In Windows 11 file explorer navigation pane, how do I move Quick Access pins back to the top of the list?

Anonymous
2022-11-12T22:09:14+00:00

When I updated my machine to Windows 11, the quick access items were moved beneath OneDrive in the File Explorer navigation pane. This is a big inconvenience since I always have my OneDrive folder expanded and can no longer scroll to the top to access my pinned folders. How do I get the pinned Quick Access items back to the top of the navigation pane where I can – ironically – access them quickly?

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-04-02T21:54:12+00:00

    Because...

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-27T14:47:10+00:00

    Ditto! You've summarized this entire thread that has been going on for several years. I think no corporate ear has the responsibility or interest to hear this complaint. A couple of years ago, I went to OneCommander, and it works well as an alternative. Of course, I've had to "learn" the new idiosyncracies of Explorer, which change occasionally without warning and without apparent purpose.

    The older someone becomes, the more important this type of issue becomes. Younger professionals, such as the ones in charge of making these changes, surely think they have a good idea that will help. However, they are unfamiliar with long-term familiarity and its interaction with productivity.

    So we spend money on new settings, layouts, functions, conflicts, etc., and then enjoy the benefits of a new look.

    C'est la vie! I might say, tongue in cheek, "Only in America, Land of Opportunity."

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-27T14:22:27+00:00

    Hi Microsoft,

    Still no solution?

    Why fix something that is not broken?

    With each update, you make the most bizarre and dumb changes.

    Just let us move things however we want: it's really not complicated.

    We have to use third party tools like "7+ Taskbar Tweaker" or "Windhawk", just to name a few, to fix your mistakes.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-21T22:13:23+00:00

    Hi, I think I've found something similar to a solution. In the options menu, you click on the view tab, scroll down to navigation options and then check "show all folders" (I think the "expand to open folder" is not very suitable for the idea of keeping the pinned quick access folders on the top of the navigation pane). Having checked "show all folders", you'll have again the "Home" icon on top of the navigation pane but If you expand it you'll find the pinned folders above the OneDrive folder (instead of vice-versa which is quite annoying)

    Hope it helps.

    Cheers

    This is quite useful, but it also shows the damn "special" folders:

    I don't use those... I KNOW where my files are. They are just another bunch of stuff getting in the way in Explorer.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-03-21T16:39:59+00:00

    @Microsoft - Over 63,000 views on this issue. Note that not everyone submits replies or even finds this thread about Quick Access in File Explorer, but seriously this needs to be modified to give us back our productivity. To have something annoy users daily is truly unacceptable. Give us a checkbox that allows you to move it back to where it belongs.

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