How to select everything (files and folders) in Windows 11

If you have recently made the jump from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you have surely noticed the differences between both operating systems. Adapting to the renewed experience offered by the latest version is not complicated because, in essence, many things have remained in the same place. However, at the time of choose multiple files and folders in one fell swoop, you may be wondering how to select everything in Windows 11.

And the question is very valid, since Windows 10 has been the main operating system that many of us have used for almost 10 years. In it, we all get used to selecting everything (text, files and folders) with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + E. But, when we use the same shortcut In Windows 11, the same does not happen; in fact, nothing happens. So it's worth it Find out how to select everything in Windows 11, as well as review other keyboard shortcuts that are very useful.

Ctrl + E not working? This is how you can select everything in Windows 11

Those of us who spend our working lives in front of a computer often resort to Keyboard shortcuts to perform actions faster. One of the shortcuts in Windows 10 What is very useful is the combination of the Ctrl + E keys, with which we can select all the elements present in a window. This way we avoid having to shade with the mouse cursor while scrolling down, or worse yet, mark all the elements one by one.

Hundreds of times, we have used the shortcut Ctrl + E in Windows 10 to select everything in an active window. This is how it works, for example, if we need to permanently delete all the elements within a folder: Ctrl + E first and then Shift + Delete + Enter. Or if we need to justify all the text within the Word application, we select it with Ctrl + E and then press the shortcut Ctrl + J.

The same thing happens within the file manager in Windows 10. We can easily and quickly select all the folders, files or elements by pressing the shortcut Ctrl + E. Once selected, we press right click to open the menu of options such as copy, cut, move , send, etc. But we got a big surprise when we tried to select everything on Windows 11: Our favorite shortcut, Ctrl + E, didn't work. Many of us repeated the command several times to get him to react, but every attempt was in vain.

Use Ctrl + A to select all in Windows 11

To select everything in Windows 11 from the keyboard, all you have to do is press the Ctrl + A keys. This command replaced the Ctrl + E shortcut that we so commonly use in Windows 10. And yes, this is one of the new keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11 that you can use to increase your productivity in this operating system.

Now, it is worth mentioning an important detail with the use of Ctrl + A to select everything in Windows 11. You can use this command to select all elements present on the Desktop or within File Explorer. From shortcuts to lists of images, documents and other files within a folder, or groupings of folders within File Explorer.

However, if you are editing a document in Windows 11 With the Word application, the shortcut Ctrl + A will not work to select all the text. In this particular case, you have to use the shortcut Ctrl + E to shade all the text and then apply some changes. Within the Word application, Ctrl + A is assigned to execute the Open action within the File tab. As you can see, there are some differences between the keyboard shortcuts in Word and the commands we use in the Windows 11 operating system.

Other ways to select everything (folders and files) in Windows 11

Although the easiest and fastest way to select everything in Windows 11 is with the Ctrl + A keyboard shortcut, it is not the only one. Next, we list all possible ways to select folders and files in Windows 11. Knowing them can get you out of trouble, especially if your keyboard fails or stops working completely.

• Shading with the mouse cursor. If you need to select all the items in a list, you can shade them with the mouse cursor. To do this, place the cursor at a starting point and, by clicking, move the mouse until the shadow reaches all the elements.
• Shade with Shift key + arrow keys. To select everything in Windows 11 with this option, you just have to select the first item in the list with the mouse. Then, press the Shift key and the direction key pointing to where you want to continue selecting. If there are several files or folders in a list, press the Down arrow key to get to the end faster.
• Press the Select all button. Within File Explorer in Windows 11, there is a button assigned to Select All. The button is hidden in the three horizontal dots menu within File Explorer, next to the Filters button. Along with it are also other radio buttons: Select nothing and Invert selection.
• Selecting the elements one by one. We said we would list all the possible ways and, as obvious as it may seem, this is one of them. Using the mouse, select each item while holding down the Ctrl key.

Increase your productivity using keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11

With the arrival of Windows 11, several things changed compared to its predecessor, Windows 10. All in all, Keyboard shortcuts remain a predominant feature in any operating system. They are very practical tools that allow you to execute multiple actions quickly and without taking your fingers off the keyboard. This is probably why Microsoft has dedicated an entire section on its Support page to listing all windows keyboard shortcuts.

By now, you know that To select everything in Windows 11 you can use the Ctrl + A command, both on the Desktop and within File Explorer. We also saw other ways to select everything in Windows 11 that can be useful when we don't have a keyboard at hand. Mastering all these functions and features will help you get the most out of the operating system you use and increase your productivity in front of the computer.