Keyboard shortcut for the Windows Explorer address bar

Is there a keyboard shortcut in Windows Explorer (Windows 7), to put the cursor into the address bar (where the current path is shown)?

M4N

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 4 836

Answers

114

Found it, it's possible with the following two shortcuts:

Alt+D selects the current path in English versions (see comments for other languages)
on Windows 8, Ctrl+L can also be used to select the current path (all languages)
F4 will put the cursor at the end of the current path and expand the dropdown list of the address bar (all languages)

BTW: here's a complete list of keyboard shortcuts in windows 7: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Keyboard-shortcuts

M4N

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 4 836

7Alt+E works in the German Windows 7 – handle – 2015-06-24T06:22:28.313

Alt+D works well in Spanish version of Windows 7. – Akronix – 2016-08-22T08:42:26.910

F4, Esc seems to work on French Windows 7. So does Ctrl+E, Alt+A – Joe – 2016-09-14T12:22:43.063

Those shortcuts also work on IE, and ALT+D works on all browsers. – paradroid – 2010-09-08T07:00:52.010

BTW,, if you accept your own answer, you get one of those bronze badges, I think. – paradroid – 2010-09-08T07:10:59.320

sad i was just going to answer this but glad you finally found it – subanki – 2010-09-08T10:41:39.340

The link for the shortcuts is broken. This one works

– Chrᴉz says reinstate Monica – 2018-07-25T08:55:08.770

6Alt+D doesn't work on non-English versions of Windows 7 (tried on Brazilian Portuguese and German, probably affects others). – muriloq – 2011-10-25T18:48:29.980

3Alt+D doesn't work in Ukrainian and Russian versions as well. – kolobok – 2013-07-14T20:14:39.000

If you're using non-English version, you can use AutoHotkey with this script:

#IfWinActive ahk_class CabinetWClass
   !d::ControlClick,ToolbarWindow322
return

epifun

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 51

1I went with ^l:: for Control+L. – Marc.2377 – 2018-12-20T12:55:02.477

Another AutoHotKey solution based on the one from @epifun

@epifun 's solution does not work if the address in the addressbar is very long.

#IfWinActive ahk_class CabinetWClass
   !d::
   ControlFocus, ToolbarWindow322
   send {space}
return

Thomas Schreiner

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 131

I can't verify this myself at the moment since I'm using Mac OS X, but this webpage suggests that Alt-D is what you're looking for (see section "Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts").

Lawrence Velázquez

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 929

Ctrl+L seems now to be working in many browsers to do that, in File Explorer too. Now - I mean Windows 8 (7 does not work).

pbies

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 1 633

1Ctrl+L doesn't work in Windows 7 to focus the Windows Explorer address bar. – David Murdoch – 2014-12-19T16:34:47.937

You're right. I've made edit. – pbies – 2014-12-26T17:40:47.273

-2

F6 does the trick for me.

(PC, successive versions of Windows including 8.1, as I write.)

LeahNYC

Posted 2010-09-08T06:40:39.730

Reputation: 1

1<kbd>F6</kbd> changes focus to the column header for me in Windows 7. – Jason Aller – 2015-05-19T16:57:34.337

2Windows 8.1 here and F6 doesn't work for me. It seems to select the next Windows pane, similar to pressing Tab. I believe your solution is for Internet Explorer (not Windows Explorer) and other browsers, where F6 does change focus to the Address Bar. – Josh – 2015-05-19T17:59:20.440