Learn Useful Keyboard Shortcuts
Let’s begin the guide with an extensive list of keyboard shortcuts for File Explorer on Windows 11. It will come in useful for the rest of the guide and make your experience snappier saving you precious time.
- Windows+E – open file explorer
- Backspace – go back one folder back
- Alt+ left arrow/right arrow – move one folder back or forward
- Ctrl+N – opens a new window of the same destination when file explorer is open
- Ctrl+W – closes open tabs/window (if no tabs are open)
- Ctrl+T – open a new tab
- Alt+F4 – closes open windows including all open tabs if any
- Ctrl+F – use the search bar in the top-right corner
- Ctrl+L – use the address bar at the top
- Ctrl+Z – undo previous action (restore deleted file)
- Ctrl+Y – redo previous action
- Alt+Tab – switch between open windows
- Windows+F1 – opens ‘how to get help’ page in Bing search
- Shift+Del – deletes selected files directly without moving them to the Recycle Bin first
- F2 – rename the selected file or folder
- F6 – move through file explorer elements
- Win+Left/Right/Up/Down – dock open window to either side of the screen and view two app windows side-by-side
- Ctrl+Shift+N – create a new folder
- Alt+Enter – view properties of the selected folder
- Backspace – go one folder back or to the parent folder
- Alt+P – display a preview of the selected file on the right window pane
- Shift+Alt+P – edit metadata that you see in the preview using the command above
Regular keyboard shortcut to cut, copy, paste, and select all work everywhere including File Explorer.
