This post shows students and new users steps to locate and use the Pictures folder in Windows 11. The Pictures folder is one of the default system folders created for each user in Windows 11 that is used as a default location to save one’s pictures and other images.
The Pictures folder is important, although not critical. It simply provides a unified storage location for saved pictures and images so you don’t go looking everywhere to find the content you saved on your computer.
When you import pictures and other images, Windows will attempt to automatically store them in your Pictures folder. This is the default behavior in Windows.
If you are an administrator, you can also use folder redirection to modify or change the location of Pictures to reside on a network share or another partition.
The Pictures folder was previously known as My Pictures in previous versions of Windows. In Windows 10 and 11, it is now known simply as Pictures.
To get started with finding the Pictures folder in Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How to locate the Pictures folder in Windows 11
In Windows, the default location for the Pictures folder in each user’s profile at C:\Users\<username>\Pictures.
Replacing <username> with your Windows account name. Windows also allow users to change pictures or personal folders to a different location anytime.
Depending on how you have customized your Start menu, links to the Pictures folder may appear on your Start menu. If you click the Pictures option on the Start menu, Windows opens an Explorer window to display the Pictures library.
You can also browse the Pictures folder via File Explorer. The File Explorer icon is the button with the folder icon on the taskbar.
In File Explorer, the Pictures folder has a shortcut in the navigation pane on the left under Quick access.
This is the quickest way to get to the Pictures folder in Windows. One can also click the This PC ==> Local Disk (C:) ==> Users ==> <username> ==> Pictures to get to the Pictures folder.
Replacing <username> with your Windows account name.
Another way to quickly get to your Pictures folder is via your user profile folder. Use the user profile variable to go to your profile folder and find all folders in your home directory.
How to add the Pictures folder on the Start menu in Windows 11
Windows also allow users to add Pictures or other personal folders to the Start menu button for ease and quick access.
To add the Pictures folder to the Start menu, use the steps below:
- Press the Windows key + I to bring up the Windows Settings app.
- Navigate to Personalization ==> Start tile, then under Folders, choose which folders appear on Start next to the Power button.
Now the Pictures folder will appear on the Start menu next to the Power button.
This is another quick way to access the Pictures folder in Windows 11.
As mentioned above, one can move the Pictures folder to other locations, or change settings in applications to choose a different folder to save files and new content. Your Pictures folder is also in your Libraries which can be enabled using a few clicks.
That’s should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to locate and use the Pictures folder in Windows 11. Please use the comment form below if you find any errors or have something to add.
