Where Is My Computer on Win10? Find It Fast

If you’re looking for the “This PC” icon (often called “My Computer”) on Windows 10, the quickest way is to press Windows + E to open File Explorer—it appears in the left sidebar. You can also type “This PC” into the Start menu search and click the result. This article explains all the ways to find it, how to put it on your desktop, and answers common questions.

What Happened to “My Computer”?

In Windows 10, Microsoft renamed “My Computer” to “This PC”. The change happened with Windows 8 and carried over. The icon still does the same job: it shows your drives, folders, and devices. On a fresh Windows 10 install, the icon is not on the desktop by default—that’s why many people can’t find it. It’s still in the Start menu and File Explorer, just not as visible as before.

5 Ways to Open This PC

1. Keyboard shortcut: Press Windows + E. File Explorer opens, and This PC is usually in the left sidebar. If not, click the arrow next to “This PC” to expand it.
2. Start menu search: Click the Start button (or press the Windows key) and type “This PC”. The top result will open it.
3. Start menu list: Open Start, scroll down to “Windows System” folder, and click This PC.
4. Run dialog: Press Windows + R, type explorer, and press Enter. Then click “This PC” in the left pane.
5. Taskbar: If you’ve pinned File Explorer to the taskbar (the yellow folder icon), right-click it and select “This PC” from the jump list.

How to Add This PC to Your Desktop

If you want the icon back on your desktop, it takes about 30 seconds:

1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop and choose Personalize.
2. In the Settings window, click Themes in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down and click Desktop icon settings (under “Related Settings”).
4. Check the box next to Computer (it’s the same as This PC).
5. Click OK—the icon appears on your desktop.

You can also right-click the desktop, go to Personalize > Themes > Desktop icon settings directly. The checkbox is labeled “Computer” even though the icon is called This PC.

What’s Inside This PC?

When you open This PC, you’ll see several sections:

• Folders: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos—these are shortcuts to your user folders.
• Devices and drives: Your hard drive (usually C:), any other partitions, DVD drive, USB drives, and SD cards.
• Network locations: If you’ve mapped network drives, they appear here.

Double-clicking a drive opens it. Right-clicking a drive gives options like Properties (to see free space), Rename, and Eject (for removable drives).

Why Can’t I Find It? Common Issues

If you still can’t find This PC, check these things:

• File Explorer left sidebar: If This PC isn’t showing, click the “Expand” arrow (chevron) next to “This PC” or drag the window wider. Sometimes it’s collapsed.
• Search not working: If Start menu search fails, use the Run dialog (Windows + R) and type explorer. That opens File Explorer directly.
• Desktop icon hidden: If you enabled the desktop icon but it’s not visible, right-click the desktop and select View, then make sure “Show desktop icons” is checked.
• Multiple monitors: The icon might be on a different screen. Check all monitors.

This PC vs. Quick Access: What’s the Difference?

File Explorer opens to Quick Access by default, not This PC. Quick Access shows your frequently used folders and recent files. This PC shows all drives and system folders. If you prefer File Explorer to open directly to This PC, do this:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click View in the top menu.
3. Click Options (far right).
4. In the “Open File Explorer to” dropdown, select This PC.
5. Click OK.

Now every time you open File Explorer, you’ll land on This PC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is “My Computer” the same as “This PC”?

Yes. Windows 10 renamed “My Computer” to “This PC” starting with Windows 8. It shows the same drives and folders. The desktop icon is still labeled “Computer” in the settings, but the actual name is This PC.

How do I get the My Computer icon on the desktop in Windows 10?

Right-click the desktop, choose Personalize, go to Themes, click Desktop icon settings, check “Computer,” and click OK. The icon will appear immediately.

Why is my C: drive not showing in This PC?

This can happen if the drive letter was changed or the drive is hidden. Open Disk Management (right-click Start > Disk Management) and check if the drive has a letter. If it doesn’t, right-click the partition and choose “Change Drive Letter and Paths” to assign one. If the drive is hidden, you can unhide it via Group Policy or registry, but that’s rare.

Can I rename This PC back to My Computer?

You can rename the desktop icon. Right-click the This PC icon on the desktop, select Rename, and type “My Computer.” The name in File Explorer will still be This PC, but the desktop icon will show your custom name.

How do I add This PC to the Start menu?

Open File Explorer, right-click “This PC” in the left sidebar, and select “Pin to Start.” A tile will appear in the Start menu. You can also drag the This PC icon from the desktop onto the Start button to pin it.

What’s the keyboard shortcut for This PC?

Press Windows + E to open File Explorer, then click “This PC” in the left sidebar. There’s no direct shortcut that opens This PC itself, but you can create one: right-click the desktop icon, copy it, and paste it on the desktop, then assign a shortcut key in its properties (right-click > Properties > Shortcut key).

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