How to Open Folders in New Windows on Windows 11

This guide explains how to make every folder open in its own separate window on Windows 11.

Why do this?

By default, Windows 11 opens every folder inside the same File Explorer File Explorer window. If you want to look at two different folders at the same time, this can be annoying because you have to keep clicking the back button to switch between them. Setting folders to open in their own windows makes multitasking much easier.

What happens when you are done?

Once you change this setting, every time you double-click a folder, it will appear as a brand-new window on your screen. You can then drag these windows side-by-side to compare files or move items between folders more quickly.

How to open folders in new windows

You can always open a folder in a new window manually. Just right-click any folder and select Open in a new window from the menu that pops up.

If you want this to happen automatically every time you click a folder, follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer File Explorer.
2. Click the three dots (ellipses) in the top menu bar.
3. Select Options from the menu.

A new window will appear. Under the General tab, look for the section labeled Browse folders.

Select the option that says Open each folder in its own window.

Click OK to save your changes.

Summary

Changing your File Explorer settings to open folders in new windows is a great way to improve your productivity. While you can manually right-click folders to achieve this, updating your preferences in the File Explorer Options menu ensures that every folder you open gets its own dedicated space. This makes it much simpler to manage multiple files and folders at once without losing your place.