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Working with files and folders
The article is about working with files and folders in Microsoft Windows: creating, moving, copying, deleting and more.
Added: 2003-04-30, Views: 55701, Ratings: 219, Rate: 4.42
Working with files and folders using Microsoft Windows is a common
task, used every day. When you open a specific file with associated
program, copy a file on a floppy disk or browse content of a CD is about
using files under Windows.
Mainly there are two methods to work with files and folders:
- Using a specific application. For instance, for MS Word
files you can open, copy or save them directly from MS Word. This
method is used especially for files of a specific format.
- Using Windows Explorer. This is used for all types of files.
We will see in detail how to use Windows Explorer for MS Windows 2000
Professional (your version could be different):
Folders (
)
are just containers for files or other folders, to organize the content
on different levels. All the others are files with their associated
icons.
To start Windows Explorer you have a few solutions:
- Using My Computer link from the desktop
- Right click on Start button and then Explore
- Press Win key (
)
and E simultaneously using keyboard
- Or Start | Programs | Windows Explorer
To create a folder:
- Open the parent folder which will contain new created folder
- From menu: File | New | Folder or make right click in right
panel and then New | Folder
- Edit name for new created folder (default name is "New Folder")
To rename a folder or file:
- Select the file (make one click on that folder or file with mouse
using left button)
- From menu: File | Rename or right click and Rename
Equivalent solutions to rename a file or folder
- You can simply make one click with mouse left button and then after
1 sec or more to make another left click (not double-click, just two
successive left click not very fast)
- You can directly make right on that file or folder and then Rename
from contextual menu
To copy a file or folder
There are a few equivalent methods with the same results. You can try
one of these:
- Select files, press Control (
)
and C keys using keyboard, then open destination folder and press
Control and V keys (simultaneously)
- Or use the mouse to open contextual menu (right click), both to
copy into memory the source files or folders and then to paste them
into destination folder
- Or you can drag and drop all files or folders from source folder
to destination. This is easy to do if folders are visible in Windows
Explorer. Be aware that files are moved if source and destination
folders are on the same disk (ie. C:\) and will be copied if they
are different (ie. C:\ and D:\). You can change this by pressing Control
() or Shift
(
) keys.
A small plus (+) next to the cursor will be shown if they are
copied. Otherwise will be moved (and deleted from source folder).
To delete a file or folder:
- Select all files or folders and press Delete key or you can use
the mouse making right click and Delete from contextual menu
All these deleted files and folders will be placed in Recycle Bin folder.
Later you can restore them.
TIP: you can delete a file or folder and not to place them
in Recycle Bin by pressing Shift key ()
simultaneously with Delete key or when you delete them from contextual
menu. Use this with caution because later you cannot restore these files
(will be lost).
Other useful tips:
- You can open directly associated program with a file by making double-click
on a file.
- You can open a file with a specific application using drag and drop
- drag the file over that application (keeping left mouse button pressed)
and drop the file (release the mouse left button).
- You can see properties of a file (creation date, size, attributes
and more) using File + Properties from menu or right click and Properties
from contextual menu. Or you can keep Alt key (
)
pressed and make double-click on the file (not working on all systems)
How to select multiple files?
You can select multiple files using keyboard and mouse or only mouse.
You can keep pressed Control key ()
when make click on a file and will be added to selection (or removed
if is already selected). Or you can select beginning of a list of files
making click on first item and keep Shift key ()
pressed when select last item (make click on last item). Using only
mouse you can select a rectangle that will contains all files by pressing
mouse left button and keep it while moving. All files from that rectangle
will be selected. Later you can add or delete some files from selection
using Control key ()
and mouse (keep Control pressed while click on a file or drawing another
rectangle).
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