Users often come across scenarios where they would like to create a new folder in Windows 11. They do so to arrange similar files or information together. Sometimes, this is also done to club data in a way that looks fabulous. In this post, we will discuss five different ways by which you can generate new folders on your computer.
These five ways are elaborated in two different sections where the first one is using conventional ways and the second one is using Windows Consoles like CMD and PowerShell.
Create a new folder in Windows 11 using File Explorer
File Explorer is the file management application used by Windows operating systems to browse folders and files. This lets you create a new folder in three different ways. They are using –
1] Through a Keyboard shortcut
This is the simplest of all tools and lets you create a new folder quite easily when you are inside any folder. Here’s how to do this –
- Open File Explorer (Win + E).
- Browse to the folder where you would like to create a new folder. For example, Documents or Desktop.
- Press Ctrl + shift + N keys on the keyboard to create a new folder.
- Write a name for this folder and hit Enter, the same will appear underneath this folder.
- If you don’t provide a name to this, this will by default be named “New Folder”.
2] Using the Command bar
Alternatively, you may also use the command bar to create a new folder on your Windows 11 PC. To create a new folder using the command folder, do the following –
- Click the explorer icon available on the taskbar.
- When File Explorer opens up, navigate to the folder where you would like to create a new folder.
- On the topmost left corner, you will see the New menu.
- Click on it and then select Folder.
- Type a name for this newly created folder and press Enter.
3] Using the Context menu
The above two methods require you to open File Explorer. However, you may also create a new folder anywhere without even opening this explorer app. For this, you may launch the Context menu and do the following –
Note: This method is useful when you are creating a new folder on the desktop screen itself. Here’s how to proceed –
- Right-click anywhere on the screen and select New > Folder.
- Provide a new name to this folder and hit Enter.
By the end, you will see a new folder available at the chosen location.
Create a new folder via Command Prompt/ PowerShell
If you don’t want to use the conventional ways, you may execute a few commands on the CMD or PowerShell. This method is often useful when you can’t access your file explorer. Here’s how to do this –
1] Using CMD
- Open start (Win + S).
- Search for the Command Prompt, and open it by pressing the Enter key. Alternatively, you may put a right-click on the top result and select Run as administrator.
- When CMD launches, run this code –
mkdir "FOLDER-NAME"
Note: Replace “FOLDER-NAME” with the name of the new folder you want to create. Keep the quotation mark only when the folder name contains spaces.
Say, you want to create a new folder at the location – C:\Windows, run these codes –
- First, come out to the root directory by running this code –
cd/
- Next, browse to C:/Windows by running this command –
cd Windows
- You may keep on using cd Directory_Name to browse to the relevant directory.
- Once you are there, run this code –
mkdir NewFolder
On the completion of the above steps, your new folder or directory will be created in the path, and you can access it from the file explorer as well.
2] Via Windows PowerShell
Another way to create a new directory is through PowerShell. Here’s what you need to execute on its prompt –
- Press Win + X, and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
- This will default launch Windows PowerShell on the terminal.
New-Item -Path "PATH-TO-FOLDER" -Name "FOLDER-NAME" -ItemType "directory"
Note: In the command, replace “PATH-TO-FOLDER” with the path where you want to create the new folder. Similarly, replace “FOLDER-NAME” with the name of the new folder you want to create.
If you are willing to create a new folder in the C:/ drive, run this code –
New-Item -Path "c:\" -Name "myFiles" -ItemType "directory"
Again, you may replace “C:\” with the exact pathname and “myfiles” with the folder name you are trying to create.
That’s it, I hope you now know how to create a new folder in Windows 11 using both conventional as well as console ways. Let’s know in the comment section if you face any difficulty following this guide.
