Where is ‘My Computer’ on Windows 11? How to Find 'This PC' Easily! (2024)

On Windows 11, ‘My Computer’ goes by the name of ‘This PC’. But it’s not easy to find if you don’t know where to look since Microsoft took away this much-utilized desktop and Start menu shortcut.But, fortunately, it can be brought back. In this guide, we take a look at how to go about bringing My Computer (or This PC) back where it belongs, that is, to the fore.

Got Windows 10? Don’t worry. Even though the guides below show the Windows 11 UI, they are fully compatible with Windows 10 too.

What is ‘My Computer’ good for?

‘My Computer’ used to be the go-to space for anyone wanting to explore their computer drives and manage the content on them. But apart from that, it also provided a way to get to the ‘System Information’ page quickly (by right-clicking and selecting ‘Properties’). These two things in conjunction made ‘My Computer’ the gateway to your entire computer, including all the drives and system information. This is why it was (and still is) perhaps one of the most important elements for a Windows user.

Related: How to Remove Bing From Windows 11

How to open My Computer easily on Windows 11 or Windows 10

Here are the easy ways to access ‘My Computer’ easily.

Method 1: Access ‘My Computer’ from Desktop with the ‘This PC’ shortcut

To get back ‘My Computer’ on Windows 11, follow the steps given below:

Right-click on the desktop and select Personalize.
This will open the Personalization Settings page. Click onThemeson the right.
Then scroll down and click onDesktop icon settingsunder ‘Related settings’.
This will open the Desktop Icon Settings window. Here,selectComputerso that there is a check before it. Then click OK.
You will now see ‘This PC’ appear on your desktop where it belongs.

Related: How to Set Google Chrome as Default Browser on Windows 11

Method 2: Pin ‘This PC’ to Start

This method borrows from the previous one, in that to pin ‘This PC’ to the Start Menu, you will need to have it placed on the desktop first.

Once you have This PC on the desktop, right-click it and select Pin to start.
Now press Start to see where This PC is pinned.
In most cases, it will be pinned towards the bottom of the list. Scroll down to get there if you can’t find it on the first page. Alternatively, you can click on the last dot towards the right of the Start Menu.
Then right-click on This PC and selectMove to topto do so.
You can now easily get to This PC from the Start Menu.

Related: How to Extend Volume Windows 11 or Windows 10

Method 3: Create a ‘This PC’ shortcut on the desktop

Another way to get ‘This PC’ to the desktop is to bring its shortcut to the desktop.

To do this, first press Win + E to get to Windows Explorer. You will see This PC and its constituents in the left panel.
Simply drag ‘This PC’ to the desktop to have its shortcut appear there.

Method 4: Change Folder Options to open File Explorer to ‘This PC’

You can change File Explorer to open My Computer (or This PC) instead of the default Quick Access.

To do so, first press the Win + E shortcut to open Windows Explorer.
Click on the ellipsis icon in the toolbar up top.
SelectOptions.
Under the ‘General’ tab, click on the drop-down menu next toOpen File Explorer to.
SelectThis PC.
ClickOK.

Now, whenever you open the File Explorer, you’ll open directly to This PC.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Here we answer a few commonly asked questions about ‘My Computer’ or This ‘PC’.

Why Windows E is not opening my computer? Why the shortcut is not working?

If Win + E doesn’t open directly to My Computer, you might have your Windows Explorer Options set to open to Quick Access. To change this, look at the section just before FAQs.

How do I put the ‘This PC’ icon on Windows 11?

You can bring back the ‘This PC’ icon through Windows Personalization Settings or add its shortcut from Quick Access to the Desktop, or the Start Menu. Refer to the guide above for the same.

What is the keyboard shortcut to open My Computer/This PC?

If you’ve configured the Windows Explorer options to open directly to This PC, then you can simply use the Win + E shortcut to do so.

Is ‘My Computer’ and ‘This PC’ the same?

Yes, ‘My Computer’ and ‘This PC’ are exactly the same. This nominal change was introduced by Microsoft on Windows 8, effectively replacing the former with the latter. But the change is only in name; in terms of functionality, it is all the same.

RELATED

How to Make Windows 11 Bootable USB in 4 Easy Steps
How to Find Duplicate Files in Windows 11
Windows 11 Snap Layouts not working? Here’s how to fix
How to Clean Registry on Windows 11 [4 Ways]
How to Log in as Administrator on Windows 11 or Windows 10
How to Clear Space on Windows 11
Laptop Hotkeys Not Working on Windows 11? How to Fix and Why Is This Happening

FAQs

Where is ‘My Computer’ on Windows 11? How to Find 'This PC' Easily!? ›

Open File Explorer and its in the list on the left called "This PC". That's it right there.

Learn More ›

Where do I find this PC on Windows 11? ›

If you want to enable the 'This PC' icon in your Windows 11 desktop, you can navigate to Settings -> Personalization -> Themes -> Desktop icon settings. Select computer and this pc respectively and click ok when finished.

How do I find out what computer I have Windows 11? ›

Windows 11 or Windows 10

In the Search Box, type System. In the list of search results, under settings, select System Information. Look for System Model in the System section.

Get More Info ›

Why can't I find this PC on my computer? ›

To display the "This PC" or the "My Computer" icon, right-click your desktop, then navigate to Personalize > Themes > Desktop Icon Settings. Select "Computer" from the listed options and then click "Apply" to add it to your desktop.

Show Me More ›

How do I access this PC? ›

To get to This PC in Windows 10, open File Explorer from the taskbar and select This PC in the left pane.

Get More Info Here ›

How do I find my computer identifier on Windows 11? ›

On Windows

Go to the Start menu, then in the search box type “cmd” and hit Enter.
In the cmd window, type “ipconfig /all”.
Find the line that reads “Physical Address”. This is your Machine ID.

Learn More ›

How to search PC on Windows 11? ›

Discover more with search home

Search home also gives you easy access to your recently launched apps, files, settings, and websites. To get to search home even faster, you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows logo key + S to open Search, or simply mouse hover on the illustration in the search box on the taskbar.

What PC do I have Windows 11? ›

Go to Settings > System > About. Press Windows + I to launch Settings. Click System in the left pane, scroll down, and click About. At the top, above Device specifications, you'll find your device name and the model number under it in smaller font.

Discover More Details ›

How do I find my computer? ›

Find your Windows device

Go to https://account.microsoft.com/devices and sign in. Select the Find My Device tab. Choose the device you want to find, and then select Find to see a map showing your device's location.

Keep Reading ›

Where is the computer name in Windows 11? ›

Do you need help locating your computer name?

Open the Control Panel.
Click System and Security > System. On the View basic information about your computer page, see the Full computer name under the section Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings.

Why is my computer PC not showing? ›

Why the PC Turns on With No Display. When a computer powers on but shows nothing on the screen, the most likely issue is the monitor. It's either off, disconnected, or broken. However, you should also consider that a peripheral device connected to the PC, or the computer itself, could be to blame.