Opening explorer from bash/linux subsystem in Windows 10

bash ubuntu windows-10

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Since the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you can now directly run Windows executables from Bash/WSL. Try updating Windows through Windows update, and then run the following in Bash:

$ explorer.exe .

Alternatively,

$ /mnt/c/Windows/explorer.exe .

(where c is the drive of your Windows installation`). This will open a new Explorer window in the current directory.

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Ethan Fischer

I am seeking to establish myself in software and find new ways to enrich the world. I’ve been involved in web, mobile, and game development projects and have a continued interest in psychology, music, science and technology.

Updated on September 19, 2022

Comments

Ethan Fischer over 1 year

Is there a command to open the current directory in windows file explorer from bash (or zsh) using bash on ubuntu on windows? I think I saw somewhere you can do explorer . but it tells me No command 'explorer' found
- David C. Rankin almost 7 years
  
  vim is really the swiss army knife of editors. It's just like anything, you have to pay the price to learn it. Really learn it... You can always get around in it, but being able to really use it takes sticking with it. I admit, my editor is KDE3/kwrite (or kate), but I use vim enough to be proficient. I'll spend a week or using vim exclusively, filling in the gaps in my proficiency as I go, then I go back to kwrite -- and have to do it all over again 6 months later... (it's not that bad, but "if you play golf, your tennis game with suffer...") WSL works great, just takes a bit of time.
Ethan Fischer almost 7 years

hmm, I'm not using GIT bash though. I'm using the linux subsystem feature (beta)
asatsi almost 7 years

Sure. Can you try my suggestion?
Ethan Fischer almost 7 years

Haha yep. I will try it later today. Thanks
Ethan Fischer almost 7 years

When I run which explorer in WSL, it says explorer not found. When I run it in git bash, it works.
David C. Rankin almost 7 years

Recall, which only searches your PATH. Unless you have /mnt/c/Windows in your path, which won't find it.
techguy2000 about 6 years

explorer.exe . opens up C:\Windows\System32 for me. But it's not the current directory
Ambrose Leung almost 6 years

@techguy2000 - it works for me - I installed Ubuntu for my linux subsystem
coredumperror about 4 years

Doesn't work for me in Ubuntu 18.04 on Windows 10 with latest updates. I see either the System32 folder, or My Documents, any time I try to open a folder inside Ubuntu. If it's a folder on one of my Windows drives, it works fine.
jvbs almost 4 years

The alternative methods works for me! Ubuntu 18.04 and WSL2 build 2004 19041