How to Make Windows Explorer Open Where You Want

By default, the Windows Explorer opens at "My Documents." If you'd like it to open somewhere else, say C:\DOWNLOADS or even a different drive, you can change the default location by editing the shortcut properties. This eHow shows you how.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   Right-click menu

   Right-click on the Windows Explorer icon and select "Copy" from the menu as illustrated in the screenshot.

2. 
    
   Copy of Explorer

   Right-click on your Windows desktop and select "Paste" from the menu to paste a copy of the Windows Explorer shortcut on your desktop. A copy of the shortcut is created as illustrated in the screenshot.

3. Right-click on the copy of the Windows Explorer and select "Properties" from the menu. The Properties dialog opens.

4. 
    
   Default Target

   In the "Properties" dialog, note the "Target:" line. This is the directory Explorer opens for you when you click the icon. By default, it should say "Target:%windir%\explorer.exe" or "Target:%SystemRoot%\explorer.exe"

5. 
    
   Target changed

   By changing the "Target:" line, you can have Explorer open any place you wish. For example, if you have a downloads directory on your C:\ drive, you can make Windows Explorer open there when you click the new icon. In this example, you'll change the target line to read "Target: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe /n,/e, C:\DOWNLOADS" (no quotes) as illustrated in the screen shot. "/n,/e," are Windows Explorer command-line switches and "C:\DOWNLOADS" is the path to the place where we want Explorer to open. Click the "OK" button to save the changes.

6. 
    
   Change icon

   You can also change the icon and rename the shortcut to make it easier to distinguish from the default Windows Explorer icon. Right-click on the copy of the shortcut and select "Properties" from the menu. Click the "Change Icon..." button. Select an icon for the new shortcut. When you've finished changing the icon, click the "OK" button. Next, right-click on the new Windows Explorer shortcut and select "Rename" from the menu. Enter a new name for the shortcut.

Tips & Warnings

• The path specified in the Windows Explorer shortcut must already exist for the shortcut to work, so make sure you've created it before attempting this eHow.
• The "/n,/e," are command-line switches that take advantage of different Explorer features. The switch "/n" tells Windows to open a new window. The switch "/e" uses Explorer view, a two-pane window very similar in appearance to the old File Manager in Windows 3.x. Refer to the Microsoft article in the Resources section for more information on Explorer command-line switches.

Resources

• Command-Line Switches for Windows Explorer

[williamfjordan]

on 2/24/2009 nice tip ... 5*

[goodselfme]

on 1/24/2009 Good detail in your 5* article. I also recommended you as well.

[Veesites]

on 1/13/2009 Excellent article. Thanks for this clear explanation.