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Most Windows users rely on File Explorer to access and organize their files and folders. And while this app works well for most tasks, you may want to tweak certain settings. To do this, you’ll first need to open the Folder Options window, where you can set things like how folders open in Windows 10 or the default location for new tabs in Windows 10’s File Explorer. In this article, we explain what Folder Options is and share how to open it in Windows 10 (if you are using Windows 10 on your system, you can get all the features by purchasing a Windows virtual server. enjoy it.)

Windows virtual server

Folder Options are features that help you configure various file and folder settings. Enabling or disabling them can often be useful – especially if you share your device with others.

A quick introduction to Folder Options

Various tricks of Windows 10 have always surprised us. Folder Options is one of these tricks, also known as file explorer options and includes various file and folder settings. Since installing Windows 10, you will benefit from its various features.

There are three tabs in the Windows Folder Options window: General, View, and Search tabs.

The General tab contains basic settings. This is the section where you can clear File Explorer history and configure some privacy settings.

Meanwhile, the View tab contains most of the Folder Options settings. This is where you can configure various settings, such as hiding files, hiding file size information, and more.

Finally, the Search tab is where you can configure File Explorer’s search bar settings.

How to open Windows Folder Options?

1. Use the search bar in the start menu

The easiest way to open Folder Options is to use the Start menu search bar. You can easily access system settings and various other programs using the Start menu search bar.

So, here’s how to open Folder Options through the Start menu search bar:

Press the Start menu search bar icon on the taskbar. Otherwise, press Win + S.

Type File Explorer Options and select the best match.

2. Use the Run Command dialog box

You can also use the Run command dialog box. This powerful tool also makes it easy for you to open almost any program in Windows.

Here’s how to open Folder Options with the Run dialog box:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Type control.exe folders and press Enter to open Windows Folder Options. Alternatively, type rundll32.exe shell32.dll, Options_RunDLL 0, and press Enter.

3. Use File Explorer

You can also access Folder Options using File Explorer. Here are the steps to follow:

Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Click File in the upper left corner.

Finally, select Change folder and search to access Folder Options.

Alternatively, access the folder options using File Explorer’s View tab through these steps:

Open the file explorer according to the previous steps.

Click the View tab in the upper left corner.

Click the Options drop-down menu in the upper right corner.

Finally, select the Change folder and search options.

Note: After a recent update to Windows 11, you can easily open the folder options in the File Explorer window by selecting the three dots in the menu bar and choosing Options.

4. Use keyboard shortcuts

Using Windows shortcuts (Hotkeys), you can easily access most programs and tools. You can also access Folder Options by pressing the shortcut keys on the right.

Here are the steps to follow:

Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Press Alt + F to open the File tab.

Press the O key to open Folder Options.

Alternatively, follow these steps:

Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Press Alt + V to open the View tab.

Press Y to expand the Options drop-down menu.

Finally, press O to open Folder Options.

5. Use the address bar of File Explorer

File Explorer’s address bar offers the same benefits as the Start menu’s search bar. This tool can help you find almost any tool on your device.

Here’s how to open Folder Options using File Explorer’s address bar:

Press Win + E to open File Explorer.

Type control.exe folders in the File Explorer address bar and press Enter. This should display the Folder Options window.

6. Use the control panel

Control Panel is often useful when you want to troubleshoot your Windows PC. Interestingly, this tool also allows you to open different programs easily.

So, let’s check how you can open Folder Options using Control Panel:

Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.

Type Control Panel and then press Enter.

Click the View by drop-down menu and select Large icons.

Finally, scroll down and select File Explorer Options from the list.

7. Use system settings

System settings are reliable when customizing or repairing programs on a PC. But this is not the whole story; System Preferences can help you open various tools and programs.

Here’s how to open Folder Options using System Preferences:

Press Win + I to open System Preferences.

Type File Explorer Options in the search box and then select the appropriate option.

8. Use Task Manager

You may often use Task Manager to close programs or analyze your PC’s performance. The good news is that you can also use this tool to access your apps.

So, let’s check how you can open Folder Options using Task Manager:

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.

Click the File tab in the upper right corner and select Run new task.

Type control.exe folders in the search box and press OK to open the folder options.

9. Use Command Prompt or PowerShell

Command Prompt and PowerShell are incredible tools. You can often use them to configure some settings or troubleshoot system problems.

Now, we’ll look at how to use these tools to open Folder Options:

To begin, let’s check how to open Folder Options using Command Prompt:

Type Command Prompt in the Start menu search bar.

Right-click on the best result and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command and press Enter to open Windows Folder Options.

control.exe folders

Now let’s take a look at how to open Folder Options through PowerShell:

Type Windows PowerShell in the Start menu search bar.

Right-click on the best result and select Run as administrator.

Type the following command and press Enter to open Windows Folder Options.

control.exe folders

10. Use the Folder Options desktop shortcut

You can also access Folder Options using the desktop shortcut. But first, you need to create the shortcut through these steps:

Press Win + D to access the desktop. Alternatively, check out the different ways to access the Windows desktop.

Right-click on a space on the desktop and select New > Shortcut.

Type folders %windir%\system32\control.exe in the location box and then press the Next button.

Then, type Folder Options or something similar in the Name box. Finally, press the Finish button.

You can easily access the folder options by clicking on the desktop shortcut. Pin the shortcut to the taskbar for easy access.

Conclusion

Opening Windows Folder Options is very easy. If you want to customize or troubleshoot File Explorer, check out Folder Options. To access these features, apply any of the methods we described. If you have any questions, you can share them with us in the comments section.