Learn the simplest way to pin any folder to the Start menu in Windows 11 for quick and easy access using the File Explorer options.
Compared to the older versions, the Start menu in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is pretty customizable. For example, you can pin your favorite app and even add quick links to your user folder. It even has a recommended section that shows recently installed or most-used apps. On Windows 11, you can even create custom folders to organize pinned apps.
While most Windows users know that you can easily pin apps to the Start menu. Do you know that you can also pin any folder on your system to the Start menu? Once pinned, you can open it directly from the Start menu. No need to open the File Explorer and then navigate to the folder.
In this quick and easy guide, I will show you the steps to pin and unpin folders to the Start menu alongside apps in Windows 11. Let’s get started.
Why Pin Folders to the Start Menu?
Most of us have a few folders that we open multiple times a day. Rather than opening the File Explorer and navigating to the target folder manually, you can pin that folder to the Windows 11 Start menu. That way, your favorite folder is just two clicks away. For example, I have a dedicated screenshots folder that I open multiple times. So, I pinned it to the Start menu to make things easier on myself.
Steps To Pin a Folder to the Windows 11 Start Menu
You can add any folder to the Windows 11 Start menu by selecting the “Pin to Start” option. Here is how to do it.
- Open the File Explorer by pressing the “Windows key + E”.
- Find the folder you want to pin.
- Right-click on the folder.
- Select the “Pin to Start” option.
- The folder is pinned to the Start menu immediately.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
The first thing we need to do is open the File Explorer. There are multiple ways to open it. Either press the “Windows key + E” shortcut or click on the File Explorer icon on the taskbar. As always, you can also search for File Explorer in the Start menu.
After opening the File Explorer, find the folder you want to pin to the Start menu. Next, right-click the folder and select “Pin to Start“.
The folder is immediatly pinned to the Start menu under the Pinned section as soon as you do that.
By default, the new pinned item will be the last in the grid. If you want to, you can change its position by dragging and dropping. For example, I moved it to the first place.
That is all. It is that simple to pin folders to the Start menu in Windows 11. Following the same steps, you can pin any number of folders to the Start menu.
Unpin Folder From Windows 11 Start Menu
To unpin a folder from the Start menu, open the Start menu, right-click on the pinned folder, and select the “Unpin from Start” option. The folder will be unpinned from the Start menu as soon as you choose the option.
That is all. It is that simple to pin a folder to the Start menu. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
