How to Remove the Home Page from File Explorer in Windows 11

File Explorer in Windows 11 opens to the Home page by default, showing recent files, favorites, and quick access items. While this can be useful, many users prefer a cleaner and more direct view—such as opening This PC or a specific folder instead.

The Home page may also feel cluttered or expose recent files, which can be a privacy concern. Fortunately, Windows 11 allows you to change or effectively remove the Home page by adjusting File Explorer settings.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to remove or disable the Home page from File Explorer in Windows 11.

How to Remove the Home Page from File Explorer

Before proceeding, note that Windows does not completely “delete” the Home page, but you can disable its visibility and set File Explorer to open a different location instead.

1. Change File Explorer Default Opening Location

The easiest way to bypass the Home page is to change the default view.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the toolbar.
3. Select Options.
4. Under the General tab, find Open File Explorer to.
5. Select This PC from the dropdown.
6. Click Apply and OK.

This ensures File Explorer opens directly to This PC instead of Home.

2. Disable Recent Files and Frequent Folders

To make the Home page empty or less visible:

1. Open File Explorer Options.
2. Under the General tab, go to Privacy.
3. Uncheck:
   • Show recently used files
   • Show frequently used folders
4. Click Clear to remove existing history.
5. Click Apply and OK.

This removes content from the Home page.

3. Remove Quick Access Items

Quick Access contributes to the Home page clutter.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right-click pinned folders under Quick Access.
3. Select Unpin from Quick access.

This simplifies the Home view.

4. Use Registry Editor to Disable Home (Advanced)

For deeper customization, you can modify the registry.

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
3. Create or modify relevant values to restrict Home behavior (varies by build).
4. Restart your PC.

Only use this method if you’re comfortable editing the registry.

5. Use This PC Shortcut Instead

If you want to completely avoid Home:

1. Right-click on the desktop.
2. Select New > Shortcut.
3. Enter: explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder
4. Name the shortcut and save.

Use this shortcut to open File Explorer directly in This PC.

6. Restart File Explorer

After making changes:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Right-click Windows Explorer.
3. Click Restart.

This applies the changes immediately.

Conclusion

While Windows 11 does not allow you to completely remove the Home page from File Explorer, you can effectively bypass and disable it by changing default settings and clearing its content. By setting File Explorer to open This PC and disabling recent items, you can create a cleaner and more focused experience.

By following the steps in this guide, you can customize File Explorer to better suit your workflow and reduce unnecessary clutter.