How to Change File Explorer’s Default Folder in Windows 11

File Explorer is an essential Windows app for folder navigation and file management. By default, Explorer is set to open in Quick Access, where you can access common folders. You can only select one alternative This PC option on the Open File Explorer drop down menu.

Some users would probably prefer to select a custom folder to open File Explorer’s taskbar button. There are two good ways you can set Explorer taskbar shortcut to open with a different default folder. Here’s how you can change File Explorer’s default folder in Windows 11.

How to change File Explorer’s default folder with a new taskbar shortcut

This method creates a new Explorer shortcut with a different default folder and adds it to the taskbar. It doesn’t change in any way the original File Explorer button, which you can remove from the taskbar afterwards. You can create a new taskbar shortcut for Explorer and set the default folder as follows.

1. First, note the full path of the folder you want to open in Explorer.
2. Right-click any part of the desktop background area to select it New.
3. Then select the abbreviations Submenu option to open a wizard.

   %SYSTEMROOT%\explorer.exe /e,C:\full folder path

4. Select the shortcut creation wizard Next Possibility.
5. Entry browse filer as the title of the new shortcut.
6. Click on the wizard Finished Button to add a File Explorer shortcut to the desktop.
7. Right-click the new File Explorer desktop shortcut to select it View more properties. Choose Pin it to the taskbar Option in the classic Windows 11 right-click menu.

8. To remove the Explorer desktop shortcut you added, right-click the icon and select Trash (Extinguish) button.

You need to change the item location given above to include an actual directory path that you want Explorer to open. Remove full folder path from that location and replace it with a real directory. For example, to set Explorer to open Program Files (x86), you would enter the following item location:

%SYSTEMROOT%\explorer.exe /e,C:\Program Files (x86) 

Clicking the new File Explorer taskbar shortcut will open that app in the destination folder specified in the item location field. You can keep or remove the original Quick Access Explorer taskbar button. If you’d rather keep it, give the new shortcut a different title or icon so you don’t confuse them.

You can remove the original File Explorer button by right-clicking on it and selecting Detach from the taskbar. However, consider copying this shortcut first, just in case you want to restore it later. You can copy the original shortcut to this directory:

C:\Users\<user folder>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar

Select the old File Explorer shortcut file in that directory and press ctrl + C. Open another folder you want to copy it to and press the ctrl + v hotkey. Then you can move the backup copy of the shortcut back to the TaskBar folder to restore it.

How to change File Explorer’s default folder by editing the registry

In this method, you change the default folder for the original File Explorer button already on the taskbar. It is a more complicated method that involves setting up VBS and registry script files. First, set up a VBS script that specifies a folder that Explorer can open like this:

1. Press window + button Sand enter the keyword notepad into the search field that the hotkey opens.
2. Right click on Notepad search result so you can select a Execute as administrator option for this app.
3. Select this VBS script text and press ctrl + C:

   WScript.CreateObject("Wscript.Shell").Run "C:\MyFolder"

4. Press the ctrl + v Keyboard keys simultaneously to paste the copied script.
5. Extinguish my folder in this script and replace it with a real folder path that explorer can open.

6. Choose file menu and click the Save as Possibility.

7. Select the All files option on the Save as Menu.

8. Entry launch.vbs within the filename Crate.
9. Select this option to save the VBS script in your user folder.
10. Then click Save on computerand exit the Notepad app.

Next you need to set up a registration script. This script will add new {52205fd8-5dfb-447d-801a-d0b52f2e83e1}\shell\opennewwindow\command Key to Registration. Applying the script will set Explorer to open in the folder specified in your VBS file. Here is how you can set up this registration script:

1. Open Notepad with administrator rights as described in steps one and two above.
2. Copy the contents of this registration script to the clipboard with the file ctrl + C Key combination:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{52205fd8-5dfb-447d-801a-d0b52f2e83e1}\Shell\opennewwindow\command]
   "DelegateExecute"=""
   @="wscript.exe \"c:\\Users\\user folder\\launch.vbs\""

3. Next, select To edit > paste in notepad.

4. Substitute user folder in this script with the title of your actual user folder where you saved the VBS script.

5. Press the ctrl + change + S Keyboard shortcut to invoke a Save as Window.
6. Choose All files for the guy.
7. Enter a file tile for the registration script that contains .reg At the end. For example, you could type File Explorer Script.reg be the name.
8. Select Desktop as the location for this script.
9. click Save on computer to add the registration script to the desktop.
10. Close the editor window.
11. Double-click the registration script on the desktop and click Yes apply.

Now click on the File Explorer taskbar button to see where it opens. It will open in the folder specified in your VBS script instead of quick access. Explorer also opens the same default folder when you press it window + button E hotkey.

You can restore Explorer’s original default folder for Quick Access by changing the {52205fd8-5dfb-447d-801a-d0b52f2e83e1} Key added to the script. Access Registry Editor using a method in our guide to opening Regedit. Then enter this key location in the Registry Editor address bar:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{52205fd8-5dfb-447d-801a-d0b52f2e83e1}\Shell\opennewwindow\command

Right click on the {52205fd8-5dfb-447d-801a-d0b52f2e83e1} In the left navigation bar, type and select Extinguish. A dialog box appears asking you to confirm deleting this key and its subkeys. Choose Yes Clear.

Set File Explorer to open to the folder of your choice

So now you can set a File Explorer taskbar shortcut to open at any folder using both of the above methods. The first method is faster and less complicated, but does not change the default save location Win + E Hotkey opens Explorer under. If you use this key combination frequently, use the second method to change the default Explorer hotkey folder.