Organize Your Hard Drive

Large hard drives let you store many data files with little consequence. You may be storing data files all over the place, in total disarray. Managing these files and finding information can become quite a challenge. That is why organizing the files on your hard drive is very important.

Each drawer in a filing cabinet has many paper file folders. Every file folder contains one or more documents and perhaps other file folders. Descriptions are written on the folders to identify their contents. The folders are usually arranged in some order, either alphabetical or chronological.

You may divide your hard drive into separate partitions, or drive letters. Think of these partitions as drawers in a file cabinet. Windows always occupies drive C. Your programs are usually installed on drive C. Drive D might be allocated to music and drive E could contain pictures from your digital camera.

On your hard drive, software and data files are also stored in folders. A folder can contain one or more files, and other folders. A folder containing another folder is the parent folder. A folder in the parent folder is called a sub-folder.

Instead of using separate partitions, you can use folders for music and pictures on your drive C. Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millennium Edition provide three folders: My Documents, My Music and My Pictures. Consider using them to organize and manage your data files.

The name for a folder or file can have up to 255 characters. A space is considered a character. Limit your folder and file names to a few choice words - it will be easier to view file listings.

Files in a folder can be arranged in various ways, by their name, date last modified, and file size. They can also be sorted in ascending or descending order.

Just like a paper file folder, a folder on a hard drive can contain many documents or files. This is often where problems occur in both filing systems. For example, with many documents in a word processing folder, it can become unmanageable. The documents probably cover various subjects. Not having a folder for each of these subjects reduces your productivity.

When you add or create a folder on your hard drive, you pick the parent folder to hold the new folder. As you continue to organize your files by adding folders, you will be developing a structure of folders. This structure is quite similar to the topical points in an outline.

Depending on the subject matter of your files, a few levels of folders might make sense. Be careful not to create too many levels. It will make it more difficult to navigate through the folders to find a file. Also, try not to create folders with such specific subjects that they contain only one file. That defeats the purpose of using folders.

No two items in a folder can have the same name. When a file or sub-folder is given a name, no other item in the parent folder can use that same name. However, files with the same name can be used in different folders.

A very useful program for organizing the folders and files on your hard drive is included with Windows. It is called Windows Explorer. It lets you to explore and manage the folders and files on your hard drive. Windows Explorer is not the same program as Internet Explorer.

These instructions apply to Windows Explorer included in these Windows versions: 98, 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (ME).

Here's how to open Windows Explorer in all Windows versions: right-click the Start button and click Explore.

In Windows 98/98SE, Windows Explorer is listed under Programs on the Start menu. In Windows ME, Windows Explorer is listed under Programs, Accessories on the Start menu.

Depending on the display options and the hard drive's contents, the Windows Explorer window will vary. You can adjust the display options to determine the settings that best meet your own needs. Once set, Windows Explorer remembers your settings and uses them every time you run it thereafter. See the paragraph
VIEW MENU SETTINGS later in this article.

A graphic symbol, or icon, is associated with every folder, file, and any other item related to your computer. Folders have the icon of a paper file folder associated with them. The icons for the files differ depending on the type of file. For instance, a Microsoft Word document and a NotePad text file will have different icons.

Most of the Windows Explorer window is made up of two panes. (If two panes are not shown, see the paragraph VIEW MENU SETTINGS later in this article.) The left pane, Folders, displays the hard drive, the folder list, and possibly a few other items. The right pane displays a selected folder's contents.

You can adjust the amount of window space used by each pane by moving the border between the panes. To move the border, first move the mouse pointer over the border. The pointer changes to a double-headed, horizontal arrow. Hold down the mouse button and drag the border left or right as needed. When the border where you want it, release the mouse button.

Within the panes, you select an item in the left pane and its contents are displayed in the right pane. To select an item in the left pane, click on its icon or name. When you select a folder, Windows Explorer highlights the name and displays the icon of an open file folder. That means the folder is selected and its contents are being displayed in the right pane. When necessary, you can use the pane's vertical scroll bar to scroll up and down. You can also use the Page Up and Page Down keys, although the selection will change.

