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JoshuaParkson's avatar
JoshuaParkson
Iron Contributor
Sep 16, 2026

Windows 11 File Explorer opens to Quick Access instead of This PC every time

I set File Explorer to open to "This PC" in folder options, but it keeps reverting to Quick Access after every restart. I've cleared the File Explorer history, reset folder options, and even created a new user profile—still the same. It's a clean install with no third-party tweaks. Anyone else dealing with this, or is there a fix that actually sticks?

 

1 Reply

  • Windows 11 normally opens File Explorer to Home unless the folder option is changed. Open File Explorer, select See more, Options, set Open File Explorer to to This PC, then select Apply and OK. Close all File Explorer windows, open a new one, and restart once to confirm the preference persisted. If it immediately reverts, the setting is being changed outside the File Explorer option. First install pending Windows updates and test after a clean boot; this identifies whether a startup tool or non-Microsoft service is rewriting the preference. Also test with a new local user account. If the account retains This PC, the issue is limited to the original profile rather than the installation. Do not use registry-cleaning tools for this. Collect the Windows version, whether the device is organization-managed, and the clean-boot result before escalating it. This PC is a supported File Explorer starting location.