How to access the documents folder on this computer

Using File Explorer to Access Your Documents

You can open File Explorer 📁 (the file management app built into Windows) to find your documents folder this computer right from the left-hand sidebar. Look for Quick Access or Home at the top of the navigation pane, where a direct shortcut to your documents folder always sits ready for you to click.

To open your folder directly from the default interface, use these steps:

1. Press the Win+E on your keyboard to open File Explorer 📁.

   

2. Look at the left-hand navigation pane.
3. Click on Home or Quick Access to view your pinned and frequent folders.
4. Locate the Documents icon under the frequent folders or user folders section and click it once to open it.

Alternatively, click This PC in the left pane, double-click your primary operating system drive (usually Local Disk C:), open the Users folder, open your user profile folder, and double-click Documents.

The Difference Between This PC and OneDrive Documents

Your documents folder this computer lives directly on your hard drive, while OneDrive (Microsoft’s cloud storage service) keeps your files online so you can reach them from any device. When OneDrive takes over your folders, your files save to the cloud instead of staying strictly on your local machine.

Instead of residing purely on your local hardware drive at C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents, the folder path shifts to a synced directory such as C:\Users\USERNAME\OneDrive\Documents. If you disable cloud syncing or sign out of your account, these paths can disconnect, making your files appear missing even though they remain intact on your drive or online storage space. Checking the address bar at the top of File Explorer when you have the folder open reveals whether you are currently viewing the local hardware path or the cloud-backed path.

How to Change the Save Location of Your Documents Folder

Right-click your documents folder, open its Properties, go to the Location tab, and click Move to send all your files to a new drive without breaking your shortcuts.

This action requires administrator privileges if your user account standard permissions are restricted. To change the physical path of your folder, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer and click on This PC in the left navigation pane.
2. Open your user profile directory by navigating to C:\Users\USERNAME.
3. Right-click the Documents folder and select Properties from the context menu.
4. Click on the Location tab at the top of the Properties window.

   

5. Click the Move... button to select a new destination on a different drive.

   

6. Browse to the new folder or drive where you want to store your files, click Select Folder, and then click Apply.
7. When Windows prompts you to move all existing files to the new location, click Yes to ensure nothing gets left behind.

If this didn't work

You can find your documents folder this computer by showing hidden files in File Explorer, checking the Recycle Bin, or searching your entire C drive using the Windows search bar. If a recent update messed up your user profile, signing out and back into your Microsoft account usually brings your missing folders back.