The Cluttered Desktop on Boot
Windows 10 includes a feature designed to help you pick up exactly where you left off after a restart. If you have several File Explorer (folder) windows open and you reboot your computer, Windows can remember which folders were open and automatically reopen them on your desktop as soon as you log back in.
While some users find this continuity helpful, others find it incredibly annoying. If you are restarting your computer to clear a cluttered workspace or to troubleshoot an issue, having ten different File Explorer windows suddenly bombard your screen upon login defeats the purpose of a fresh start. If you prefer a clean desktop every time you boot, you can disable this automatic restoration feature.
How to Disable Folder Reopening at Logon
You can turn off this feature within the File Explorer Options menu.
- Open File Explorer (click the folder icon on your taskbar, or press the
Windows Key + E). - In the top ribbon menu, click on the View tab.
- On the far right side of the View ribbon, click the Options button (or click the arrow under it and select “Change folder and search options”).
- A “Folder Options” popup window will appear. Click on the View tab within this window.
- Scroll down the “Advanced settings” list until you find the option labelled Restore previous folder windows at logon.
- Uncheck the box next to this option.
- Click Apply, and then click OK.
Windows 10 will no longer remember your open folders when you shut down or restart. Every time you log in, you will be greeted by a clean, empty desktop, regardless of how many File Explorer windows you left open previously.