To open a folder that is being displayed in the right pane, double-click on its icon or name. Windows Explorer opens the parent folder in the left pane, displays all of its sub-folders, and then highlights and opens the folder you selected.

Sometimes when files are created or modified, they are shown at the bottom of the right pane and not in their proper place within the sorted order. You can refresh the display of the Windows Explorer window anytime by pressing the F5 function key. Or, right-click and select Refresh. Either action will sort the display of the contents again in the preferred order.

In the left pane, Windows Explorer uses little boxes with plus or minus signs to control the display of sub-folders. Boxes are displayed only beside items that have sub-folders. A plus sign means the sub-folders are not currently shown, but the display can be expanded. A minus sign means the sub-folders are currently being shown and the display can be collapsed. Windows Explorer also uses lines to show the relationship between a folder and its sub-folders.

To expand or collapse the list of sub-folders, just click on the box. Clicking on a box with a plus sign will expand the list. Clicking on a box with a minus sign will collapse the list. You can also double-click on an item's icon to alternate between the collapsed and expanded displays. The plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad can also be used to expand and collapse the display. To expand the display to show the entire folder hierarchy within a folder, select the folder and then press the asterisk (*) key on the numeric keypad.

Arrow keys can be used to navigate through the left pane. The up and down arrow keys select the previous and next displayed folder, respectively. As the folders are selected, Windows Explorer displays the contents of the current selection in the right pane.

The left and right arrow keys follow the folder hierarchy along one path. That is, the right-arrow key goes from the current selection to its first sub-folder, and then to its first sub-folder, and so on. The left-arrow key goes back up the same path.

When you press the right-arrow key on a collapsed item, Windows Explorer expands the item. Pressing the right-arrow key on an expanded item selects the first sub-folder. When you press the left-arrow key on an expanded item, Windows Explorer collapses the item. Pressing the left-arrow key on a collapsed item, or on an item with no sub-folders, selects the item's parent. The Backspace key works similarly to the left-arrow key except that it does not collapse any items on its way up; it just selects an item's parent.

Windows Explorer has options to adjust the appearance of the window and panes, and the display of the folder's contents. These options are set in the View menu. Select the item once to have it displayed, select it again to have it not displayed. Check marks and dots in the menu show which items have been selected for display.

The sequence or order of the folder's contents can be controlled. The contents can be sorted by the name of the item, the type of item, the size of the item, or the date last modified. All these can be in either ascending or descending order.

To change the sequence of a folder's contents, select View from the menu and then select Arrange Icons. Even when the List or Details display options are chosen, the Arrange Icons menu item is still used. Only one sort option can be selected at a time.

When the Details display option is chosen, the order of the contents can also be changed with the mouse. In the right pane, click once in a column heading box (Size, Type or Modified). Windows Explorer sorts the contents by that column in ascending order. Subsequent clicks on the same heading box alternate between ascending and descending order. Click on the Name column heading to return the listing to normal.

Additional view options are available to adjust the display. They are set from the menu by selecting View and then Folder Options. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, the white window lists two categories, Files and Folders, and Visual Settings.

Before leaving the View tab of Folder Option, you can click the button "Like Current Folder". This will make all of your folders look the same. Then, in folders My Computer or Control Panel, you may select View, Large Icons if you don't want the Details display in those folders. Windows will remember the special settings for any folder you update.

When the Details display option is chosen, you can adjust the width of the columns. To adjust a column's width, move the mouse pointer to the right border of the column heading box. The mouse pointer changes to a double-headed, horizontal arrow with a vertical bar in the middle. That means you can move the border. Hold down the mouse button and drag the border left or right as needed. When the border is where you want it, release the mouse button.

Try this trick in Windows Explorer when the Details display option is used. Click inside the right Window pane. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the plus sign (+) on your numeric keypad. Instantly, Windows sizes every column to fit the widest entry. This trick also shrinks oversized columns to fit the widest entry. You may need to enlarge the window to see all the columns.

