File Explorer is one of the most used tool or application on Windows operating systems.  File Explorer can be used to open file, directory, edit file, copy, paste etc. In this tutorial, we will learn how to open file explorer in different ways in different Windows operating systems like Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016.

Open File Explorer Keyboard Shortcut

We will start with the keyboard shortcut which will open the File Explorer immediately. We will use the windows key and E to open File explorer immediately.

Win+E

Open File Explorer From Taskbar

By default recent Windows operating system versions like Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows Server versions offer File Explorer shortcut on the taskbar. We can open File Explorer from taskbar with a single click.

Open File Explorer Search Box

Search Box provides an easy way to access different tools, features of the Windows operating system. We can use Search Box which is opened from the start menu to open File Explorer.

On Windows 7 operating systems File explorer is named as Windows Explorer which should be used as the name of the File Explorer like below.

 

Open File Explorer From Cortana

Cortana is an assistant which can be used to manage and use computers by our voice. We can use Cortana in order to File Explorer. We just need to open Cortana from Task Manager and say

Open File Explorer

Open File Explorer WinX Menu

WinX menu can be used to open File Explorer. WinX menu can be opened two different ways. First, we can open WinX menu by using WindowsKey+X and secondly we can open it clicking right to the Start Menu.

Open File Explorer Start Menu

Start Menu provides a lot of short cut for different tools. We can open File Explorer from Start Menu. In Windows 7 it is named as Windows Explorer.

 

Open File Explorer From Desktop Shortcut

Shortcuts provide an easy way to access tools or run commands in Windows operating system. We can create a shortcut for File Explorer in order to run with a single click.

Right Click to the Desktop and

Then we will write explorer which is the executable name of the File Explorer.

In this following screen, we will set a name for the shortcut. We can use whatever name we want but we use File Explorer in this example.

In the following screen we can see the created File Explorer shortcut.

Open File Explorer PowerShell

PowerShell is a generation command line for Windows operating systems. We can use PowerShell in order to open File Explorer. We will use explorer command like below.

PS> explorer

Open File Explorer Task Manager

Task Manager provides listof process running on the system with resource usage like CPU, Memory, Disk IO, Network. We can run new task from Task Manager which can be File Explorer too. We will click File->New Task and write explorer.

We will run explorer command like below.

Open File Explorer Run Window

Run Window is used to run commands and binaries. We can use to open file Explorer with the explorer command like below. We can open Run Windows with Win+R  or from Start Menu like below.

and run following command

explorer

Open File Explorer MS-DOS Command Line

MS-DOS is the old friend of the command liners. We run explorer command on the MS-DOS command line prompt. We will open MS-DOS from Start Menu like below.

and then use explorer command.