How to Make File Explorer Open to OneDrive in Windows 11

Changing Where File Explorer Starts

File Explorer in Windows 11 can be changed to open to a specific location instead of the "Home" screen. This change means you will not see recent files and frequent folders upon opening File Explorer. Instead, you can set File Explorer to open directly to "This PC" or any other preferred location, making it faster for you to find needed files.

Step 1Open 📁 File Explorer

To change where 📁 File Explorer starts, you first need to open it. The easiest ways to open File Explorer are by clicking the yellow folder icon on 🖥️ your taskbar or by pressing the Windows key and the E key on your keyboard at the same time.

• Click the yellow folder icon on 🖥️ your taskbar.
• Press the Windows key + E keys on your keyboard.

Step 2Get to Folder Options

After opening 📁 File Explorer, you need to find the “Folder Options” menu to change its starting location. Look for the three dots (…) at the top of the File Explorer window, click on them, and then select “Options” from the menu that appears.

Step 3Choose Your Starting Folder

In the “Folder Options” window, on the “General” tab, you can choose where 📁 File Explorer opens. Look for the “Open File Explorer to:” setting and click the dropdown menu next to it to select your preferred starting point, such as “This PC” instead of the default “Home.”

Next to the "Open 📁 File Explorer to" text, you will see a dropdown menu labeled "Open File Explorer to." Click this dropdown menu. You will see a few choices, such as "Quick access" or "This PC," allowing you to select where File Explorer opens.

• Home: This is the default setting. It shows your recent files and folders you use often.
• This PC: This shows all your computer’s drives (like your C: drive), connected devices, and common folders like Documents and Downloads.
• Mobile device: If you have your phone or tablet plugged into your computer with a USB cable, this option lets 📁 File Explorer open directly to see its files.
• OneDrive: This will open 📁 File Explorer directly to your OneDrive cloud storage files.

For this guide, you can choose "OneDrive" from the list of Quick Access or Home views, depending on whether you want to see your synced cloud files or your recently used files first.

The "Mobile device" option requires your phone or tablet to be connected to your computer with a USB cable before you open 📁 File Explorer. If the mobile device is not connected when you set this option, File Explorer might open to a different location or show an error message.

Step 4Save Your Changes

Once you have chosen your desired starting folder in the “Folder Options” window, you need to save your selection. Click the “OK” button at the bottom of the window to confirm your choice and close ⚙️ the settings, which applies the change immediately.

Step 5Try It Out!

📁 File Explorer now opens directly to the folder you chose. After closing File Explorer, open it again. File Explorer opens directly to your connected mobile device or your OneDrive.

Using the Registry Editor (Advanced Users)

Advanced users can change where 📁 File Explorer opens using the Registry Editor. You’ll need to open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows key + R, type ‘regedit’, and navigate to a specific registry location to adjust the setting.

• Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
• Type regedit and press . If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.
• Navigate to the following location in the Registry Editor: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
• In the right-hand pane, find a value named LaunchTo. If it doesn’t exist, you’ll need to create it. 🖱️ Right-click on an empty space in the right pane, select New, then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it LaunchTo.
• Double-click on the LaunchTo value.
• Enter one of the following numbers in the “Value data” field, depending on where you want  📁 File Explorer to open:
  • 4: To open 📁 File Explorer to Mobile Device or OneDrive. (Which one opens depends on the order they appear in a specific system setting.)
• After selecting your choice, click OK to save your changes.
• Close the Registry Editor and restart 📁 File Explorer to see the changes take effect.

Summary

You can easily change the default folder 📁 File Explorer opens to in Windows 11. By going into File Explorer’s “Options” menu, you can select “This PC,” your mobile device, or OneDrive to open instead of the usual “Home” screen, making your file access more direct.