File Explorer keeps going to Desktop

Anonymous
2024-03-25T17:19:20+00:00

When I browse and view files, File Explorer keeps going to Desktop by itself. It is easy to correct this by simply clicking the back button (<-). I would not mind if this happens once in a while, but it happens almost constantly, so it is a major nuisance.

For example, suppose that I am looking at pictures in folder E:\Pictures\2024\Events\foo, open a picture with Photos, and use it to navigate to different photos, then File Explorer will suddenly jump to Desktop. This is almost 100% reproducible. I will have to click the back button to get back to E:\Pictures\2024\Events\foo.

Could anyone offer a remedy for this?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-12-04T22:31:37+00:00

    Crazy isn't it.

    It was driving me nuts so much so that I have switched to a third party file explorer called One Commander.

    Pros

    It's stable and works as expected.

    Cons

    It doesn't fully replace File Explorer in all apps save dialogs.

    But its downsides are more than made up for with the customisation you can do with the layout.

    Hope this helps. I'm not expecting a fix from Microsoft since they don't even seem to acknowledge that users are experiencing this bug. A buggy File Explorer is completely out of character for Windows and Microsoft. It's such a core component of a productive operating system. I expect better.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-25T21:11:34+00:00

    It worked a couple hours then the issue is back. I completely shut the navigation tree on the left off and it hasnt been an issue, its a pain not having it open but atleast it isnt reverting tabs to desktop on me

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-09-27T01:23:22+00:00

    Hi, I recently bought a new computer with Windows 11 installed.

    I am also experiencing this bug in File Explorer. Windows 10 did not have this problem.

    I have tried options I and II, a clean boot and the health scans and still the navigation pane in Explorer jumps to Desktop.

    It's very frustrating and is adding extra clicks and resistance to my workflow.

    Perhaps the worst thing about it is its unpredictability.

    I have tried many other things, like toggling options in Explorer Options. Killing every process and more.

    To replicate:

    open Explorer

    go into a folder tree and click an mp3 to load. (it does it with any file type that opens an app)

    go into the next folder down in the tree and load an mp3 from there.

    repeat.

    By about the 3rd or 4th time the navigation pane completely collapses and just leaves the Desktop root structure (with just Home, Gallery, etc. underneath)

    It seems to do it worse soon after an instance of Explorer has just been opened.

    Glad I found this thread to know I'm not the only one.

    Please, there must be a fix for this! Anything.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-09-05T17:34:01+00:00

    I have had this issue for over a year now. Thoroughly annoying. Everytime file explorer id called upon from any program after showing the correct folder it Will then instantly revert back to desktop. I am forced to hit BACK - EVERY TIME. No trigger. It will always do that. Check out this video:https://jmp.sh/wfmwOOIl . None of the suggested fixes on this thread provided a fix.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-09-05T04:38:24+00:00

    Its not the first time Microsoft has done shady stuff to its loyal users. Everybody is switching to linix, i might be doing the same if Windows keeps going down its current path...

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