Where Is Desktop In File Explorer? | Fast Find Guide

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In File Explorer, the Desktop folder shows under Quick Access or This PC; its path is C:\Users\\Desktop or OneDrive\Desktop.

Lost sight of your Desktop inside File Explorer? You’re not alone. Between new layouts, Quick Access changes, and cloud backup, the folder that feeds the icons on your screen can appear in more than one spot. This guide shows every reliable place to find it, why it sometimes “moves,” and the fastest ways to jump there with a click or a short command.

Quick Answer Paths You Can Trust

On a typical setup, your files that appear on the desktop live in one of two places:

  • Local profile: %UserProfile%\Desktop (same as C:\Users\<YourName>\Desktop)
  • Synced profile: %UserProfile%\OneDrive\Desktop (when Desktop is backed up to OneDrive)

Both locations surface inside File Explorer’s left pane and in the address bar once you navigate to them. If you don’t see the folder immediately, the sections below cover every route.

Find The Desktop Folder In File Explorer: All Spots

Open From Quick Access Or Home

Open File Explorer and look in the navigation pane on the left. Under “Home” or “Quick Access,” you’ll often see a direct entry named Desktop. Select it to jump straight in. If it’s missing, expand This PC and check under your user profile.

Browse By Path

Use the address bar at the top of File Explorer and paste one of these:

%UserProfile%\Desktop
%UserProfile%\OneDrive\Desktop
C:\Users\<YourName>\Desktop
C:\Users\<YourName>\OneDrive\Desktop

Hit Enter. File Explorer will open the folder and show the full path, so you can pin it or add it to Quick Access (right-click → Pin to Quick access).

Jump With A Run Command

Press Win + R to open Run, then type:

shell:desktop

That goes to your personal Desktop folder. Need the public desktop that shows items for every user on the PC? Use:

shell:common desktop

Show It In The Navigation Pane

If the left pane looks sparse, you can make File Explorer show more entries:

  1. Open any File Explorer window and select the three-dot menu → Options.
  2. Open the View tab.
  3. Toggle Show all folders as you prefer. With it on, items like Desktop, Libraries, and Control Panel appear directly in the pane.

After this tweak, Desktop usually appears near the top of the pane for one-click access.

Why The Folder Sometimes “Moves”

Windows supports backing up known folders to OneDrive. When enabled for Desktop, the live location changes from your local profile to OneDrive\Desktop. That’s by design so your files sync across devices and recover easily if you switch PCs.

You can check or change this in the OneDrive app:

  1. Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the system tray.
  2. Open Settings → Sync & backup → Manage backup.
  3. Turn Desktop backup on or off. When off, Windows returns the live path to %UserProfile%\Desktop and offers to move the files back.

Tip: switching the setting moves files between the two Desktop locations. If you keep both copies during a change, you’ll see duplicates until you tidy up.

Fast Fixes When Desktop Doesn’t Show Up

Search For It From Explorer

Open File Explorer and use the search box. Try queries like type:=folder name:=Desktop or just “Desktop” while searching This PC. On Windows 11, searching Home also surfaces cloud results from OneDrive if you’re signed in.

Reset A Misplaced Location

If the Desktop entry opens the wrong place (or shows errors), you can reset its location:

  1. In File Explorer, right-click Desktop in the navigation pane and choose Properties.
  2. Open the Location tab.
  3. Select Restore Default, then Apply. Approve the move when prompted.

This returns the folder to the standard path in your profile, unless OneDrive backup is active, in which case the path points to the synced copy.

Pin It Back To Quick Access

Once you’ve opened the correct folder, right-click it in the left pane and choose Pin to Quick access. You can also drag it within the pane to re-order entries so Desktop sits near the top.

Windows 11 And Windows 10: Small Differences That Matter

The left pane changed names over time. On Windows 10, you’ll see “Quick access.” On Windows 11, you may see “Home.” Both panes can show Desktop, your profile, and “This PC.” The address bar and Run commands work the same on both versions. If you’ve turned on OneDrive backup, both versions point Desktop to the cloud folder.

Where You’ll See Desktop Inside The Left Pane

Common Spots

  • Under Home/Quick Access: A direct link labeled Desktop.
  • Under This PC → YourName: A child entry named Desktop.
  • Under OneDrive: Desktop inside your OneDrive if backup is on.

