Location Of The Desktop Folder In Windows 11

The Desktop folder in Windows 11 is a standard folder that contains all files and app icons displayed on the desktop. That is, for instance, all files, folders, and shortcuts to app icons on the desktop are stored in the Desktop folder.

There are several ways to access the Desktop folder. However, all these methods might fail if the Desktop folder has been moved from its default location.

So, where is the Desktop folder located on a Windows 11 PC? The Desktop folder can be found in either your user profile folder or the OneDrive folder, unless you have manually moved it to a different location.

Location of the Desktop folder in Windows 11 (if OneDrive backup is not turned on)

If you have configured OneDrive to back up the Desktop folder, please scroll down the page to see the location.

Step 1: Open This PC in File Explorer.

Step 2: Double-click the drive where Windows 11 is installed (generally the ‘C’ drive). The Windows 11 installation drive is usually marked with a Windows icon for easy identification.

Step 3: Double-click the Users folder to see several sub-folders.

Step 4: Now, double-click the folder with your user account name.

Step 5: Finally, locate the Desktop folder and double-click it to view all the files within it.

And if the Desktop folder does not appear here, it’s likely because you have turned on OneDrive backup for the Desktop folder, or it has been moved to some other location. In that case, please refer to the directions below to access it.

Location of the Desktop folder if OneDrive backup is turned on in Windows 11

Step 1: Open any folder or This PC.

Step 2: On the left pane of the File Explorer, click OneDrive to open the OneDrive folder.

Step 3: You should now be able to locate the Desktop folder, among others. Double-click the Desktop folder to see all files.

Alternatively, you may type the following path in the File Explorer address bar to quickly open the OneDrive folder to find the Desktop folder.

C:\Users\YourUserName\OneDrive

In the above path, you need to replace the ‘C’ with the drive letter where Windows 11 is installed and ‘YourUserName’ with your user account name.

Find the location of the moved Desktop folder in Windows 11

If the Desktop folder is not present in the user profile folder or the OneDrive folder, it has been relocated to another location. Here is how to find out its current location.

Step 1: Open This PC or any other folder.

Step 2: Right-click the Desktop folder in the navigation pane (left pane) and then click Properties to open the Desktop Properties dialog.

Step 3: Click the ‘Location’ tab to switch to the same. Here, the field shows the current location of the Desktop folder. Click the ‘Move’ button to move it to a new location or click the ‘Restore Default’ button to move it back to the original location.

Our ‘How to Restore Desktop, Documents, and Downloads Folders to Their Default Location in Windows 11‘ guide might also interest you.