3 Ways to Choose All Files in a Folder – Windows 11 – guide 2023

When you need to open one file in a folder, you simply click on it to open it. But what if you need to open all the files in the folder? You could try opening one at a time, and when you’re done with that file, open the other one. But by following a few tips here and there, you can discover the different ways to select every file in the folder. Once you see your options, you can choose your preferred method to use from now on. You can choose from keyboard shortcuts or your mouse. Whatever works best for you.

How to Choose All Files in a Folder Using a Keyboard Shortcut

If you’re a fan of keyboard shortcuts, then this may very well turn into your preferred method to choose all the files in a folder in Windows 11. Once you have the folder with the files you want to open, press the Ctrl + A keys, and all the files will be selected.

1. Using the File Explorer Option

You might not be too keen on keyboard shortcuts because you have difficulty remembering what keys to press. Good thing that File Explorer has an integrated option for selecting all the files in the folder. Open the folder with the files you want to open and click on the three dots at the top right. The Select All option will be the second one from the top.

The invert option from the list will select all the other files that weren’t chosen. For example, you select only the first two files from the folder and leave the rest. Click on the dots at the top and choose the Invert option. The first two you selected will be deselected, and the ones you ignored will be chosen. Do a test run to see this option in action. If you change your mind and want to unselect the files, choose the Select none option from the list shown in the image above.

2. Choose All the Files Using the Mouse

If you prefer to use your mouse to choose the files, you can do so by left-clicking on a space next to the first file you want to select and sliding the mouse until all the files are selected. When you let go of the mouse button, your files are chosen. You can also use your mouse by clicking on the first file, the Shift button, and then on the last file. This is a great way to choose all the files in the folder or only the ones in a specific section. As long as we’re talking about the Shift key, you can use it and the arrow keys to choose as many files as you want.

Click on the first file and press the Shift key. Use the arrow keys to choose the files you want. You can also use the arrow keys to unselect a file. For example, you press the Shift and are ready to press the arrow keys. Press the right key to advance and the left arrow key to unselect the files.

3. How to Select Specific Files

Maybe you want to select most of the files in the folder but not all. What you can do in this case is use the Ctrl key. Press the Ctrl key and, using your mouse click on the files you want to select. If there are a lot of files in that folder, this can be time-consuming, but if necessary, it’s a must.

Further Reading

For more reading material that involves files, here is how you can download files and folders from Google Sheets and Drive. If you want to see how you can unzip files on your Chromebook, these are the instructions to follow. Speaking of Google Drive, here is how you can also copy and move your files as well. For WhatsApp users, here is how you can find and erase your audio files on the social media app.

Conclusion

Most of the time, you may only need to open one file at a time. But when you need to open various files, the more options you have to open them, the better. You can choose from keyboard shortcuts that will make the process much faster or your mouse. Whatever works best for you at the time will be the option you go with. Which option works best for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share the article with others on social media.