How can I pin File Explorer to my Windows 11 Home START menu?

Question

Not at all sure why my PC's Windows 11 Home start menu lost the pinned File Explorer app, but I've read at least a dozen websites that say how "easy" this is to fix.

I am not sure when these very simple tasks became IMPOSSIBLE, at least for me to accomplish.

At any rate, I know it doesn't actually matter whether F.E. is pinned in my START Menu, I only know that it's making me nervous that so many little changes that I can't begin to undo keep occurring on a PC I haven't owned for a full 3 weeks yet.

If anyone can relate, and knows what I need to do to undo this small change, please let me know. I'm honestly considering whether I need to return this PC, but I only have until the 28th of June to do this.

THANKS SO MUCH!

Sydney S.

Answer 1

first open start menu

and click all apps button

right click on file explorer

choose pin to start

Answer 2

1. Right-click on the Start button or press Windows Key + X to open the Power User menu.
2. From the menu, select "Settings" to open the Windows Settings app.
3. In the Settings app, click on "Personalization."
4. On the left-hand side, click on "Start" to access Start Menu settings.
5. Scroll down to the "Start Menu" section and click on "Choose which folders appear on Start."
6. In the "Choose which folders appear on Start" window, make sure the toggle switch next to "File Explorer" is turned on. If it's already turned on, try turning it off and then turning it back on again.
7. Close the Settings app.

After following these steps, the File Explorer app should be restored and pinned to your Start Menu. If for some reason this method doesn't work, there are a few additional troubleshooting steps you can try:

Restart your PC: Sometimes, a simple restart can help resolve minor glitches and bring back missing items on the Start Menu.

Create a new user account: If the issue persists, you can try creating a new user account on your Windows 11 PC. Switch to the new account and check if the File Explorer app appears in the Start Menu. If it does, you can consider using the new account or attempt to troubleshoot the original account further.

Reset the Start Menu layout: Windows 11 provides an option to reset the Start Menu layout to its default settings. To do this, open the Settings app, go to "Personalization," click on "Start," and then click on the "Reset" button under "Reset Start layout."