- Thinking About Getting Organized
- Getting to Know Windows Explorer's Filing Headquarters
- Creating a New Folder
- Good File Naming Techniques: Another Organizational Aid
- Once You Create It, Know Where to Store It
- Relocating Files on Your Machine
- Using the Search Companion to Find Files on Your Computer
- Summary
- Workshop
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Getting to Know Windows Explorer's Filing Headquarters
Although there are multiple ways to create new folders on your system, I'm going to introduce you to a way that remains the same, regardless of what other software you have installed on your machine.
By using the Windows utility called Windows Explorer, you get a bird's eye view of the files on your computer. As you can see in Figure 3.1, Windows Explorer literally enables you to visualize how your folders are structured, and it is easy to do just about anything with the folders you see onscreen.
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Figure 3.1 Click the plus sign next to a folder to reveal the folders nested underneath (also known as subfolders).
To begin working with Windows Explorer, click the Start button, point to All Programs, Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
The Windows XP Windows Explorer screen is divided into three parts. On the far left is the Folders pane, reminiscent of earlier versions of the operating system. By clicking the plus signs, you can reveal subfolders and drill your way down to the most focused folders on your machine. Likewise, clicking minus signs will compress the folder hierarchy.
In the middle of the screen is the Windows XP Folders pane. This is where you will find many of Windows XP's user-friendly links to specific tasks, other locations on your computer, and so on. The area on the far right of the screen displays the contents of the selected folder.
There is much more you can do with Windows Explorer, as you will see in the remainder of this hour. From this utility, you can create new folders and subfolders, move files from one folder to another, or even copy a few select files that really fit into two or more folders equally well.