How to Open Folder with Keyboard Shortcut in Windows 10

Are you opening a folder(s) multiple times a day? Make it easy with a key binding. Here’s how to open a folder with a keyboard shortcut in Windows 10.

For daily users, there will be a few folders that you open frequently. For example, I have a folder called “Screenshots” that I open multiple times a day. Having a dedicated shortcut to open often used folders is very helpful and time-saving in these kinds of cases.

Now, Windows makes it easy to open File Explorer. All you have to do is click on the File Explorer icon on the taskbar or press the “Windows key + I” keyboard shortcut. After opening the File Explorer, you need to go to the appropriate location to open your favorite folder. Depending on where the folder is located, it can take several clicks to get to the folder. Doing this multiple times a day can be a pain in the neck.

The good thing, Windows 10 is very customizable. That means you can assign a keyboard shortcut to a folder. Once set, pressing the keyboard shortcut will open the folder.

This quick and straightforward Windows 10 how-to guide lets me show you how to assign a keyboard shortcut to a folder.

Open folder with a keyboard shortcut

To open a folder with a keyboard shortcut, we first need to create a desktop shortcut for the target folder and then assign it a keyboard shortcut. It doesn’t sound straightforward, but it is easy to do. Here is how.

Go to the desktop.
Right-click on the desktop and select “New -> Shortcut.”
Click “Browse.”
Select the folder and click “Ok.”
Click “Next” in the shortcut wizard.
Type a name for the shortcut in the available field.
Click “Finish.”
Right-click on the shortcut and select “Properties.”
Click the “Shortcut” field under the “Shortcut” tab.
Press the shortcut you want to assign.
Click “Apply” and “Ok.”
From now on, press the keyboard shortcut to open the folder.

First, go to the desktop, right-click, and select the “New -> Shortcut” option. Now, click the “Browse” button, find the folder, select it, and click the “Ok” button.

Click the “Next” button in the main window.

Now, type a name in the Name field and click “Finish.” This is the name that appears on the desktop.

After creating the shortcut, right-click on it and select the “Properties” option.

Now, click the Shortcut field and press the shortcut you want to assign. For example, I want to set “Ctrl + Alt + 9” as the shortcut. So, I pressed it. Next, click the “Apply” and “Ok” buttons.

Note: While assigning the shortcut, it is mandatory to have both “Ctrl” and “Alt” modifier keys.