection from the files in the main window to the folder options in the left sidebar. (Tab will move you back to the main window). In either location, you can use your arrow keys to go up or down in the list of folders.
3. Open a New Window with the Same Folder
Ctrl + N will essentially duplicate the File Explorer window you are currently in.
This is especially helpful when you are organizing files and moving them between various folders because you can simply drag them from window to window.
4. Close a File Explorer Window
When you are done with a File Explorer window (or any window, for that matter) just use Ctrl + W to close the selected window.
Another option to close the window is Alt + F4.
5. Create a New Folder
The shortcut for making a new folder is Crtl + Shift + N. You will immediately be prompted to name the new folder.
6. Navigate to Other Folders
Simply hit Backspace to move to the previous folder. It's the same as using the left-pointing arrow. (This tip also works in your web browser.)
An alternative option is to use Alt + ←. Likewise, Alt + → will move you to the next folder.
7. Navigate to the Parent Folder
Alt + ↑ will move you to the parent folder.
8. Renaming Files and Folders
To edit or rename a file or folder, simply hit F2 when your file is selected. (If you are on a laptop, you may have to press the Fn key when you hit F2.)
If you also want to rename subsequent files/folders in your list, you can hit Tab after renaming instead of Enter, and it will jump you to the next file. This is a great way to quickly rename multiple files.
To discard those changes and exit the edit mode, you can press Esc.
9. Select the Address Bar
Ctrl + L is the shortcut to navigate to the address bar, and it automatically selects all of the text in the bar for easy copying.
An alternate shortcut for this is Alt + D. These shortcuts also work in your web browser.
10. Search File Explorer
To navigate to the Search field, just press Ctrl + F. Then you can type whatever you are looking for and hit Enter to see all of the files within the current folder that contain that word.
11. Change the View
There are several views that are available in File Explorer, ranging from Extra Large Icon View to Detailed List View. The two that are most used are Large Icons (Ctrl + Shift + 2) and Details (Ctrl + Shift + 6).
These two options are also available as buttons in the bottom right-hand corner of the File Explorer window.
The reason these shortcuts include a 2 and a 6 is because they are second and sixth in the list of view options available. A shortcut can be made for any of the other options by using the corresponding number.
12. Right-Click Menu
To open the right-click menu you can either use the Menu key or Shift + F10.
Not all keyboards have a Menu key. If yours has one it will be between the Ctrl and Alt keys on the right side of your keyboard. Check out this post about my favorite Logitech keyboard which does have a Menu key.
If you don't have a Menu key, you can use Shift + F10.
Related Posts
If you like shortcuts, I've got lots more to show you! Check out these posts to learn some of them:
7 Uncommon Excel Shortcuts to Share with Your Coworkers
Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Number Formats
5 Keyboard Shortcuts for Rows and Columns in Excel
7 Keyboard Shortcuts for the Filter Drop Down Menus in Excel
Conclusion
Now you have 12 quick and easy shortcuts to use when working with File Explorer. Which is your favorite? Did I miss one? Leave a comment below to let us know!
I am frequently asked to copy 20, 60, or 100 names and addresses from a list of thousands to print as a pdf file. Is there a quicker or more effecient way to highlight many lines and columns other than scrolling down 100 names?????
Great question, Dottie! Here are a few posts that explain shortcuts for selecting rows and columns.
https://www.excelcampus.com/keyboard-shortcuts/row-and-column-shortcuts/
https://www.excelcampus.com/keyboard-shortcuts/select-cells-ranges/
I hope that helps. Thanks again and have a nice weekend! 🙂
CTRL L Select the address bar
Thanks Pat!
Have you looked into MS Power Toys https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/powertoys/
Yes, it’s a great tool! I mostly use it for the color picker and haven’t used the file renaming features much yet. I’ll add it to our list for future posts. Thanks for suggesting it!
Morning Jon, hope all is well with you & the fam. Thanks soooo much for these! I’m always having to move my browsers and files around to see the Desktop long enough to open a folder’s shortcut. I only knew about the F2 rename – will definitely be committing the rest to memory! Have a good one!
Thanks Carrie! I’m happy to hear it helped.
Windows key+D is the shortcut to show the desktop. Not sure if you are familiar with that one. I use it all the time when I’m recording videos and need to “minimize” all windows. You can press it again to bring the windows back.
I hope that helps. Thanks again and have a nice weekend!
Excellent presentation, Jon.
Well explained !
Buzz
Thanks Buzz! I appreciate your support. 🙂
Win11 ctrl+shift+n not working? upper case or lower neither working?
Hi Don,
That’s interesting. It could be that another app you have running is overriding the shortcut. I’ve used several screen recording apps in the past that have shortcuts to initiate the recording. They are shortcuts like Ctrl+Shift+F9. The app takes priority over any built in shortcuts for other apps.
