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Open File Explorer to This PC by Default (Windows 10 & 11)

File Explorer registry edit tutorial to set This PC as default launch location instead of Quick Access

To make File Explorer open This PC instead of Quick Access on Windows 10 and 11, open File Explorer, click the three-dot menu (or View > Options), and change Open File Explorer to from Home / Quick access to This PC. For a permanent registry-based fix, set the DWORD LaunchTo to 1 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, then restart Explorer.

Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 25, 2026

Set File Explorer to Launch This PC Instead of Quick Access

Key Takeaways

  • Quick Access (called “Home” in Windows 11) is the default landing page in File Explorer — it shows pinned and recently-used folders, but hides your actual drives behind an extra click.
  • The Folder Options GUI is the recommended path — one dropdown switches File Explorer’s default view from Home/Quick Access to This PC, and the change is live immediately.
  • The registry method is scriptable — a single DWORD value, LaunchTo, set to 1 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced. Useful for autounattend.xml or first-login scripts.
  • The setting is per-user — because it lives under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, you have to apply it on each Windows account.
  • Both methods are reversible — switch the dropdown back, or set LaunchTo to 2 (Home/Quick Access) or delete the value entirely.

Quick Steps

  1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
  2. Click the three-dot menu in the toolbar (Windows 11) or View > Options (Windows 10), then choose Options.
  3. On the General tab, change Open File Explorer to from Home / Quick access to This PC.
  4. Click Apply, then OK. New File Explorer windows will open to This PC.
  5. For a registry-based fix: open Registry Editor, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced, set the DWORD LaunchTo to 1, then restart Explorer.

In This Guide

There are three ways to make File Explorer open to This PC on Windows 10 and 11:

Why Change the File Explorer Default View?

Out of the box, File Explorer opens to Home (called Quick Access on Windows 10 and earlier Windows 11 builds). Home shows pinned folders, recent files, and “favourites” pulled from your activity — useful if that is how you think about your files, awkward if it is not. Drives, This PC, and standard user folders are one extra click behind a sidebar entry.

When I was running the computer repair business, Home/Quick Access caused the most confusion with non-technical clients. They would open File Explorer expecting to see their C: drive or a USB stick they just plugged in, and instead get a list of recent Word documents and a Pictures shortcut. Switching the default to This PC immediately fixes that — File Explorer lands on the drives view every time, the way it always did on older Windows.

If you also want to clean up File Explorer further, pair this with disabling File Explorer search box suggestions and enabling the classic right-click context menu on Windows 11.

Method 1: Set This PC as Default via Folder Options

This is the method I recommend for most people. Same setting under the hood as the registry method — just exposed through a normal dropdown in Folder Options. It works on every current build of Windows 10 and 11.

  1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
  2. On Windows 11: click the three-dot (…) menu in the toolbar, then click Options.
    On Windows 10: click View in the ribbon, then Options.
  3. On the General tab, find the Open File Explorer to dropdown at the top.
  4. Change it from Home (or Quick access on older builds) to This PC.
  5. Click Apply, then OK.

Close any open File Explorer windows and open a new one. It should now land on This PC — drives, user folders, and network locations all visible without any extra clicks. No restart needed.

Method 2: Set This PC as Default via Registry Editor

The registry method does exactly the same thing as Method 1, but writes the value directly. Use this when you want to script the change as part of a Windows deployment, bake it into an autounattend.xml answer file, or apply it across multiple PCs without clicking through a UI.

Step 1: Open Registry Editor

Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes on the User Account Control prompt.

Step 2: Navigate to the Explorer Advanced Key

Copy the path below into the Registry Editor address bar and press Enter:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Step 3: Create or Set the LaunchTo DWORD

In the right-hand pane, look for a value called LaunchTo. If it does not exist, right-click in the empty space, choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it exactly LaunchTo (capital L and capital T). Double-click it and set Value data to:

  • 1 — open File Explorer to This PC
  • 2 — open File Explorer to Quick Access / Home (the default)
  • 3 — open File Explorer to Downloads (Windows 11 24H2 and later)
  • 4 — open File Explorer to OneDrive (Windows 11 24H2 and later, if signed in)

Click OK.

