When managing Windows 10 environments in enterprise settings, administrators often need to standardize File Explorer's default view. The "Open File Explorer to" setting (found in Folder Options > General tab) typically defaults to Quick Access, but many organizations prefer the classic "This PC" view for better productivity.

Microsoft doesn't provide a direct Group Policy Object (GPO) setting for this specific configuration in Windows 10. While you can find related policies under:

User Configuration → Policies → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → File Explorer

None of these directly control the launch target. This leaves us with two practical approaches.

The most reliable method is deploying a registry modification through Group Policy Preferences (GPP):

Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Value Name: LaunchTo
Value Type: REG_DWORD
Value Data: 1 (for This PC) or 2 (for Quick Access)

Here's how to deploy this via Group Policy Management Console:

1. Create/Edit a GPO
2. Navigate to:

   User Configuration → Preferences → Windows Settings → Registry
   

3. Create a new Registry item with these parameters:

   Action: Update
   Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   Key Path: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
   Value name: LaunchTo
   Value type: REG_DWORD
   Value data: 00000001
   

After applying the GPO:

• Run gpupdate /force on test machines
• Restart File Explorer or log off/on
• Verify the registry key exists with correct value

For environments preferring scripts, use this PowerShell command in a logon script:

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" -Name "LaunchTo" -Value 1 -Type DWord

When managing both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems:

• Windows 11 uses the same registry key but may require additional configuration
• Consider item-level targeting in GPP for OS-specific deployment

Many organizations upgrading to Windows 10 face an unexpected behavior where File Explorer opens to Quick Access by default instead of the traditional This PC view. While this might be convenient for home users, enterprise environments often prefer the classic "This PC" view for better navigation consistency.

The simplest way to enforce this setting across multiple machines is through the registry. The relevant key is:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Value Name: LaunchTo
Value Type: DWORD
1 = This PC
2 = Quick Access (default)

For domain environments running Windows Server 2012 R2, you can deploy this setting via Group Policy Preferences:

1. Open Group Policy Management Console
2. Create or edit a GPO that applies to your Windows 10 machines
3. Navigate to: User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry
4. Right-click and select New > Registry Item

Configure with these parameters:

Action: Update
Hive: HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Key Path: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Value name: LaunchTo
Value type: REG_DWORD
Value data: 00000001

For a more native GPO approach (though not officially documented by Microsoft), you can create a custom ADMX template:

<policy name="LaunchTo_ThisPC" class="User" displayName="$(string.LaunchTo_ThisPC)" explainText="$(string.LaunchTo_ThisPC_Help)" key="Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" valueName="LaunchTo">
  <parentCategory ref="WindowsComponents_FileExplorer" />
  <supportedOn ref="windows:SUPPORTED_Windows10" />
  <elements>
    <decimal value="1" />
  </elements>
</policy>

After applying the policy:

1. Run gpupdate /force on a test machine
2. Restart File Explorer or log off/on
3. Verify the setting took effect by checking the registry value

If the setting doesn't apply:

• Check GPO inheritance and precedence
• Ensure the policy applies to the correct OU
• Verify no conflicting policies exist
• Check Event Viewer for Group Policy errors

For large deployments:

• Consider using Item-Level Targeting to apply only to Windows 10 machines
• Document the change in your organization's Windows 10 configuration standards
• Include this setting in your golden image if using imaging deployment