You can do extensive folder and file management with Windows Explorer. New folders can be created. Existing folders and files can be copied or moved to other folders. Folders and their contents can be deleted. You can also rename a folder or file.

-- In the right pane, put the mouse pointer somewhere that does not select a file. Right-click and click New, Folder.

Windows Explorer creates a new folder with the default name "New Folder" highlighted in a text-input box. You can then type over this name with any name not already used in the parent folder. Then press the Enter key.

To copy, move, or delete an item, you must select it. Select an item in the right pane of Windows Explorer. Click on an item to select it and the item will become highlighted.

If you want to work with multiple items in a folder, you can select each of them by holding down the Control (Ctrl) key and then clicking on the ones you want.

If the multiple items are all displayed in sequence, you can click on the first item, then hold down the Shift key and click on the last item. The two items you clicked on and all of the items in between will be selected.

To select all items in a folder, use Select All on the Edit menu. You may also hold down the Ctrl key and press A to Select All.

Use the scroll bar in the left pane to display the destination folder. Select items in the right pane. Hold down the right-mouse button and move the mouse pointer to a folder in the left pane. The destination folder will become highlighted. Release the right mouse button. A context menu will appear - click on either MOVE HERE or COPY HERE or CANCEL.

If an item move or item copy was done in error, immediately click on Edit from the menu bar. Then, click on either Undo Move or Undo Copy, as appropriate. After Undo Copy, you may be asked if you want the copied file sent to the Recycle Bin.

Then, in an empty area of the right pane, right-click and select Paste. Another file will appear, named "Copy of ...". You may need to Refresh the display by pressing the F5 function key. Then rename the file; see the paragraph

If, after performing Copy, you immediately open another folder, you can right-click and select Paste. The copied file will be inserted into that folder with the original filename.

DELETE PROGRAMS USING ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS IN CONTROL PANEL. See DOG article Uninstall Programs the Proper Way.

Folders and files can be removed using Windows Explorer. The deleted selection is stored in the Recycle Bin. When a folder is deleted, all of its contents are also deleted.

After making the item selection, select File and then Delete from the menu. You can also press the Delete key, or click on the Delete button in the toolbar. If delete confirmation has been chosen as a property of the Recycle Bin, Windows Explorer will ask you to confirm your request to delete an item.

To delete the selection completely and not have it go to the Recycle Bin, hold down the Shift key and then delete the selection.

With Windows Explorer, you can also change the name of a folder or file. First, select the item by clicking it once. The item will be highlighted. Then, choose one of these three ways to rename an item.

In all three ways, Windows Explorer puts the current name in a highlighted text-input box where you can change it. Just start typing. Be sure to retain the same file extension (the characters after the dot). Otherwise, the program that created the file may not recognize the file when you try to open it again. Also remember, you cannot use the same name for two items in the same folder.





