How to Duplicate a File Explorer Window in Windows 10

To open a second File Explorer window at the folder you are using in Windows 10, select that window and press Ctrl+N. The original window stays open, and the new one lets you work with the same folder in a separate window. Microsoft lists Ctrl+N as the File Explorer shortcut to open a new window in its Windows keyboard shortcut reference.

Open the current folder in a second window

1. Bring the File Explorer window you want to duplicate to the foreground. Open the folder you need, then check its breadcrumb path near the top of the window. For example, it may show This PC > Documents > Project Notes.
2. Press Ctrl+N while File Explorer is active. Do not hold the keys down; press them together once.
3. Wait for the additional window to appear. Check its address bar or breadcrumb and confirm it shows the folder you intended to open. The original window should still be available behind it or on the taskbar.

This creates another view of the same location; it does not make a second copy of the files. Changes made in either window affect the shared folder. That makes the shortcut useful when you want to compare two locations, drag files between folders, or keep the same folder visible while using another app.

Use the File menu if you prefer mouse or menu commands

Windows 10 also offers an Open new window command in File Explorer’s File menu. With the desired folder already open, select File in the upper-left corner, then choose Open new window. You can open the menu with Alt+F; in the English interface, press N if that letter is shown for the command. If the letter does not work on your Windows build or in another display language, select the command with the mouse or use the underlined letter shown on screen.

The menu command is useful if you forget Ctrl+N or want to confirm that you are opening a new window from the current folder. Choose the command from the File Explorer window that is already showing the location you want. Starting another Explorer window from the taskbar or Start menu can instead open the configured starting location, such as Quick access or This PC.

Check the path and arrange both windows

After the new window opens, compare the breadcrumb paths in both windows. Matching paths mean they are looking at the same folder, even if one window is smaller or positioned differently. If you use two windows for file management, drag one by its title bar to the left or right edge of the screen to snap it into place, then select the other window for the remaining side. Microsoft explains window snapping and switching in its Windows multitasking guide.

If the second window is hidden behind the first, press Alt+Tab to switch between open windows. When several File Explorer windows are grouped under one taskbar icon, select the icon and choose the window you want. Closing one window does not delete or close the other; use Ctrl+W when the window you want to close is active.

What happens to the Back button?

A new window opens at the current folder, but it does not recreate the route you took to get there. If the original window reached Project Notes by moving through other folders, its Back button can return through that earlier history. The new window has no copy of that earlier trail, so its Back button may be unavailable until you navigate to another folder in the new window. The original window’s history is unchanged.

This is expected: the new window shares the folder location, not the original window’s navigation session. Once you move to another folder in the new window, it builds its own Back and Forward history from that point.

If the new window opens somewhere else

• Make sure the right window is active. Click inside the File Explorer window that already shows the folder you want, then press Ctrl+N again.
• Check how you opened Explorer. Windows+E opens File Explorer, but it starts at the configured default location. Use Ctrl+N or File > Open new window from the current folder if you want another view of that folder.
• Use the path as a fallback. In the original window, press Ctrl+L to select the address bar and copy the folder path. In the second window, press Ctrl+L, paste the path, and press Enter.
• Look for a window you cannot see. Press Alt+Tab or select the File Explorer taskbar icon to bring the additional window forward.

These steps apply to Windows 10 File Explorer. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025; PCs still run, but no longer receive free Windows Update security fixes or technical assistance. See Microsoft’s File Explorer in Windows guidance for its current Windows 10 notes.