If It’s Missing Entirely

  • Toggle Show all folders in Folder Options.
  • Open shell:desktop once; File Explorer often remembers it for the pane.
  • Check OneDrive backup settings for Desktop; the link may be under OneDrive.

Helpful Commands And Shortcuts

These quick entries save clicks. Paste them in the File Explorer address bar or the Run dialog.

# Personal Desktop
%UserProfile%\Desktop
shell:desktop

# OneDrive Desktop (when backed up)
%UserProfile%\OneDrive\Desktop

# Public Desktop for all users on the PC
C:\Users\Public\Desktop
shell:common desktop

Power tip: once you open the folder, press Ctrl + L to focus the address bar, then press Ctrl + C to copy the exact path for sharing or scripting.

Organize And Keep It Tidy

Quick Access Pinning

Pin Desktop so it stays near the top of the pane. You can also right-click common subfolders on your desktop and pin them too, which makes their locations one click away inside File Explorer.

Use Two Desktops: Personal And Public

Windows has a shared desktop at C:\Users\Public\Desktop. Anything placed there appears for every user. It’s handy on family PCs or shared machines. Keep personal files in your own Desktop and shortcuts that everyone needs in the public one.

When OneDrive Syncs Your Desktop

If your desktop icons follow you across PCs, Desktop backup is on. That’s often ideal. Just know the live path is now a subfolder of OneDrive. In File Explorer, you’ll find it under the OneDrive node with the same name, and the address bar will read ...\OneDrive\Desktop. You can turn that backup off in the OneDrive app if you prefer a purely local folder; Windows will move files back after you confirm.

Common Questions, Clear Answers

“I See ‘Desktop’ But The Files Look Wrong”

You might be opening the public desktop or a leftover folder from a past setup. Compare paths in the address bar. The personal one shows your account name in the path, the public one lives under \Users\Public\Desktop. If you see OneDrive in the path but didn’t want that, change the OneDrive backup setting.

“I Moved The Folder And Now It’s Odd”

Right-click Desktop → Properties → Location → Restore Default, then approve the move. That resets it to your profile (or to OneDrive’s Desktop if backup stays on). If the entry still points to the wrong place, sign out and back in to refresh File Explorer’s cache.

“Search Doesn’t Find It”

Switch the search scope to This PC for a deep scan. If you use OneDrive, search the OneDrive node too. You can also open Home in File Explorer and search there; it surfaces both local and cloud content when signed in.

Desktop Locations And How To Open Them

Location Typical Path Fast Open
Personal Desktop %UserProfile%\Desktop shell:desktop
OneDrive-Synced Desktop %UserProfile%\OneDrive\Desktop Open the OneDrive node → Desktop
Public Desktop C:\Users\Public\Desktop shell:common desktop

Make It One Click Away Next Time

Add To Quick Access

Open the folder, right-click it in the left pane, and choose Pin to Quick access. Drag it to the top of the list for muscle-memory speed.

Create A Desktop Shortcut That Always Works

  1. Right-click your desktop → New → Shortcut.
  2. For the location, enter shell:desktop (or %UserProfile%\OneDrive\Desktop if you prefer the cloud path).
  3. Name it “My Desktop Folder” and finish.

Double-clicking this shortcut always opens the correct folder, even after path changes or UI tweaks.

Light Troubleshooting Checklist

  • Left pane shows too little: Three-dot menu → Options → View → toggle Show all folders.
  • Entry points to the wrong place: Desktop → Properties → Location → Restore Default.
  • Cloud copy only: Check OneDrive Sync & backup → Manage backup and switch off Desktop if you want it local again.
  • Path is unclear: Press Win + R, run shell:desktop, then copy the path from the address bar.

Good To Know

Searching from File Explorer’s Home page can surface local and cloud items together when you’re signed in. That’s handy if you use OneDrive’s backup for Desktop, Documents, or Pictures.

Admin tip: the public desktop at \Users\Public\Desktop is useful for placing company-wide shortcuts. Keep it tidy so each user sees only the essentials.

Wrap-Up

You can always reach the desktop folder from the left pane, the address bar, or a short Run command. If syncing is enabled, you’ll find it under OneDrive. Pin it, add a shortcut, and it stays a single click away.

Learn how Windows search scopes work in File Explorer on the official guide:
Find your files in Windows.
If your Desktop is backed up to the cloud, Microsoft documents the known folder redirection here:
Redirect known folders to OneDrive.