		Organize Your Hard Drive Your computer's hard drive can become a BLACK HOLE for data files. Large hard drives let you store many data files with little consequence. You may be storing data files all over the place, in total disarray. Managing these files and finding information can become quite a challenge. That is why organizing the files on your hard drive is very important. HARD DRIVE STRUCTURE Your hard drive is like a filing cabinet. A filing cabinet has drawers. Distinct categories of information are stored in separate drawers. Each drawer in a filing cabinet has many paper file folders. Every file folder contains one or more documents and perhaps other file folders. Descriptions are written on the folders to identify their contents. The folders are usually arranged in some order, either alphabetical or chronological. You may divide your hard drive into separate partitions, or drive letters. Think of these partitions as drawers in a file cabinet. Windows always occupies drive C. Your programs are usually installed on drive C. Drive D might be allocated to music and drive E could contain pictures from your digital camera. On your hard drive, software and data files are also stored in folders. A folder can contain one or more files, and other folders. A folder containing another folder is the parent folder. A folder in the parent folder is called a sub-folder. Instead of using separate partitions, you can use folders for music and pictures on your drive C. Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition and Windows Millennium Edition provide three folders: My Documents, My Music and My Pictures. Consider using them to organize and manage your data files. The name for a folder or file can have up to 255 characters. A space is considered a character. Limit your folder and file names to a few choice words - it will be easier to view file listings. Folders are always organized by their name. A combined alphabetical and numerical order is used. Files in a folder can be arranged in various ways, by their name, date last modified, and file size. They can also be sorted in ascending or descending order. Just like a paper file folder, a folder on a hard drive can contain many documents or files. This is often where problems occur in both filing systems. For example, with many documents in a word processing folder, it can become unmanageable. The documents probably cover various subjects. Not having a folder for each of these subjects reduces your productivity. FOLDER STRUCTURE When you add or create a folder on your hard drive, you pick the parent folder to hold the new folder. As you continue to organize your files by adding folders, you will be developing a structure of folders. This structure is quite similar to the topical points in an outline. Depending on the subject matter of your files, a few levels of folders might make sense. Be careful not to create too many levels. It will make it more difficult to navigate through the folders to find a file. Also, try not to create folders with such specific subjects that they contain only one file. That defeats the purpose of using folders. No two items in a folder can have the same name. When a file or sub-folder is given a name, no other item in the parent folder can use that same name. However, files with the same name can be used in different folders. WINDOWS EXPLORER A very useful program for organizing the folders and files on your hard drive is included with Windows. It is called Windows Explorer. It lets you to explore and manage the folders and files on your hard drive. Windows Explorer is not the same program as Internet Explorer. These instructions apply to Windows Explorer included in these Windows versions: 98, 98 Second Edition (SE) and Windows Millennium Edition (ME). Here's how to open Windows Explorer in all Windows versions: right-click the Start button and click Explore. In Windows 98/98SE, Windows Explorer is listed under Programs on the Start menu. In Windows ME, Windows Explorer is listed under Programs, Accessories on the Start menu. Depending on the display options and the hard drive's contents, the Windows Explorer window will vary. You can adjust the display options to determine the settings that best meet your own needs. Once set, Windows Explorer remembers your settings and uses them every time you run it thereafter. See the paragraph VIEW MENU SETTINGS later in this article. A graphic symbol, or icon, is associated with every folder, file, and any other item related to your computer. Folders have the icon of a paper file folder associated with them. The icons for the files differ depending on the type of file. For instance, a Microsoft Word document and a NotePad text file will have different icons. WINDOWS EXPLORER - WINDOW PANES Most of the Windows Explorer window is made up of two panes. (If two panes are not shown, see the paragraph VIEW MENU SETTINGS later in this article.) The left pane, Folders, displays the hard drive, the folder list, and possibly a few other items. The right pane displays a selected folder's contents. You can adjust the amount of window space used by each pane by moving the border between the panes. To move the border, first move the mouse pointer over the border. The pointer changes to a double-headed, horizontal arrow. Hold down the mouse button and drag the border left or right as needed. When the border where you want it, release the mouse button. Within the panes, you select an item in the left pane and its contents are displayed in the right pane. To select an item in the left pane, click on its