Last Updated on May 13, 2026
Even though there have been several versions of Microsoft Windows throughout the years, the basic functionality has remained fairly consistent, especially when it comes to managing your files and folders.
As you probably know, File Explorer will have the Windows default folders pinned in the Quick Access area for easy access. And you can also pin other folders there as needed and Windows itself will pin folders there that you use most often whether you like it or not. Of course, this option can be disabled if needed.
While Quick Access works well for frequently used locations, it doesn’t always offer the level of organization or visibility that power users want, especially when it comes to navigating their personal user directory. Windows treats the user profile folder differently from standard folders, which is why simply pinning it doesn’t give you the expandable tree structure you might expect.
Instead of a clean dropdown, File Explorer collapses the entire user profile into a single flat shortcut, forcing you to constantly click through the right-hand pane every single time you want to reach a deeper subfolder. For anyone who actively relies on lightning-fast navigation or manages multiple subfolders regularly, this strict interface limitation can quickly become a massive daily annoyance. But what if you wanted to have your primary user profile folder pinned directly to the Quick Access area of File Explorer while retaining the full ability to expand the folders within your user directory?
1. Download the Custom Registry Edit Files
To successfully add your primary user profile folders to the navigation pane in File Explorer, we will be performing a very simple, behind-the-scenes registry edit. We have intentionally made this entire modification process incredibly easy by providing the exact pre-configured registry files needed to add your user profile folders to File Explorer, as well as a script to safely remove them. You can seamlessly download these exact modification files directly from our website by clicking the provided download link here.
2. Extract and Review the Registry Contents
Once you successfully extract the contents of the downloaded zip file, you will notice two distinct registry files called Add User Account Folder to Explorer.reg and Remove User Account Folder from Explorer.reg. For complete transparency and peace of mind, we always encourage users to review the underlying code before making system-level changes. The addition script simply applies the value “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree”=dword:00000001 to the specific HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key, while the removal script simply changes that exact same value back to a zero.
3. Run the Add User Account Script
To carefully import this structural information directly into the Windows registry, all you actually need to do is locate and double-click the Add User Account Folder to Explorer.reg file that you just extracted. Double-clicking this specific file will automatically trigger a standard Windows security prompt warning you about opening an unknown executable file downloaded from the internet. Go ahead and click directly on the Run button within that initial prompt to officially start the registry modification process.
4. Authorize the Action in the UAC Prompt
Immediately after clicking the Run button, you will be confronted with the standard User Account Control (UAC) prompt asking if you want to allow this app to make changes to your device. You will need to click the Yes button at this specific UAC prompt to authorize the system-level changes to proceed without being blocked. Keep in mind that your active Windows user account will strictly need to have administrator access, or you will be forced to manually type in the username and password for a different account that currently does.
5. Confirm the Registry Warning Message
Because editing the Windows registry can sometimes be a sensitive operation, the operating system will give you one final confirmation dialog box before applying the new settings. You will need to click the Yes button when explicitly prompted with the warning asking if you are absolutely sure you want to continue adding these specific values to the registry. Bypassing this final warning is entirely safe because we are only modifying a superficial display setting rather than a critical system component.
6. Complete the Import Process
After you have confidently agreed to the final registry warning, you will receive a small success notification stating that the keys and values have been successfully added to the registry. Finally, you can simply click the OK button on this confirmation box to officially complete the entire installation process. Your computer has now properly digested the new registry instructions, and the structural visual changes will be ready to experience immediately.
7. Verify Your New Expandable Navigation Pane
Now that the registry modification has been fully completed, go ahead and close out of any open windows and launch a brand new instance of File Explorer. You will instantly see your personal user profile folders proudly displayed in the left-hand navigation pane, looking exactly like a native system directory. More importantly, you now have the ultimate flexibility to seamlessly expand them using the small arrow icon to quickly view and access all their deeper subfolders without wasting clicks
Remove the Custom Folders If Needed
If you ever change your mind in the future and decide you want to cleanly remove your user profile folders from the navigation pane in File Explorer, reverting the change is just as straightforward. You can easily perform the exact same execution process detailed above, but instead, simply run the Remove User Account Folder from Explorer.reg file. This will instantly flip the registry value back to zero and restore your File Explorer window to its completely default factory appearance.
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