I upgraded to the preview version of Windows 8.1 specifically because I want my Start menu back, but it doesn’t actually do that. Instead, I keep having to thrash around trying to figure how to get to basic features like File Explorer. Got a shortcut for me?
Macs have the Finder, Windows has… what? Turns out that most people don’t know the name of the program in Microsoft Windows that lets you look at your files and open up folders to see what’s inside, but you’re right, it’s called the File Explorer. It’s gone through a fair number of changes in the history of Windows but it’s still remarkable how much it still resembles the original program introduced all the way back in Windows 3.1. The good old days. Well, not really.
Still, as we have talked about extensively here on AskDaveTaylor, the greatest change to Windows 8 is the removal of the start menu, and when Microsoft introduced a preview version of the upcoming Windows 8.1 update, a lot of people were excited to learn that the Start button was coming back. Until they installed it and realized that it still doesn’t give you a Start menu.
Or does it?
As you’ll see in this tutorial, it actually offers you a rather uninspired menu (honestly, it looks more like a weekend hack than anything else) but you have to know how to get to it. Once you have that, one of the entries is… ta da… “File Explorer”.
Let’s have a look!
First off, if you have Win8.1 then this is what you see on the lower left corner of your screen:
Click (or tap) on the windows icon on the left corner, however, and you don’t get a menu as you’d like, you get this:
Rather disconcerting and it does make you wonder what the point of it is when there’s already a key on the keyboard with a Windows logo on it that does the same thing.
But here’s the secret: Right click on the windows logo button on the desktop instead a regular click and…
Well that’s interesting! Look at all the useful options that appear, including “File Explorer”.
Choose it and you’re ready to go with the same File Explorer interface you’re used to seeing in earlier versions of Windows:
But here’s an odd thing, while we’re at it: do a search for “file explorer” in Windows 8 and guess what happens?
Did you guess this?
No, I have no explanation for why this is the case, but it’s sure handy to know about that right-click trick, isn’t it?
Ah Windows 8, when will we see you fully baked and ready to serve?
In Windows 8.1, actually, you can get to file explorer by the method you show. Alternatively, if you just type ‘file explorer’ on your keyboard (when on the modern ui or start screen) file explorer is shown as a result, ready to click upon. Also you can simply just click the folder icon on the taskbar (next to the right of the new windows START button logo).
You see it’s real rocket science isn’t it?
Ah, those crazy rocket scientists. 🙂
It seems like everything is more difficult with Win8. Win7 is beautiful and productive. Why do we want Win8? So far nobody has convinced me there are any advantages. Win8 seems like another orphan, like Vista.
Just get Start8 from Stardock.com.
Rather than “file explorer”, type “computer”.
Or just click the “computer” icon on the desktop. If that’s off by default in Win8.1, right-click on the desktop, select “personalize”, and click “change desktop icons”. From there, make sure that “computer” is checked.
The Short Cut to get to the File explorer is the Windows key + E