icon or name. When you select a folder, Windows Explorer highlights the name and displays the icon of an open file folder. That means the folder is selected and its contents are being displayed in the right pane. When necessary, you can use the pane's vertical scroll bar to scroll up and down. You can also use the Page Up and Page Down keys, although the selection will change. To open a folder that is being displayed in the right pane, double-click on its icon or name. Windows Explorer opens the parent folder in the left pane, displays all of its sub-folders, and then highlights and opens the folder you selected. Sometimes when files are created or modified, they are shown at the bottom of the right pane and not in their proper place within the sorted order. You can refresh the display of the Windows Explorer window anytime by pressing the F5 function key. Or, right-click and select Refresh. Either action will sort the display of the contents again in the preferred order. WINDOWS EXPLORER - NAVIGATING THROUGH FOLDERS In the left pane, Windows Explorer uses little boxes with plus or minus signs to control the display of sub-folders. Boxes are displayed only beside items that have sub-folders. A plus sign means the sub-folders are not currently shown, but the display can be expanded. A minus sign means the sub-folders are currently being shown and the display can be collapsed. Windows Explorer also uses lines to show the relationship between a folder and its sub-folders. To expand or collapse the list of sub-folders, just click on the box. Clicking on a box with a plus sign will expand the list. Clicking on a box with a minus sign will collapse the list. You can also double-click on an item's icon to alternate between the collapsed and expanded displays. The plus and minus keys on the numeric keypad can also be used to expand and collapse the display. To expand the display to show the entire folder hierarchy within a folder, select the folder and then press the asterisk () key on the numeric keypad. WINDOWS EXPLORER - ARROW KEY NAVIGATION* Arrow keys can be used to navigate through the left pane. The up and down arrow keys select the previous and next displayed folder, respectively. As the folders are selected, Windows Explorer displays the contents of the current selection in the right pane. The left and right arrow keys follow the folder hierarchy along one path. That is, the right-arrow key goes from the current selection to its first sub-folder, and then to its first sub-folder, and so on. The left-arrow key goes back up the same path. When you press the right-arrow key on a collapsed item, Windows Explorer expands the item. Pressing the right-arrow key on an expanded item selects the first sub-folder. When you press the left-arrow key on an expanded item, Windows Explorer collapses the item. Pressing the left-arrow key on a collapsed item, or on an item with no sub-folders, selects the item's parent. The Backspace key works similarly to the left-arrow key except that it does not collapse any items on its way up; it just selects an item's parent. WINDOWS EXPLORER - VIEW MENU SETTINGS Windows Explorer has options to adjust the appearance of the window and panes, and the display of the folder's contents. These options are set in the View menu. Select the item once to have it displayed, select it again to have it not displayed. Check marks and dots in the menu show which items have been selected for display. These are some recommended options to set in the View Menu. -- Status Bar should be checked. -- Details should be selected. -- For Toolbars, these options should be checked: Standard Buttons, Address Bar and Text Labels. -- For Explorer Bar, Folders should be checked. WINDOWS EXPLORER - SORTING ORDER The sequence or order of the folder's contents can be controlled. The contents can be sorted by the name of the item, the type of item, the size of the item, or the date last modified. All these can be in either ascending or descending order. To change the sequence of a folder's contents, select View from the menu and then select Arrange Icons. Even when the List or Details display options are chosen, the Arrange Icons menu item is still used. Only one sort option can be selected at a time. When the Details display option is chosen, the order of the contents can also be changed with the mouse. In the right pane, click once in a column heading box (Size, Type or Modified). Windows Explorer sorts the contents by that column in ascending order. Subsequent clicks on the same heading box alternate between ascending and descending order. Click on the Name column heading to return the listing to normal. WINDOWS EXPLORER - VIEW OPTIONS Additional view options are available to adjust the display. They are set from the menu by selecting View and then Folder Options. In the Folder Options dialog box, select the View tab. Under Advanced settings, the white window lists two categories, Files and Folders, and Visual Settings. -- Files and Folders These options should be checked: -- Allow all uppercase names -- Hidden files - Show all files -- Remember each folder's view settings -- Show pop-up description for folder and desktop items This option should NOT be checked: Hide file extensions for known file types The remaining options may be checked if you wish. -- Visual Settings Checking all three options is recommended. Before leaving the View tab of Folder Option, you can click the button "Like Current Folder". This will make all of your folders look the same. Then, in folders My Computer or Control Panel, you may select View, Large Icons if you don't want the Details display in those folders. Windows will remember the special settings for any folder you update. When the Details display option is chosen, you can adjust the width of the columns. To adjust a column's width, move the mouse pointer to the right border of the column heading box. The mouse pointer changes to a double-headed, horizontal arrow with a vertical bar in the middle. That means you can move the border. Hold down the mouse button and drag the border left or right as needed. When the border is where you want it, release the mouse button. Try this trick in Windows Explorer when the Details display option is used. Click inside the right Window pane. