How to make File Explorer open to the Downloads folder by default in Windows 11
To make File Explorer open to the Downloads folder by default in Windows 11, create a DWORD value named LaunchTo under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced in the Registry Editor and set it to 3. Downloads is not offered in File Explorer's own "Open File Explorer to" menu, so the Registry is the only built-in way to set it. Every new File Explorer window then starts in Downloads.
This guide covers the built-in start locations, the Registry method step by step, a one-line command alternative, how to undo the change, and what to do when the Downloads folder is not showing in File Explorer at all.
Which folders can File Explorer open to in Windows 11?
File Explorer in Windows 11 can open to Home, This PC or OneDrive from its Options menu, and to Downloads only through the Registry. Home is the default: it shows Quick access folders, favorites and recent files. Microsoft renamed Quick access to Home in Windows 11, version 22H2.
The LaunchTo value controls the start location. Each number maps to one folder:
| LaunchTo value | File Explorer opens to | Available in Options menu |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | This PC (drives and devices) | Yes |
| 2 | Home (the default) | Yes |
| 3 | Downloads | No, Registry only |
| 4 | OneDrive, or a linked mobile device on newer builds | Yes |
Value 4 points to a cloud or device provider. On recent Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 builds, the Options menu can also list a mobile device linked to the PC alongside OneDrive (personal). Windows 11 offers no setting for an arbitrary custom folder; Downloads is the only extra location that LaunchTo accepts.
How to change the start location in File Explorer Options
The built-in start locations are set in File Explorer's Folder Options, no Registry edit needed:
- Open File Explorer with Windows logo key + E, or select it on the taskbar.
- Select See more (the three-dots button) in the command bar, then Options.
- On the General tab, open the "Open File Explorer to" menu.
- Choose Home, This PC or the OneDrive entry.
- Select Apply, then OK.
This menu writes the same LaunchTo value used below. If you set Downloads through the Registry and later pick an option here, Windows replaces the value 3 with the one you selected, so the Downloads start location is gone until you set it again.
How to make File Explorer open to Downloads with the Registry Editor
The Downloads start location takes one new DWORD value in your user hive. The edit only affects the signed-in account and does not need a system-wide change, but back up the Registry or create a restore point first as a precaution.
- Open Start, type regedit and select Registry Editor.
- Select Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
- Paste this path into the address bar and press Enter: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- If a LaunchTo value already exists in the right pane, skip to step 6.
- Right-click Advanced, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and name it LaunchTo.
- Double-click LaunchTo, enter 3 as the value data and select OK.
- Close all File Explorer windows and open a new one.
File Explorer should now start in Downloads. If it still opens Home, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager (Processes tab, right-click Windows Explorer, Restart) or sign out and back in.
Set the Downloads start folder with a command, or undo it
The same LaunchTo change can be made with one command, which is handy for several PCs or a setup script. Open Terminal or Command Prompt as your normal user (not another account, since the value lives in HKEY_CURRENT_USER) and run:
reg add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" /v LaunchTo /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f
The /f switch overwrites an existing value without asking. Replace 3 with 1 for This PC or 2 for Home to switch back from the command line. Open a new File Explorer window afterwards to see the result.
Reverting the Downloads start location takes seconds. Use any of these:
- Pick Home or This PC in File Explorer Options (See more > Options > Open File Explorer to), which overwrites LaunchTo.
- Set LaunchTo to 2 in the Registry Editor to return to Home, the Windows 11 default.
- Delete the LaunchTo value; File Explorer then falls back to its default start location.
Downloads folder not showing in File Explorer in Windows 11
The Downloads folder disappears from File Explorer's navigation pane in most cases because it was unpinned from Home, not because the folder was deleted. Downloads is one of the six known folders (with Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos) that Windows pins to Quick access by default. To bring it back:
- Type shell:Downloads in the File Explorer address bar and press Enter to open the folder directly.
- Go up one level to your user folder, right-click Downloads and select Pin to Quick access.
- If the whole left pane is missing, select View > Show > Navigation pane.
If shell:Downloads opens an unexpected location, the folder was moved. Right-click inside the folder, select Properties, open the Location tab and choose Restore Default to return it to C:\Users\YourName\Downloads; Windows offers to create the folder and move your files. Once Downloads is back, the LaunchTo value 3 opens it again on every launch. If Edge holds a file back instead of saving it there, see how to handle the "isn't commonly downloaded" warning.
FAQ
Can I make File Explorer open to any folder I choose?
No. Windows 11 only supports the LaunchTo targets Home, This PC, Downloads and the OneDrive or device entry. For another folder, pin it to Home or create a desktop shortcut to it.
Does the LaunchTo change apply to all users on the PC?
No. The value sits under HKEY_CURRENT_USER, so it only changes File Explorer for the account that made the edit. Other users need to set it in their own accounts.
Is changing LaunchTo safe?
Yes, when you edit only the LaunchTo value. It changes File Explorer's start folder and nothing else, and you can reverse it at any time from File Explorer Options.
Related: show full folder thumbnails in Windows 11 File Explorer, switch Windows 11 to a classic Start menu and Explorer look, move the Windows 11 taskbar to the top or side
Thank you Martin. This works fine, but there is one thing that was/is a bit confusing. Step 6 indicates that you should double-click on the Dword and set the value to 3. The key word in that sentence is “the”, because you need to double-click on the Dword (Launch To) which was just created. There is no Dword in the list to double-click on. :).
I prefer to use for my content that I took from web, onto pictures (win10 OS) folder. For program
setup files, on downloads. For videos, pdf, txt, and test files, on documents, and desktop.
For better results, everything must be on an visible, easily access destination folder.
I’m fine with Home and Tiled for View. The Download folder is “right there.”
I don’t use the Download folder; I use the Desktop. Any program setup file I think I may want later is tucked away in a different folder.
if you could choose freely, which location would you select to launch at File Explorer start? I’ve used my download folder as my go to folder for decades. It’s sort of a file cabinet for anything you want to work on. As an aside I’ve always used refdesk as my homepage. It’s a great general reference page of most things internet.