How to Duplicate Windows File Explorer Windows

Almost constantly we look for ways to work with an operating system of the complexity of Windows, in the most productive way. For this we can use certain customizable functions, as well as very useful key combinations.

In this way, what we really achieve is being able to move better among the many options that this Microsoft software presents to us, with which we gain in productivity. However, to achieve what we are looking for in this case, we will not have everything at hand. That does not mean that achieving it is far from complicated, but it is a little more hidden. This is, for example, the case that we will talk about next, we refer to being able to duplicate an Explorer window exactly the same as the primary one.

Duplicate Windows File Explorer Windows

Keyboard shortcuts are used to optimize work on the PC

Serve as an example what we can do in most Internet browsers when duplicating a certain tab. Thus, in the event that we want to open a tab exactly the same as the one we have running, we have a very fast function. To do this we just have to click inside the address bar, and use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Enter . At this point, the current tab will be duplicated and that URL will open in a new one instantly.

That’s basically a shortcut to copy the URL and paste it into a new tab in a second. Saying that this same feature can be really useful in desktop environments, specifically and as an example, in file explorers . Let’s get in case we have a Windows File Explorer window open in a certain folder. At that time, for whatever reason, we want to open another one in that same disk location.

Well, unfortunately the mentioned Alt + Enter keyboard shortcut is only valid for browsers. If we want to duplicate a File Explorer window, we will have to use a different method that runs in two steps, as we will see. Therefore, for this, the first thing we do is locate ourselves in the Explorer window that we need to duplicate. Next we click on the key combination Alt + F , with which a menu will appear in the upper right corner.

Duplicate the File Explorer window in Windows

Here we will find, along with those options to open windows or other applications such as PowerShell, an assigned letter key. That is precisely what interests us in this case, let’s see the reason. And it is that when you opt for the option Open a new window, we will see that the N key is associated with it. Therefore, if we press this N key at that moment, in principle we would think that this will open a new Windows Explorer window . But no, in reality what opens is a duplicate of the current window, which is what we are looking for in these lines.

Duplica Explorador Windows

In this way, another Windows Explorer window will appear on the screen in exactly the same folder as the original, where we use the key combination . Of course, we must bear in mind that this will present some limitations. For example we will not be able to return to the previous position of the location as in the original window. This is because this copy does not support browsing history.

But of course, in the case that we navigate to other different folders in the new duplicate window, this one will start to store the new history. Therefore from that moment on we can go back and forth. But otherwise, this fast-running utility will be very helpful when it comes to opening several identical windows of File Explorer.