I frequently notice that, despite the fact that almost everyone I know uses a computer regularly - many all day long - their skills vary widely. It seems that people become proficient in the handful of applications which affect their lives, yet an incredibly useful program or function might be lurking nearby completely undiscovered and unknown.

Such is the case of Windows Explorer(tm), one of the handiest utilities you would ever want to have, built into Windows(tm) operating systems. I have seen many people who use computers heavily, yet they somehow never discovered Windows Explorer. Forgive me if you already know it. This article will be elementary for you.

Don get a big head if you already use Windows Explorer. Next week, when I explain the Macro Subsystems Rotoflack Articulating Verbotenizer, this articles audience will be nodding knowingly while you, Mister Smarty Pants, will be scratching ruts into your scalp.



Navigation Utility
Windows Explorer is a navigation utility. It helps you visualize the contents of your computer. It helps you to move files and folders around by clicking and dragging. If you don use it, take a few minutes now and get familiar. Using it is a fundamental skill which will benefit you forever. Access it by clicking "Start".
Access Windows Explorer from Start Menu
On the pop-up menu you might see any of the following: My Documents, My Pictures, My Computer or Windows Explorer. Click on any of these, and you will be in Windows Explorer.


On the pop-up menu you might see any of the following: My Documents, My Pictures, My Computer or Windows Explorer. Click on any of these, and you will be in Windows Explorer.

Folder View - Detail View
You want to see the view in which folders are listed on both sides of the screen. If you don see this, click the "Folders" icon near the top of the screen. Then, at the top click "View", then "Details." This will enable you to get maximum information on your screen, not wasting space on cutesy icons.


Windows Explorer Folder View
Apply Folder View and Detail View to All Screens
After this setup, you can choose to have all folder views using the same settings by selecting "Tools" along the top margin, then "Folder Options", click the " View" tab, and finally, select "Apply to All Folders". Click "Yes" and "OK" to complete the setup.


Folders on Left, Contents on Right
The general concept is that folders are shown in the left window. If you click on a folder icon or name in the left window, its contents will then be displayed in the right window. These contents may be files or folders. In the right window, name, file type, size and date of most recent modification will be shown.

Sort Lists by Clicking Top Bar
You can click on the top margin of the right window to sort the list by the criterion you click. Example: click on "Name" and the list of files and folders will sort alphabetically by name. Click a second time and the list will re-sort, but this time in reverse order. The same is true for the other titles "Size", "Type", and "Date Modified".



Expand Folders (See Whats Inside)
Notice that in the left window there are little plus and minus signs to the left of folder icons. If you click the plus, folders contained in that folder will display below the one where the plus was clicked. You now will see on the left, some of the information you are also seeing on the right (folders which are contents of other folders). This is important. Don disregard it as a gratuitous programmers bauble. It will come in handy shortly.

Clicking on the "plus sign" is called expanding the list of folders, and you can see why. Once you expand a folder, you might see plus signs on the newly revealed list, and these can be expanded also. You could get quite a list going if you have many folders.



After clicking the plus sign it changes to a minus. Clicking the minus is the opposite of clicking the plus. It contracts, rather than expands, the folder list.

Now we get to the good stuff. You need Windows Explorer to help you manage your files and folders. One aspect of management is to break a long list of folders into categories. This will usually involve creating a new folder.

Make a New Folder
In the left window, left-click the folder under which you want to add the new folder. Be sure it is highlighted. Then, at the top, click "File", then "New", then "Folder". You will see a "New Folder" in the list in the right window. Right-click on it, then click "Rename". You can then type a new folder name for it.



Move Files and Folders
If you have a lot of files and folders, this can take concentration, but it is definitely do-able.

First, click on folders in the left window until you see the items you want to move (the source files and folders) visible in the right window. Then, using the scroll bar in the left window, scroll until you can see the folder you want to move the items into (the target folder).

If the target folder is not visible because it is inside another folder, click on the plus sign to expand that folder until you can see the target. Do NOT click on the folder name or folder icon, just the plus sign. Otherwise you will lose the view you need on the right.

Now, with source visible on the right and target visible on the left, left-click+drag source files and folders on top of the target folder. When you see the target folder highlighted, release the left mouse button. You now know how to "drag and drop" files and folders to new locations.

In the example below, we name the folder containing the file you want to move, "SourceFolder". The folder you want to move the file to will be named "TargetFolder". The file you want to move will be called, "MoveThisDocument".



Copy Files and Folders
Sometimes you want the source files and folders to remain in the original location, but also to be copied to a new location. Start the same way as above, getting source on the left and target on the right. Then right-click+copy the source items, and right-click-paste them onto the target folder. Done!



Now, when someone mentions Windows Explorer to you, your blank look can become a knowing nod.