How to Open File Explorer in Windows 11?

Windows 11 includes a built-in file manager application known as File Explorer. It is one of the most crucial apps in Windows 11 that lets you open, move, copy, rename, or delete files, and a lot more. This helps you easily navigate and manage the drives, folders, and files on your computer.

In this growupwindows post, we will review many ways to access File Explorer in Windows 11. These are the following:-

1. Taskbar shortcut
2. WinX Menu
3. Task Manager
4. Shortcut key
5. Start Menu
6. Command Prompt
7. PowerShell
8. Desktop Shortcut
9. Run box

Taskbar shortcut

Windows 11 includes a shortcut of File Explorer on the taskbar by default. By clicking on the File Explorer button on Taskbar, you can open it.

WinX Menu

WinX menu or Power menu is another option to open File Explorer on your Windows 11 computer. WinX Menu includes a lot of shortcuts to many built-in functions of Windows 11, including Command Prompt, File Explorer, Device Manager, Mobility Center, Task Manager, and much more.

To access the WinX or Power Menu on Windows 11, perform a right-click on the Start button. Alternatively, press Windows + X hotkey on your keyboard. Then select the File Explorer option to open it.

Task Manager

Task Manager is used to monitor system performance and startup tasks on a Windows PC. Very few Windows 11 users know that using it, they can also open the File Explorer application.

At first, launch the Task Manager app by pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Esc hotkey. Then, click on the File menu and then select the Run new task option.

On the dialog box that appears on your screen, type explorer and then click on the OK button to launch File Explorer.

Quick Note: To run the File Explorer with administrative privileges, check the checkbox labeled “Create this task with administrative privileges” before hitting the OK button.

Shortcut key

This is another method to launch File Explorer on any Windows machine. Just, press the Windows + E shortcut keys to open the File Explorer in your Windows 11 machine.

Start Menu

Like other applications on your PC, File Explorer also exists in the Start menu. Click the Start button and then the All apps button.

Now, scroll down to find the File Explorer option and then click on it.

Command Prompt

Several tasks can be performed through Command Prompt in Windows 11, including the opening of File Explorer. Launch Command Prompt on your PC and type explorer in it. Press Enter from the keyboard to open up the File Explorer app.

PowerShell

If you prefer to use PowerShell, you can use the same command to launch the File Explorer on Windows 11. First, open Powershell by typing Powershell on the Start menu search and then clicking on its entry.

In the Windows Powershell, type explorer and hit Enter key from the keyboard to open File Explorer.

Desktop Shortcut

If you frequently access the desktop to open different types of applications, then you might prefer to create a shortcut icon for the File Explorer app to open it quickly. To do so, right-click on the blank space on Desktop and select the New > Shortcut option.

In the “Create Shortcut” dialog box search bar, type explorer.exe and click the Next button.

Click the Finish button.

After performing the above steps, you will see a shortcut of explorer on your Windows 11 Desktop. Double-click on this shortcut icon to open the File Explorer.

Run box

You can use the Run dialog box to access File Explorer. To do that, click Windows + R keys from the keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Type explorer in the box and click the OK button to open the File Explorer window.