How to Add or Remove Favorites in Windows 11 File Explorer

Why Use the Favorites Feature?

The Favorites feature in Windows 11 File Explorer 📁 helps you reach frequently used files and folders by keeping them pinned to the Home view. Home is the first page File Explorer 📁 opens to on most Windows 11 builds. Pinned items stay there until you remove them, no matter how often you use them.

Is ‘Favorites’ the Same as ‘Quick Access’?

Older versions of Windows called this Quick Access. Microsoft updated the interface in Windows 11 to include a dedicated Favorites section. Pinning items works similarly, but Favorites forms a distinct area in the Home view designed for important documents.

The wording depends on your Windows 11 version and build. Some builds still say “Quick access” or “Pin to Quick access” in the menus, and newer ones say “Favorites” or “Pin to Home”. The feature is the same, so look for the closest match to the names in this guide.

How to Pin Folders to the Favorites Section

Favorites in Windows 11 give you quick access to your most-used folders right from the Home screen. To add any folder to this section, open File Explorer 📁 by pressing Win+E, find the folder you want to keep handy, right-click it, and select Add to Favorites from the menu. The steps below walk through it one action at a time.

If your menu says Pin to Quick access or Pin to Home instead, use that. It does the same job on your version of Windows 11.

Step 1: Open File Explorer 📁 by pressing Win + E. A File Explorer 📁 window opens, usually on the Home page with the navigation pane on the left. You can also click the folder icon on the taskbar 🖥️.

Step 2: Find the folder to keep handy. Browse through the left pane or the main window until you can see the folder itself. You want to right-click the folder, not a file inside it.

Step 3: Right-click the folder and select Add to Favorites from the menu. In Windows 11 the right-click menu 🖱️ is the compact one. If you can’t find the option, click Show more options at the bottom, or press Shift+F10 to open the full classic menu.

Step 4: The folder appears in the Favorites section of the Home screen. Click Home in the left pane to check. The folder should be listed there, and on most builds it also shows in the sidebar. To remove it later, right-click the pinned folder and select the unpin option, such as Remove from Favorites, Unpin from 📌 Home or Unpin from 📌 Quick access, depending on your build. The original folder stays where it was.

Troubleshooting: ‘Add to Favorites’ Option Missing

If the Add to Favorites option is missing in Windows 11 File Explorer 📁, a quick software glitch is usually the cause. You can fix this problem by restarting Windows Explorer 📁 through Task Manager 📊 or by installing 💿 the latest system updates in your settings.

First check that you right-clicked a folder and not a file, a drive or a special item such as This PC. Some items can’t be pinned, and some builds label the option differently (see the note on Pin to Home above). Work through the steps below in order, from least to most invasive.

Step 1: Restart Windows Explorer. Open Task Manager 📊 (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), locate Windows Explorer 📁 on the Processes tab, and select Restart. The taskbar 🖥️ and open folder windows disappear for a moment and then come back. That is normal. Nothing needs a full reboot, but save any work in other apps first. Then try the right-click again.

Step 2: Check for updates 🔃. Head to Settings › Windows Update 🔃 and select Check for updates 🔃 to verify the system is current. Microsoft releases fixes for File Explorer 📁 through official support documentation. Install anything that is offered, and restart the 🔄 PC if Windows asks. Then test again.

Step 3 (Admin Required): Reset folder view settings if the problem continues. Open the Registry Editor (a database for low-level Windows settings ⚙️) by typing regedit in the Start menu ⊞. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer and verify default settings. You need an administrator account, and Windows may show a User Account Control prompt that you must accept.

Be careful here. Wrong changes in the registry can cause problems. Don’t change a value unless you know what it should be, and consider exporting the key first with File › Export so you can restore it if something goes wrong.

Can I Sync My Favorites Across Devices?

File Explorer Favorites currently remain local to specific computers. They do not sync automatically through Microsoft accounts like browser bookmarks do. Favorite folders require manual pinning on each Windows 11 device.

If you use more than one PC, repeat the pinning steps on each one. A pinned folder on a network or on another drive can also show an error if that location is offline when you click it. Reconnect the drive or network and it will work again.

Summary

Windows 11 File Explorer Favorites allow pinning important files and folders for quick access on the Home screen to streamline file management. To add a folder, right-click it and choose the pin option. To remove it, right-click the pinned item and unpin it. If the option is missing, restart Windows Explorer, install updates, and only then look at the registry.