How to Find Which Folder a File Is In on Windows 11

What you need: A Windows 11 computer and all or part of the file's name, such as budget. These steps search the drives inside this computer, then show the folders that hold the file.

Steps

1. Click Start (the Windows logo) on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
2. Type File Explorer, then click File Explorer in the search results to open it.
3. Click This PC on the left.
4. Click the search box in the upper-right corner of File Explorer. It has a magnifying glass on it.
5. Type all or part of the file's name, then press the Enter key.
6. Wait while the results appear below. Searching the whole computer can take a minute, and files may keep being added to the list. Wait until the list stops changing.
7. Look through the file names in the list. When you see your file, right-click it by clicking its name once with the right mouse button. A menu opens.
8. Click Open file location. If it is not in the menu, click Show more options at the bottom of the menu, then click Open file location. File Explorer now shows the folder that holds your file, with your file highlighted.
9. Look at the address bar, the long box across the top of File Explorer, to the left of the search box. It shows the names of the folders that hold your file, from left to right, with a small arrow between each name. Find the first of these names that you also see in the list on the left side of File Explorer, such as Documents, Downloads, Desktop or Pictures. Write down that name and each name after it, in order, such as Documents, then Recipes. The last name is the folder your file is in.

Expected result: File Explorer shows your file highlighted in its folder, and you have written down the names of the folders that lead to it, in order, such as Documents, then Recipes.