This wikiHow teaches you the various ways to open files on a Windows computer. If you have an application that was used to create the file, you can open the file through that application. You can also browse files through the Windows File Explorer program or the “Documents” folder.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Using Windows File Explorer
Step 1. Press Win+E
You can open a file browsing program (File Explorer) by pressing the "Windows" key (usually in the lower-left corner of the keyboard) and the " E" simultaneously.
Step 2. Find the file you want to open
The drives on the computer are displayed in the left pane of the File Explorer window. Click a drive or folder in the left pane to view its contents in the right pane.
- Files downloaded from the internet are usually stored in the “ Downloads " Click the arrow next to “ This PC ” to expand the list of folders, then click “ Downloads ” to open the folder.
- If you are not sure of the file location, click “ This PC ” in the left pane, then type the file name (or part of its name) into the search bar in the upper-right corner of the File Explorer window. Press Enter key to run the search.
Step 3. Double-click the file to open it
The file will be opened in the main application.
- If you want to select a specific application to open the file, right click the file, select “ Open With ”, and click the desired application. Visit https://www.openwith.org to learn more about finding the right application to open files.
- If the desired file is a ZIP/compressed file, right-click the file and select “ Extract here " A new folder will be created in the currently accessed directory. You can double-click the folder to view its contents.
Method 2 of 3: Via the Application Used to Create the File
Step 1. Open the app you want to use
For example, if you want to open a Microsoft Word document, you will of course need to run the Microsoft Word application.
- All applications installed on your computer can be found in the "Start" menu, which is usually in the lower-left corner of the screen. You may need to click “ All Apps " or " All Programs ” to see the entire list of apps.
- You can also open applications using the Windows search bar. Click the magnifying glass or circle icon to the right of the “Start” button, type in the name of the application (eg word), and click the appropriate option from the list of search results.
Step 2. Click the File menu and select Open.
Menus " File ” is usually in the menu bar at the top of the screen. After clicking " Open ”, you can see the file browsing window.
- Sometimes, the menu shows the folder icon, and not the text “ File ”.
- If you don't see the menu " File ”, look for the menu or button labeled “ Open ”.
Step 3. Browse for the file you want to open
If you don't see the file in the list, visit the folder where it was saved. You can do this through the list of folders and drives on the left side of the file browsing window.
Step 4. Select the file and click Open
The file will be opened so that it can be reviewed and/or edited through the selected application.
Method 3 of 3: Using the “Documents” Folder
Step 1. Open the “Documents” folder
Some Windows applications automatically save files to the “Documents” folder. There are several ways to access this folder:
- Click the "Start" menu which is usually in the lower left corner of the screen, then select the " Documents ”.
- Click the circle or magnifying glass icon on the right side of the “Start” menu, type documents into the search bar, and click “folder” Documents ” in the search results.
- Double click the folder " Documents ” on the desktop.
- Double click the icon " This PC " or " Computer ” on the desktop, then double-click the folder “ Documents " inside it.
Step 2. Double-click the file you want to open
The file will be opened in the main application for review and/or editing.
- You can also open the file using another program by right-clicking the file, selecting “ Open With ”, and click on another desired application.
- Visit https://www.openwith.org to learn more about how to find the right application to open an existing file.
Tips
- Like the original program, a free file reader program can also be used to open certain files.
- Files sent by email will be opened when double-clicked as long as the correct program is installed on the computer.
