Windows 10 File Explorer (Windows)

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands

Typcially C:\Users\UserName\OneDrive

%OneDrive%

All hotkeys for Windows 10 File Explorer (Windows)

Manage Windows Explorer
Open Explorer

Win + E

Manage Windows Explorer
Duplicate Explorer Window via File, New Window

Alt + F , then N

Manage Windows Explorer
Quit/ close Windows Explorer

Ctrl + Q

Manage Windows Explorer
Set baseline to Address Bar. Then navigate between (1) Address Bar, (2) Ribbon (3) Left Navigation Pane, (4) Folder Content Pane (Main Content Window), and (5) Sort Bar of Content Pane if present.

Alt + D , then Tab (forward) or Alt + Tab (backwards)

Manage Windows Explorer
Refresh Explorer Window

F5

Manage Windows Explorer
Toggle Full Screen

F11

Address Bar - Basics
Jump/ focus Address Bar with content selected

Alt + D

Address Bar - Basics
Copy current path

Alt + D , then Ctrl + C

Address Bar - Basics
With help of dropdown and Enter, select sub-directories. Note that the backslash is required for items in sub-directory to be visible.

Alt + D , then c:\(directory name}

Address Bar - Basics
Show previous locations

Alt + D , then Alt + Down Arrow

Address Bar - Basics
Jump one level up

Alt + Up Arrow

Address Bar - Basics
Change focus from Address Bar to Folder Content (goes to previous/ next location and then changes focus to Folder Content; only works if a previous item is available)

Alt + D , press and hold Alt then press Left Arrow , Right Arrow

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\

%SystemDrive% or %HomeDrive%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Windows

%WinDir% or %SystemRoot%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Users\UserName

%HomePath%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming

%AppData%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local

%LocalAppData%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typcially C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Temp

%Temp% or %Tmp%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Users\Public

%Public%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\ProgramFiles

%ProgramFiles%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\Program Files\Common Files

%CommonProgramFiles%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typically C:\ProgramData

%AllUserProfile%

Address Bar - Environment Variable Shorthands
Typcially C:\Users\UserName\OneDrive

%OneDrive%

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for all files with ending .docx

*.docx

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for term1 and term2 combined

term1 AND term2

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for files/ folders containing term1 or term2

term1 OR term2

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for files/ folders containing term1, but not term2

term1 -term2

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for exact phrase

"term1 term2"

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for files with timestamp greater Jan 1, 2017. < works equivalent

term1 date:>1/ 1 /2017

Windows Search Shortcuts
Search for files by size. After typing size:, options are offered in drop-down

term size:(small/medium/large/etc.)

Windows Search Shortcuts
Cancel Search

Esc

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
Jump/ focus Navigation Pane

Alt + D , then 2x Tab

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
One item up/ down

Arrow Up / Arrow Down

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
One page up/ down

Page Up / Page Down

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
Go to first itme/ last item

Home / End

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
Scroll directory tree up/ down without changing focus

Ctrl + Arrow Up / Arrow Down

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
Open/ close directory tree

Arrow Left / Right Arrow on tree parent

Left Navigation Pane Shortctus
Change to parent element in tree when in sub-element

Shift + Arrow Left

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Jump/ focus Folder Content Pane

Alt + D , then 3x Tab

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Select all items via Home, Select All. Also shorthand for changing focus to Folder Content

Alt + H , then S A

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
One item up/ down

Arrow Up / Arrow Down

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
One page up/ down

Page Up / Page Down

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Go to first itme/ last item

Home / End

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Scroll directory tree up/ down without changing focus

Ctrl + Arrow Up / Arrow Down

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Select multiple (adjacent) items

Shift + Arrow Up / Arrow Down

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Select multiple (non-adjacent) items

Press and hold Ctrl , Arow Keys , and press Space on multiple items

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Go to previous/ next location

Alt + Arrow Left / Arrow Right

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Up one level. There is no down one level, but you may use Alt+left to go to previous location

Alt + Up Arrrow

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Show properties of file or folder

Alt + Enter on item

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Navigate Files/ Folders
Open context menu of file or folder

Shift + F10 on item

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Create new folder

Ctrl + Shift + N

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Copy, cut, paste

Ctrl + C , Ctrl + X , Ctrl + V

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Undo an action

Ctrl + Z

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Redo an action

Ctrl + Y

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Delete an item and place it into the Recycle Bin

Delete

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Delete an item permanently without placing it into the Recycle Bin

Shift + Delete

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Manage File/ Folders
Edit Item. Select name excluding file extension

F2

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Jump/ focus Folder Content Pane (required for changing views with Ctrl+Shift+1…8

Alt + D , then 3x Tab

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Extra Large Icons

Ctrl + Shift + 1

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Large Icons

Ctrl + Shift + 2

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Medium Icons

Ctrl + Shift + 3

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Small Icons

Ctrl + Shift + 4

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to List View

Ctrl + Shift + 5

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Details View

Ctrl + Shift + 6

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Tiles View

Ctrl + Shift + 7

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Content View

Ctrl + Shift + 8

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Views
Change View to Size Fit all items within column width

Alt + V , then S F

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Item Order
Jump/ focus Sort Bar (Content Area Table Header)

With focus anywhere, Alt + D , then 4x Tab , then Enter

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Item Order
Jump/ focus Sort Bar (Content Area Table Header). Use after changing sort order to change again.

With focus on Folder Content Pane, 1x Tab

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Item Order
Select sort column

Arrow Left / Right Arrow on Sort Bar

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Item Order
Change sort order ascending (or descending) by name, date, etc.

Press Enter on Sort Bar Item

Folder Content (Main Pane) - Change Item Order
Change sort order descending (or ascending)

After changing sort order, press Tab , then Enter

Similar combinations for other applications