Most apps will let you disable those types of shortcuts. So you might want to try figuring out if you have an app that is doing this. A quick Google search will usually return some results. Or you can close all apps, including background apps, and see if it works.
I hope that helps. Thanks again and have a nice weekend!
For searching for files, free “Everything” software is amazing!
It does not rename files, for example, but it is infallible for a search.
Thanks for the suggestion, LesGl!
Really helpful tips for every individual irrespective of their occupation.
Thanks a ton for this post.
Thanks for your support Taher! I’m happy to hear it. 🙂
My favorite :
Window key + arrow key
eg Window key + left puts window on left half of screen and let you select an second window to put on the right.
Works with any window. It is the most easy way to put 2 windows next to each other without having to drag and position them.
window key + home : if you want to focus on only the open window and close the rest. sometimes my screen gets too chaotic
Another tip I give to my colleagues. To create a folder in your Onedrive folder (or other cloud system you use) and put all your links and favorites there. Create a shortcut this folder. (I use autohotkey for this and use Window key + Q, which are very close to each other. In most cases I use this shortcut instead of the file explorer shortcut win+E).
In this way I can have access to all my links/favorites/.. from any computer and when getting a new computer and don’t have to create all these favorites, …
I love it! Thanks for all the tips Luc!
We do have a post and video on split screen views (Windows + Arrow keys) for anyone that is interested.
https://www.excelcampus.com/tips/split-screen-view-windows-mac/
Thanks again and have a nice weekend! 🙂
Hey Jon,
I’m seeking your help since I didn’t find anything anywhere about the issue I’m having currently.
ALL the shortcuts worked for me as of a few months ago, but now for about a few weeks, the “7. Navigate to the Parent Folder” doesn’t work anymore.
This is very very specific, everything else works, it’s just this one for some reason. Hardware is fine, this is purely software, it went away for some reason…
Wow Thank you for that one. I was doing drag the window method. This saved me alot of time.
This is awesome! I like it. Am gaining alot from you Jon keep it up the good work.
Thanks, Jon!
It was helpful, and my favorite one is Windows+m and Ctrl+n.
Do you know how to add a folder from SharePoint online to Quick Access of File Explorer?
I was going to add Luc’s comments but he’s done a great job. Loved all your tips Jon. Learn something every time.
The only thoughts I might add is Windows+D to minimize all the windows and show the desktop but leave Windows Explorer open. Then dragging and dropping by going to the Task bar, hovering over the new email or Windows Explorer window till it opens and then moving to the new email or Window to drop the file.
One more idea. When I download a bunch of pictures from my phone or camera they have some usually irrelevant name. First I delete the pics I don’t want to keep, usually more then I keep ;o) and then select the first one from the event and then shift and the last one from the event. Then I rename the first one something like “Jon’s 40th Birthday” and press enter and the group of pics gets renamed Jon’s 40th Birthday (1), (2), etc. Super helpful for managing Pics with more useful names.
That’s awesome! Never knew that one, will definitely come in handy! Thank you!
I would add:
Alt+Enter to get to the properties dialog of a file or folder.
Space to select the first element, after opening a folder.
Using combo of ctrl, shift, space and arrow-keys to get arbitrary selections with keyboard only (hard to explain).
Also worthwhile to memorize common Access Key combinations for the right-click menu.
AppsKey/Shift+F10, then s to instantly create a shortcut.
Or a to instantly copy the full filepath. OS-language dependent.
This was so perfect an article, my life just became 12times easier
Good guide, thanks!
What I actually miss is a shortcut for duplicating a tab inside the same windows explorer folder. Do you know of a way to do this?
Hi, I’d love the F2 Renaming Files +Folder . Time saving Thanks for Sharing!!!
This was so helpful man, thanks!
Trying to figure out how to easily close all my open Windows Explorer windows. Hard to navigate when they get too numerous.
Win + m
Alt+P to preview files on the right. Alt-P to turn it off.
Which combinations of keystroke will close the file explorer and remember the last settings like the size and position of the explorer’s windows?
Excellent! Thanks.
Great article! Only small thing I can add is using “ALT + SPACEBAR” to get the right-click menu of the explorer top bar. Not frequently needed, but sometimes I’ll do “ALT + SPACEBAR + n” to minimize the current window only.
How to make shortcut for File Explorer to toggle Navigation Pane?
Thanks for this, I’ve been looking for a short cut to change the size of icons in Explorer.
Here’s an additional tip for the Search function in File Explorer — you can use “?” and “*” for unknown letters or segments in your search. Makes a big difference when you’re not sure of the ‘exact’ filename; just use the parts you know are correct.
Is there any way of getting dropdown menus which display the keyboard shortcuts. I’m here because I wanted the rename shortcut and I just couldn’t find it in the program
In Edge, Alt+D adds the current web page to your bookmarks.