Are you tired of opening every single folder just to check what’s inside? If you work with a lot of files on your Windows PC, navigating folders manually can become time-consuming.
Fortunately, Windows has several built-in features that allow you to preview, search, and manage your folders more efficiently—without opening each one.
In this article, we’ll show you 7 time-saving tips for navigating Windows File Explorer like a pro. These tricks work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 (including the 2025 version 24H2).
- 1 7 Essential Windows Folder Navigation Tips
- 2 Bonus Tips and Tricks
- 3 Conclusion
7 Essential Windows Folder Navigation Tips
1. Use the Preview Pane to Check File Contents
By enabling the Preview Pane in File Explorer, you can view the contents of a file (like images, PDFs, Word documents, and more) on the right-hand side without opening it.
How to enable:
Open File Explorer → Click the “View” tab → Select “Preview pane”.
On Windows 11 (24H2), this option may be inside the “…” (More) menu.
2. Switch to Detailed View
Use the “Details” view in File Explorer to see more information at once—such as name, file type, size, and date modified. You can sort the list by clicking on any column header.
How to enable:
View tab → Layout → “Details”
3. Pin Folders to Quick Acces
If there are folders you use frequently, pin them to the “Quick Access” section in the left sidebar for one-click access.
How to do it:
Right-click a folder → Select “Pin to Quick Access”
4. Customize Folder Options for Better Visibility
Folder Options allow you to fine-tune how files and folders appear. Here are three powerful settings you can enable:
✔ Always show icons, never thumbnails: This speeds up folder loading, especially when you have many images.
✔ Show hidden files and folders: Useful for advanced users who need access to system files.
✔ Show file extensions: Helps you identify file types (e.g., .docx, .exe) and avoid opening the wrong file.
How to open Folder Options:
Press Windows + E to open File Explorer
Click “View” → “Options”
In the “View” tab, adjust the settings listed above
Click “Apply” and “OK”
5. Use the Search Bar Like a Power User
At the top-right of File Explorer is a Search bar. Type a keyword or filename and Windows will instantly filter matching files.
Bonus tip: Use filters like:*.jpg (image files), date:this week, or size:>100MB to narrow down your results.
6. Let the Navigation Pane Auto-Expand
Want the left sidebar to automatically show where you are in the folder tree?
Enable: “Expand to open folder” in Folder Options → “Navigation pane”.
This helps you stay oriented in deeply nested folders.
7. Speed Up Access with Shortcuts
Here are a few handy shortcuts to boost productivity:
- Windows + E: Open File Explorer
- Alt + ← / →: Go backward or forward
- Right-click a file or folder → “Send to” → “Desktop (create shortcut)”
Bonus Tips and Tricks
Here are a few lesser-known but powerful tricks:
Rotate Images Without Opening Them
Right-click a photo and choose “Rotate right” or “Rotate left”—no viewer needed!
Hover Tooltips
Hover over a file or folder to see a tooltip with details like size, type, and modified date.
Access Recent Files Instantly
Type recent into the Run dialog (Windows + R) to view your recently opened files.
Use Search by File Attribute
Type attributes:readonly to find read-only files or *.mp4 date:this month for recent videos.
Recommended Tools to Improve Your File Management
If you’re looking to take your productivity even further, these external tools can help make file management and backups even easier．USB sticks for quick file transfers:
- 🇺🇸 United States: USB Drive on Amazon.com
- 🇩🇪 Germany: USB Stick on Amazon.de
This article may contain affiliate links. If it’s helpful to you, clicking through helps support this site — at no extra cost to you.
Conclusion
Using these folder navigation and preview tricks, you can significantly reduce the time spent opening and closing folders.
Whether you’re organizing your downloads, working with hundreds of files, or just want a faster way to manage documents—these built-in Windows features can make your workflow smoother.
Try out a few of these today, and discover how much time you can save with just a few clicks!
✔️You might also find these helpful:
▶︎How to Fix “A Required File Is Missing or Corrupt” Error in Windows
▶︎ How to Diagnose and Fix It via Event Viewer
▶︎DistributedCOM 10016 Error: What It Means and How to Handle It
💡 Looking for more tips? Check out our full list of Windows Help Guides.
