Where Is My Computer or File Explorer on Mac

If you recently switched from Windows to Mac and tried searching for My Computer or This PC on a MacBook, you will not find anything. You may wonder, “Where is My Computer equivalent on Mac?” or “How to explore files on Mac?” Well, find the answer in this post.

For the unaware, even Windows doesn’t have a My Computer now. It’s called This PC now. For now, let’s focus on finding My Computer on Mac. You will also learn how to access drives and put My Computer on the desktop in MacBook.

Where Is My Computer on MacBook

Basically, the equivalent of My Computer is the Finder app on a Mac. The Finder app is Mac’s default file management app, aka File Explorer. It lets you view your files, folders, and devices connected to your MacBook as you can from This PC on Windows.

Let’s learn how to open and use Finder on MacBook.

How to Open Finder on Mac

You can use these two methods to open My Computer, aka the Finder on Mac.

1. From Dock

Dock is one of the easiest ways to access Finder. Click on the Finder app (the one with the happy face) in the Dock to open the file explorer or your MacBook.

2. Using Keyboard Shortcut

You can also use the Command + Space + F keyboard shortcut to open the Finder on your MacBook. If you want to search for files in Finder, use the Command + F keyboard shortcut to open Finder with the search bar already active.

How to Use Finder on MacBook

Once you open Finder, you will find essential folders like Recents, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, etc., in the left sidebar. You will also see a shortcut for iCloud Drive and Locations like hard disks or external drives. Click on a folder from the left side to open it. Use the options at the top of the Finder window to change the view or sort the order of files.

Tip: Learn how to change the default opening folder on MacBook.

Here’s a brief overview of what each folder contains:

• Recents: The Recents folder houses your recent files, like photos, documents, etc., from all apps.
• Applications: You will see all the installed programs, aka apps, on your MacBook in Applications. It’s like the App Library of iPhone or App Drawer of Android from where you can find and open the installed apps.
• Desktop: The Desktop folder shows the files on your MacBook desktop.
• Documents: It’s a general folder for storing your files.
• Downloads: The Downloads folder contains all the downloaded files. Be it an app installation file or an image or document you downloaded online.

Tip: Go to File > New Folder Window to open another instance of the Finder window. Also, learn how to use tags in Finder.

How to Find Drives on MacBook

Even if you have opened Finder, it may still feel confusing, especially for Windows users who want to find external drives or at least hard drives on MacBook.

The drives are also accessible from Finder. But you need to perform a few extra steps. Here are a few methods to find drives on MacBook.

1. From the Sidebar in Finder

You can access your hard drive and connected devices from the sidebar in Finder, just like you have them in the sidebar on My Computer on Windows. You will find them under the Locations section.

But, if you don’t see anything under Location, enable them in settings as shown below:

Step 1: In the Finder, click on the Finder in the menu bar and select Settings.

Step 2: Go to the Sidebar tab in the Finder Settings window and check the boxes next to the name of your laptop, hard disks, and external disks.

Close the window, and you will see all the added drives in the sidebar of Finder. Click on a drive to explore it.

Tip: Learn how to fix the sidebar missing in MacBook.

2. From Menu Bar

You can also open drives on your MacBook from the menu bar in Finder.

Step 1: Open Finder or go to your desktop.

Step 2: Click on Go in the menu bar and select Computer from the list.

Step 3: Here, you will find your hard disk and any external drives connected to the MacBook.

Double-click on your hard drive to view the Users folder. You will also find the Applications, Library, and System folder in your hard drive. Open the Users folder and click on your username to view your folders like Documents, Downloads, etc.

Pro Tip: You can access your user folder from Go > Home in the menu Bar.

2. By Right-Clicking Finder

Another way to view your hard drive, external drives, or important folders like Documents is to right-click on the Finder icon in the Dock. Then, select the folder where you want to go.

Tip: Explore different ways to check hard drive space on Mac.

How to Show My Computer icon on macOS Desktop

As you must have understood, there is no My Computer on MacBook. You get Finder as your File Manager to explore MacBook files. Now, if you want to put Finder on your MacBook’s desktop, put the Hard drive icon on your desktop to open Finder.

Follow these steps to show the hard drive on a Mac Desktop:

Step 1: Open Finder Settings by clicking on Finder > Settings in the menu bar.

Step 2: Under the General tab, check the box next to Hard disks.

Tip: Check the box next to External disks to show connected drives on the desktop.

Your hard drive will show on the desktop.

Tip: Learn how to check your MacBook’s uptime, restart, and shutdown history.

FAQs About Where Is My Computer on Mac

Customize Files on Mac

Now that you have found the answer to “Where is My Computer on Mac”, learn how to customize files and folders. And if you don’t like the default Finder app, check out the best Finder alternatives for MacBook.