"Open File Explorer" to Quick access, keeps reverting to This PC

It seems that every time I reboot my computer, my folder option of Open File Explorer to Quick access has reverted back to This PC. It is rather annoying, as I definitely prefer to open to quick access. I can't find anything anywhere online where I can force this change, and stop it reverting. Is there a registry entry somewhere I can edit? I even tried remapping Win+E in AutoHotKey, but there doesn't seem to be a shortcut to Quick access that AHK can utilize. Any help is appreciated.

Hi iamjamieq

If I understand your issue correctly, you set the default display as follows:
1. Open File Explorer
2. From the File menu drop down options..
3. Select 'Folder and Search Options'
4. Set the 'Open file Explorer to:' option to 'Quick Access'
5. Check other options below that but they should be ok as is
6. Apply and OK and exit.
Should always open from then on with the 'Quick Access' display.
Hope that's what you are after.

ashleyg said:

Hi iamjamieq

Should always open from then on with the 'Quick Access' display.
Hope that's what you are after.

That is exactly what I have done several times, and it works just fine until I reboot my computer. Every time I reboot, it has reverted back to "This PC" instead of "Quick access". I can't for the life of me figure out how to prevent this from happening.

Have nothing more to suggest at this stage other than to search the forum. I'm sure others will help. Good luck with the issue.

Brink said:

Hello @iamjammieq, and welcome to Ten Forums.

You could check the registry setting using Option 2 in the tutorial below to see if it is getting changed.

Open to This PC or Quick access in File Explorer in Windows 10 | Tutorials

Do you have any 3rd party software installed that could be reverting this setting?

Thanks for this link. I had searched for ages and couldn't find anything that showed where this was in the registry. I added the LaunchTo dword as it didn't exist. Changed it to 2 and of course it worked. Great. Next day it was back to This PC and the registry entry was changed to 1. I don't know if my company's network management policy is doing this, but at least I know how to fix it. I have an AutoHotKey script that launches at startup. I'm just going to add a check in there when it runs to change the dword to 2 if it isn't already. Problem solved. Thank you very much for your help!!

Brink said:

You're most welcome.

You might also talk to your company's IT department to see if they may change or remove that policy if set by them.

Yeah I'm going to sheet an email to our IT director. I'm curious why that would be part of a policy. He may not even be aware of it. Thanks again.

- - - Updated - - -

Thought I had this solved, until I noticed at some point today that File Explorer opened to This PC. So I got a registry monitor and filtered for that entry. Just after 2pm svchost.exe changed that entry back to 1. Definitely looks like a network policy. Just so weird. In the meantime, I remapped the Win+E key combo in AuoHotKey so now it does a registry check before opening, and changes LaunchTo to 2 if it isn't already, then opens File Explorer. Slight delay, but I can deal with that for now.

You can use this as the target of a shortcut:

Code:

C:\Windows\explorer.exe shell:::{679F85CB-0220-4080-B29B-5540CC05AAB6}

Keith

YES!!! Thank you!!! That is what I have been searching for for ages!! I couldn’t find that anywhere. How do you even figure out something like that?