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Quick Answer

Open File Explorer (Win + E), navigate to the folder you use most often, right-click it, and select Pin to Quick access. The folder will permanently appear in the left sidebar under the star icon.

How to Use Quick Access and Pin Folders in File Explorer ​

Applies to: Windows 11, Windows 10
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-17

Summary ​

This article shows you how to use the Quick Access section in File Explorer to pin frequently used folders, manage recent files, and customize your navigation pane — so you can reach your most important locations in one click instead of navigating through multiple folder levels.

Prerequisites ​

  • Windows 11 or Windows 10.
  • Files and folders stored on a local drive, OneDrive, or a mapped network location.
  • No admin rights are required for any step in this article.

Instructions ​

1. Understand the Quick Access Section ​

Quick Access is the default landing page when you open File Explorer. It gives you instant access to your most-used locations.

  1. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
  2. Look at the left navigation pane — Quick Access (Windows 10) or Home (Windows 11) appears at the top.
  3. The main pane shows two sections:
    • Pinned folders — Folders you have manually pinned for quick access (marked with a pin icon 📌).
    • Recent files — Files you have opened or modified recently, listed in reverse chronological order.
  4. Default pinned folders typically include Desktop, Downloads, Documents, Pictures, and OneDrive.

Tip: Think of Quick Access as your personal bookmarks bar for File Explorer. Pin the folders you open multiple times per day and remove anything you rarely use.

2. Pin a Folder to Quick Access ​

Pinning a folder adds it permanently to the Quick Access section for one-click navigation.

Method A — Right-Click in File Explorer ​

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to pin.
  2. Right-click the folder.
  3. Select Pin to Quick Access (Windows 10) or Pin to Home (Windows 11).
  4. The folder now appears in the Quick Access section of the left navigation pane.

Method B — Drag and Drop ​

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to pin.
  2. Click and drag the folder to the Quick Access or Home section in the left navigation pane.
  3. Release the mouse button when you see the Pin to Quick Access tooltip.

Method C — Pin from the Address Bar ​

  1. Navigate to the folder you want to pin.
  2. Right-click an empty area of the navigation pane under Quick Access.
  3. The folder's parent location context menu appears — use Method A instead for reliability.

Verification: The pinned folder now appears under Quick Access with a pin icon (📌). Click it to confirm it opens the correct location.

3. Unpin a Folder from Quick Access ​

Remove folders you no longer need quick access to.

  1. In the left navigation pane, find the folder under Quick Access or Home.
  2. Right-click the folder.
  3. Select Unpin from Quick Access (Windows 10) or Unpin from Home (Windows 11).
  4. The folder disappears from Quick Access but remains in its original location on disk — nothing is deleted.

Note: Default Windows folders (Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures) can also be unpinned if you do not use them regularly.

4. Reorder Pinned Folders ​

Arrange your pinned folders so the ones you use most are at the top.

  1. In the left navigation pane, click and hold a pinned folder under Quick Access.
  2. Drag the folder up or down to the desired position.
  3. Release the mouse button to drop it in place.
  4. Repeat for other folders until your list is ordered by priority.

Tip: A practical order is to put your active project folders at the top, followed by general locations like Downloads and Documents.

5. Manage Recent Files ​

The Recent Files section shows files you have recently opened, edited, or saved — so you can pick up where you left off.

View Recent Files ​

  1. Open File Explorer and click Home (Windows 11) or Quick Access (Windows 10).
  2. Scroll down past the pinned folders to see the Recent section.
  3. Double-click any file to open it immediately.
  4. Right-click a file and select Open file location to navigate to the folder containing it.

Remove a Specific File from Recent ​

  1. Right-click the file in the Recent section.
  2. Select Remove from Recent.
  3. The file is removed from the list but remains on disk — nothing is deleted.

Disable Recent Files Entirely ​

If you prefer not to show recent files (for privacy or a cleaner view):

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the toolbar and select Options (Windows 11). On Windows 10, click View > Options.
  3. In the General tab, under Privacy, uncheck:
    • Show recently used files
    • Show frequently used folders (optional)
  4. Click Apply and then OK.

Verification: Return to Quick Access / Home and confirm recent files no longer appear.

6. Change File Explorer's Default Start Page ​

By default, File Explorer opens to Quick Access / Home. You can change it to open to This PC instead if you prefer seeing your drives.

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) > Options (Windows 11) or View > Options (Windows 10).
  3. In the General tab, find the Open File Explorer to dropdown.
  4. Select one of the following:
    • Home (or Quick Access) — Shows pinned folders and recent files (default).
    • This PC — Shows your drives (C:, D:, etc.) and default Windows folders.
  5. Click Apply and then OK.

Verification: Close and reopen File Explorer. It now opens to the view you selected.

7. Pin Folders to the Start Menu for Even Faster Access ​

For folders you access dozens of times per day, you can pin them directly to the Start Menu.

  1. Open File Explorer and find the folder.
  2. Right-click the folder.
  3. Select Pin to Start.
  4. The folder now appears as a tile in your Start Menu. Click it to open File Explorer directly to that location.

Troubleshooting ​

TIP

If your Quick Access list feels cluttered with folders you visited once, right-click any unwanted folder and select Unpin from Quick Access. You can also clear the entire history by going to File Explorer Options > General > Clear (under Privacy).

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
"Pin to Quick Access" option is missingFolder is on an unsupported network pathCopy the folder shortcut to a local location and pin that instead. Some network paths do not support pinning.
Pinned folder shows an error when clickedOriginal folder was moved, renamed, or deletedRight-click the broken pin and select Unpin from Quick Access. Navigate to the folder's new location and re-pin it.
Recent files show documents you do not recognizeShared computer or synced accountClear the recent files history: File Explorer Options > General > Clear (under Privacy). Uncheck Show recently used files to prevent future tracking.
Quick Access is missing from the navigation paneNavigation pane is collapsed or hiddenClick View > Navigation pane (or the three-dot menu > Options) and ensure Navigation pane is checked.
Drag-and-drop pinning does not workFile Explorer process is stuckClose all File Explorer windows, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), find Windows Explorer, right-click it, and select Restart. Try again.