- Introduction
- Using the Explorer Window
- Changing the Explorer Window View
- Using the Ribbon
- Choosing Commands
- Opening and Viewing This PC
- Viewing and Opening Documents
- Working with Libraries
- Working with Personal Folders
- Navigating Between Folders
- Viewing the Folders List
- Changing the Explorer Layout
- Customizing the Navigation Pane
- Organizing Files by Headings
- Sorting and Grouping Files
- Searching for Files and Folders
- Saving a Search
- Changing Search Options
- Modifying the Index to Improve Searches
- Adding Properties and Tags to Files
- Creating and Renaming Files and Folders
- Copying and Moving Files and Folders
- Deleting and Restoring Files and Folders
- Changing File and Folder List Views
- Hiding Files and Folders
- Changing Folder Options
- Customizing Library Folders
- Customizing Personal Folders
- Sharing Folders or Files with Others
- Compressing Files and Folders
- Managing Files Using a CD or DVD
- Creating a Shortcut to a File or Folder
Working with Libraries
Libraries are special folders that catalog folders and files in a central location. A library includes and displays folders that are stored in different locations on your PC computer, SkyDrive, Homegroup, or network. File Explorer comes with four libraries: Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos. The Documents library, for example, includes files and folders from your Documents—This PC and SkyDrive (New!)—folders, which are actually stored in your Users folder. Instead of navigating to separate folders, you can quickly navigate to one central place, the Documents library. You can create additional libraries at any time and include folders from different locations or remove them. After you open a library, you can arrange all files and folders included in a library by folder (the default) or other properties based on the library type (General Items, Documents, Music, Pictures, or Videos). When you save a file to a library, you can specify which folder it actually gets stored in.
Open and View a Library
- In the desktop, click or tap the File Explorer button on the taskbar.
- To show libraries, click or tap the Navigation pane button on the View tab, and then click or tap Show libraries (New!).
- Click or tap a library folder in the Navigation pane or double-click or double-tap a library folder.
To change the library display, right-click or tap-hold a blank area, point to Arrange by, and then click or tap an option.
- Folder. File and folders.
- General Items. Date modified, Tag, Type, or Name.
- Documents. Author, Date modified, Tag, Type, or Name.
- Pictures. Month, Day, Rating, or Tag.
- Music. Album, Artist, Song, Genre, or Rating.
- Video. Year, Type, Length, or Name.
- Clear changes. Clears any arrange by modifications.
To sort or group items, click or tap the Sort by or Group by button on the View tab, and then click or tap an option.
Create a New Library and Include or Remove Folders
- In the desktop, click or tap the File Explorer button on the taskbar.
- Click or tap the Libraries in the Navigation pane.
Click or tap the New item button on the Home tab, click or tap Library, type a library name, and then press Enter.
- To delete a library, select it, click or tap the Delete button on the Home tab, click or tap Permanently delete, and then click or tap Yes.
To include a folder in a library, navigate to the folder location, click or tap the Easy access button on the Home tab, point to Include in library, and then select the library you want.
- To remove a folder from a library, open the library, click or tap the Manage library button on the Manage tab, select the folder you want to remove, click or tap Remove, and then click or tap OK.