Pin Items to File Explorer's Quick Access View

Written by Barry Dysert (last updated September 14, 2020)

File Explorer's Quick Access view is great for navigating the file system. If there are particular files or folders that you frequent, you can pin them to Quick Access and have them be just a click away.

Pinning an item to Quick Access is very easy. Within File Explorer, navigate to the file or folder that you want to pin, right-click it, and select "Pin to Quick Access" from the Context menu. The item that you pinned doesn't move, but you'll now see it also in the Quick Access section of File Explorer. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Pinning a folder to Quick Access.

And you don't have to settle for the order in which File Explorer keeps your pinned items. You can drag/drop items within the Quick Access section to place them in the order you like by clicking on an item and, while holding down the mouse button, dragging the item to another location in the Quick Access section. When you release the mouse button, the item is repositioned. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2. Drag/drop a folder in Quick Access to reorder it.

Finally, if you later wish to remove an item from the Quick Access section, you right-click the item and select "Unpin from Quick Access" from the Context menu. The item still retains its availability in its original location on disk, but its Quick Access entry is removed. (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. Unpinning an item from Quick Access.

 This tip (13452) applies to Windows 10.

Author Bio

Barry Dysert

Barry has been a computer professional for over 35 years, working in different positions such as technical team leader, project manager, and software developer. He is currently a software engineer with an emphasis on developing custom applications under Microsoft Windows. When not working with Windows or writing Tips, Barry is an amateur writer. His first non-fiction book is titled "A Chronological Commentary of Revelation." ...

MORE FROM BARRY

Understanding System Protection

System Protection is an automatic feature of Windows. It uses restore points that can be a virtual lifesaver if an ...

Discover More

Regaining Control of Your System

The Windows Task Manager is a useful utility that provides information about what's running on your system. You can also ...

Discover More

Understanding XPS Documents

XPS Documents have been around for several years and are now making their way into the native Windows environment. They ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Saving Search Queries

Windows Explorer has a good search utility built into it. As you use it, you may wish to save your commonly typed ...

Discover More

Renaming Multiple Files at the Same Time

It's possible to rename multiple files at the same time, but the new names of the files may leave a bit to be desired. ...

Discover More

Copying Files to a CD or DVD

You can have virtually unlimited disk space if you're willing to swap discs once in a while. By copying files to a CD or ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 4 - 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.