Step 4: Restart Explorer (No Reboot Needed)

Close Registry Editor. To apply the change without rebooting, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), find Windows Explorer in the process list, right-click it, and choose Restart. The taskbar will briefly disappear and come back — that is normal. Open File Explorer and it should land on This PC.

One-liner: Set the Value via Command Prompt

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell (any user context, no admin needed for HKCU) and paste:

reg add "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v LaunchTo /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Then restart Explorer with:

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe && start explorer.exe

To revert to the default Home/Quick Access view:

reg add "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v LaunchTo /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

Tip: If you are looking for more registry tweaks to clean up Windows, I have guides on disabling Windows telemetry, disabling the advertising ID, and disabling background apps.

Method 3: Set This PC as Default with Winhance

If you would rather not touch the registry and you want this setting bundled with the other File Explorer and Windows tweaks you probably also want, I built Winhance — my free, open-source Windows enhancement utility — for exactly that. The File Explorer “open to This PC” toggle sits next to settings for the classic context menu, search box suggestions, telemetry, ads, background apps, and more.

I originally built it because I was tired of running the same registry edits on every Windows install at my repair shop. If you are setting up a new PC from scratch, pair it with UnattendedWinstall to apply all of this automatically during Windows setup — including the LaunchTo value.

Troubleshooting

File Explorer still opens to Home/Quick Access. Close every File Explorer window first — new windows pick up the new setting, but already-open windows do not. If the change still does not stick, restart Explorer via Task Manager or sign out and back in.

I cannot find the Advanced key in Registry Editor. Double-check the path — it is under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, not HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Copy and paste the full path into the address bar at the top of Registry Editor to skip the manual navigation.

I do not see Open File Explorer to dropdown on Windows 11. Make sure you are on Windows 11 22H2 or later — earlier 21H2 builds had a slightly different Folder Options layout. On 24H2 and 25H2, the dropdown is at the very top of the General tab.

The change reverts after a Windows feature update. Feature updates occasionally reset user-preference keys. If yours come back, run the reg add one-liner above, or set the toggle in Winhance, which can reapply it any time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Home, Quick Access, and This PC?

This PC shows your drives, standard user folders (Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc.), and any connected network locations — the traditional File Explorer landing page. Home (Windows 11) and Quick Access (Windows 10) show pinned folders, recent files, and “favourites” Windows generates from your activity. Home is essentially the new branding for Quick Access on Windows 11 22H2 and later.

Is it safe to modify the Windows registry for this?

Yes — this specific change is completely safe. The Folder Options dropdown is literally a built-in switch for the same LaunchTo value, so Microsoft expects users to flip it. The value lives under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, which only affects your own user profile and cannot break the OS for other accounts.

Does this work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Yes. The LaunchTo registry value and the Folder Options dropdown both exist on Windows 10 (22H2) and every current build of Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2). The wording in the dropdown changes (Quick access on Windows 10, Home on newer Windows 11), but the behaviour and the underlying registry value are identical.

How do I switch back to Quick Access or Home?

Either change the Folder Options dropdown back to Home / Quick access, or set LaunchTo to 2 in the registry (or delete the LaunchTo value entirely — Windows defaults to Home when it is missing). Restart Explorer or sign out for the change to take effect.

Do I need administrator rights to make this change?

No. Because the setting lives under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, your normal Windows account can change it without elevation. The Folder Options dropdown works in any account, and the reg add one-liner above works in a non-elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell as well.

Will Windows updates undo this change?

Regular monthly updates do not touch user-preference keys like this one. Feature updates (24H2, 25H2 and so on) very occasionally reset them. If yours comes back, reapply with one of the methods above — or use Winhance to manage it automatically after any future Windows install.

For more File Explorer and Windows registry tweaks, see my guides on disabling File Explorer search box suggestions, enabling the classic Windows 11 context menu, and disabling mouse acceleration. For a one-click approach to all of these, use Winhance.

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