Keyboard Shortcut to Refresh File Explorer: A Comprehensive Guide
Are you tired of manually refreshing your file explorer every time you make changes to a file or folder? Do you wish there was a quicker way to update the view without leaving your workflow? Look no further! In this detailed guide, I will walk you through the various keyboard shortcuts available to refresh your file explorer efficiently. Whether you’re using Windows, macOS, or Linux, I’ve got you covered.
Windows File Explorer
On Windows, the most common keyboard shortcut to refresh the file explorer is Ctrl + F5. This shortcut forces the file explorer to reload the current directory. Here’s how it works:
- Open the file explorer and navigate to the directory you want to refresh.
- Press Ctrl + F5 on your keyboard.
- The file explorer will update the view with the latest changes.
Additionally, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts to refresh the file explorer on Windows:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + R | Refreshes the current window. |
| Shift + F5 | Refreshes all open windows. |
macOS Finder
On macOS, the keyboard shortcut to refresh the Finder is Cmd + R. This shortcut works similarly to the Windows shortcut, as it forces the Finder to reload the current directory. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the Finder and navigate to the directory you want to refresh.
- Press Cmd + R on your keyboard.
- The Finder will update the view with the latest changes.
Just like on Windows, you can also use the following keyboard shortcuts to refresh the Finder on macOS:
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Cmd + R | Refreshes the current window. |
| Option + Cmd + E | Refreshes all open windows. |
Linux File Manager
On Linux, the keyboard shortcut to refresh the file manager varies depending on the distribution and file manager you’re using. However, the most common shortcut is F5. Here’s how to use it:
- Open the file manager and navigate to the directory you want to refresh.
- Press F5 on your keyboard.
- The file manager will update the view with the latest changes.
Some popular Linux file managers and their respective refresh shortcuts include:
| File Manager | Refresh Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Nautilus | F5 |
| Thunar | F5 |
| PCManFM | F5 |
Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
While the default keyboard shortcuts for refreshing the file explorer are generally sufficient, you may want to customize them to better suit your workflow. Here’s how to do it on each operating system:
Windows
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Devices > Keyboard.
3. Scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section.
4. Click on Change keyboard shortcuts under the File Explorer section.
5. You can now modify the Refresh shortcut to your preferred
