Checking a file’s size, location, creation date, or permissions in Windows typically involves right-clicking, waiting for the context menu to load, scrolling past a dozen options, and clicking Properties. That’s four steps for information that should take one.
Alt + Enter is the shortcut that skips all of it.
How it works
Click any item in File Explorer to select it, then hold Alt and press Enter. The Properties window opens immediately—no context menu, no additional clicks.
The shortcut works on every item type in File Explorer:
- Files—displays file type, size on disk, location, creation date, last modified date, and file attributes. The Security tab shows permissions.
- Folders—shows location, size (File Explorer calculates the total if you click “Size on disk” after opening), and the number of files and folders contained. Sharing and security settings are accessible from additional tabs.
- Drives—displays total capacity, used space, free space, and file system type (NTFS, exFAT, FAT32). The Tools tab provides access to error checking and optimization.
- Desktop items and shortcuts—works identically to File Explorer. Shortcuts show the target path and allow changing the run window or shortcut key.
- Multiple selected items—select several files at once using Ctrl + click or Shift + click, then press Alt + Enter. Properties shows the combined size of all selected items, which is useful for quickly calculating how much space a group of files occupies before moving or deleting them.
Bonus: address bar shortcut
If the address bar in File Explorer is active (click the folder icon area at the top of the window), pressing Alt + Enter opens the properties of the current folder directly.
Works everywhere in Windows
Alt + Enter functions identically on Windows 10 and Windows 11. It requires no configuration, no downloads, and no third-party software.