How to reorder items in Quick access (File explorer, Windows 11)

Anonymous
2022-12-14T15:33:05+00:00

I think my File Explorer (Windows 11) is possessed by an evil creature that enjoys rattling me. Every once in a while it decides to substitute my pinned folders with some random and mostly useless ones.

Today I decided to retry and re-organize that section of File explorer.

I am not able to sort the items I put in Quick Access. Folders are in a completely random order, not alphabetical, not based on usage. It is random.

When I try and move a folder, File Explorer put it back where it was.

This is an incredibly bad application. I fail in understanding how Microsoft is not able to provide a simple and functional File Explorer. I use also a Mac OS system and cannot belive how much better their simple Finder is. At least it enables users to organize their pinned locations as they like.

Is there anyone with a suggestion?

By the way. Besides the name, what do you think the difference between "Quick access" and "Favorites" is?

For the experts: reinstalling Windows is not an option.

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

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-01-11T10:05:11+00:00

    I feel the same. They assume we want certain defaults (which we actually don't) but don't give us the means to opt out of uninstall. I don't want One Drive, I don't want Gallery or any default function that makes me have to do more work, not less. I feel that I have having a tug-of-war with MS. It's annoying, frustrating, exhausting and infuriating. Google is pulling some stuff too which only adds to the frustration. When I save something i don't know where the Hell the thing ends up so I waste tons of time trying to find it. A formerly 3 second task turns into a 10 minute struggle. I've had it. I'm buying a product key and going back to Windows 10. it was much easier for me.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-01-11T13:25:24+00:00

    You're quite right.
    We have spent all of today trying to figure out how my desktop become c:/desktop and not onedrive/desktop.
    My husband found out in the end. something about regedit.
    Without him I would never have found out.
    I have done as much as I can do, removing onedrive from my pc.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-01-12T20:19:28+00:00

    This actually works! You can even enable "Show all folders" after you rearrange the order of the Quick Access items. I have no clue why you can't rearrange the order when "Show all folders" is enabled.

    To be clear, click the "..." and the "Options" choice in File Explorer to bring up the Folder Options dialog.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-01-13T15:21:09+00:00

    @stlee987 Cool, I didn’t know that! Thank you!!!

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-01-18T19:14:01+00:00

    Wow. That worked. How stupid of Microsoft. They never cease to amaze me how convoluted they make things.

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