File Explorer keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11/10

The File Explorer in Windows 11/10 comes with a new look and several new options and features. To work efficiently with Explorer, make use of these keyboard shortcuts, sourced from Microsoft – that will help you navigate quickly between folders and their settings. This post lists all possible keyboard shortcuts that can be used with File Explorer in Windows.

Windows 11/10 File Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Here is the list of shortcuts you can memorize, and use it.

Keyboard Shortcut	Action
Alt+D	Select the address bar
Ctrl+E	Select the search box
Ctrl+F	Select the search box
Ctrl+N	Open a new window
Ctrl+W	Close the current window
Ctrl+mouse scroll wheel	Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
Ctrl+Shift+E	Display all folders above the selected folder
Ctrl+Shift+N	Create a new folder
Num Lock+asterisk (*)	Display all sub-folders under the selected folder
Num Lock+plus (+)	Display the contents of the selected folder
Num Lock+minus (-)	Collapse the selected folder
Alt+P	Display the preview pane
Alt+Enter	Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item
Alt+Right arrow	View the next folder
Alt+Up arrow	View the folder that the folder was in
Alt+Left arrow	View the previous folder
Backspace	View the previous folder
Right arrow	Display the current selection (if it’s collapsed), or select the first sub-folder
Left arrow	Collapse the current selection (if it’s expanded), or select the folder that the folder was in
End	Display the bottom of the active window
Home	Display the top of the active window
F11	Maximize or minimize the active window

Hope you find this useful.

Want more? Take a look at the complete list of Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows 11/10.

How do I get the sidebar in File Explorer?

Open File Explorer using Win + E, and then click on View tab > Navigation pane. Ensure the option to show the navigation pane is selected. Once done, you should see the sidebar on the right. When you select a file, a preview should be visible. If there is no preview, you should see the file information.

How do I create a shortcut for File Explorer in Windows?

There is no way to drag and drop File Explorer from Taskbar or Start menu to create a shortcut. Instead, you can create a shortcut, type explorer.exe in the path, and save it on the desktop. You can name it to anything, and the shortcut will automatically pick the explorer icon. This will put the File Explorer on the desktop.