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the plus sign (+) on your numeric keypad. Instantly, Windows sizes every column to fit the widest entry. This trick also shrinks oversized columns to fit the widest entry. You may need to enlarge the window to see all the columns. WINDOWS EXPLORER - FOLDER AND FILE MANAGEMENT You can do extensive folder and file management with Windows Explorer. New folders can be created. Existing folders and files can be copied or moved to other folders. Folders and their contents can be deleted. You can also rename a folder or file. Create a New Folder First, select the parent folder, drive letter or item in the left pane. Then, use one of these options: -- From the menu, select File, New, and then Folder, OR -- In the right pane, put the mouse pointer somewhere that does not select a file. Right-click and click New, Folder. Windows Explorer creates a new folder with the default name "New Folder" highlighted in a text-input box. You can then type over this name with any name not already used in the parent folder. Then press the Enter key. Select Items to Copy, Move or Delete To copy, move, or delete an item, you must select it. Select an item in the right pane of Windows Explorer. Click on an item to select it and the item will become highlighted. If you want to work with multiple items in a folder, you can select each of them by holding down the Control (Ctrl) key and then clicking on the ones you want. If the multiple items are all displayed in sequence, you can click on the first item, then hold down the Shift key and click on the last item. The two items you clicked on and all of the items in between will be selected. To select all items in a folder, use Select All on the Edit menu. You may also hold down the Ctrl key and press A to Select All. Copy or Move Items This is the safest way to COPY or MOVE items. The source items can be a file, folder or a group of files and folders. You should have the -- source items displayed in the right pane, and -- destination folder shown in the left pane. Use the scroll bar in the left pane to display the destination folder. Select items in the right pane. Hold down the right-mouse button and move the mouse pointer to a folder in the left pane. The destination folder will become highlighted. Release the right mouse button. A context menu will appear - click on either MOVE HERE or COPY HERE or CANCEL. If an item move or item copy was done in error, immediately click on Edit from the menu bar. Then, click on either Undo Move or Undo Copy, as appropriate. After Undo Copy, you may be asked if you want the copied file sent to the Recycle Bin. Copy a Single File Click a file in the right pane to highlight it. Right-click and select Copy. You will not see any apparent action. Then, in an empty area of the right pane, right-click and select Paste. Another file will appear, named "Copy of ...". You may need to Refresh the display by pressing the F5 function key. Then rename the file; see the paragraph Rename Items at the end of this article. If, after performing Copy, you immediately open another folder, you can right-click and select Paste. The copied file will be inserted into that folder with the original filename. Delete Items DELETE PROGRAMS USING ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS IN CONTROL PANEL. See DOG article Uninstall Programs the Proper Way. Folders and files can be removed using Windows Explorer. The deleted selection is stored in the Recycle Bin. When a folder is deleted, all of its contents are also deleted. After making the item selection, select File and then Delete from the menu. You can also press the Delete key, or click on the Delete button in the toolbar. If delete confirmation has been chosen as a property of the Recycle Bin, Windows Explorer will ask you to confirm your request to delete an item. To delete the selection completely and not have it go to the Recycle Bin, hold down the Shift key and then delete the selection. Rename Items With Windows Explorer, you can also change the name of a folder or file. First, select the item by clicking it once. The item will be highlighted. Then, choose one of these three ways to rename an item. The first way is from the menu, by selecting File and then Rename. Second, you can press the F2 function key. As a third option, you can right-click on the highlighted item name and click Rename. In all three ways, Windows Explorer puts the current name in a highlighted text-input box where you can change it. Just start typing. Be sure to retain the same file extension (the characters after the dot). Otherwise, the program that created the file may not recognize the file when you try to open it again. Also remember, you cannot use the same name for two items in the same folder. Press the Enter key when you are finished. To cancel the renaming procedure, press the Escape (Esc) key.