Forum Discussion

GeraldMartin's avatar
GeraldMartin
Iron Contributor
Aug 07, 2026

When returning to the parent folder, the window's scroll position is not preserved

When you press Alt + Left Arrow to return to the previous folder after navigating to a subfolder, the file list automatically scrolls to the top instead of remaining at the position you were previous...
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Michelle_Scott77's avatar
Michelle_Scott77
Tin Contributor
Aug 10, 2026

Alt + Left Arrow means Back, while Alt + Up Arrow means go to the parent folder. When using Back during the same File Explorer session, Explorer should normally restore the previous view and approximate scroll position. Returning to the top every time can be an Explorer limitation or bug, especially if the folder has refreshed or its contents have changed.

First, test a normal local folder that is not inside OneDrive or a network location. Cloud synchronization, changing files, sorting, grouping, and thumbnail loading can refresh the list and discard its saved position.

If it also happens in an unchanged local folder:

  1. Open Task Manager and restart Windows Explorer.
  2. Make sure the folder’s sorting and grouping settings are not changing automatically.
  3. Install the latest Windows cumulative update.

Windows 11 does not provide a setting that forces Explorer to remember every folder’s scroll position. A reliable workaround is to right-click the subfolder and choose Open in new tab. The original tab then keeps its exact scroll position, and the new tab can be closed with Ctrl + W when finished.