How to show full folder path in File Explorer on Windows 10
When you navigate various folders in File Explorer, you don’t get the full folder path in the location bar. Normally, you will see a path that starts with This PC. The drive letter will be visible but only if you aren’t navigating your Windows drive. If you prefer to see the full folder path in File Explorer, you have to install a popular third-part app called Classic Shell.
Classic shell is actually four different apps in one. The more popular app is the Classic Start menu but if you don’t want to use the other apps, you can opt out of them and simply install Classic Explorer.
Folder path in File Explorer
It’s a good idea to close all File Explorer windows before you install this app. Download and install Classic Explorer. It will run by default and you will see new icons appear above the location bar in File Explorer. Click the blue seashell icon and select the settings option in the menu.
By default, you only get basic settings. On the basic settings tab, enable the ‘Disable bread crumbs’ options, and click OK. You’ll get a prompt telling you the changes will be applied to any new File Explorer windows you open.
You can see the full folder path in the screenshot below.
If you only changed the settings on the Basic settings tab, you’re probably seeing additional buttons next to the Classic Shell button. To get rid of those other buttons, you need to access Classic Shell’s settings and this time, select the Show all settings option.
Once you have all the settings tab visible, go to the Toolbar Buttons tab. Select an item in the column on the left, right-click it, and select the remove option in the context menu. Repeat this for all the items that you want to remove, and then click OK. Again, the changes will apply to all File Explorer windows that you open after applying the change.
File Explorer doesn’t always show you the complete path to a folder if you’re browsing your Windows drive. It will leave out the drive letter and your user folder. Clicking inside the location bar will reveal the path but again, the drive and user folder will be omitted. It’s a shame users have to install an app to get the complete path.
If you don’t need to see the full path in File Explorer, and only need to copy it, you can do so without the app. All you have to do is hold don the Shift key and right-click a folder or file. There will be a Copy as path option in the context menu.
