Windows XP Your Way- Windows Explorer Tips

Some basic features of Windows Explorer are discussed.

In earlier days, Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer (IE) were totally separate entities. Somewhat different modes of presentation for the desktop and for the Internet are still available, but beginning with IE 4 the distinction between the two Explorers became blurred. Nowadays the two are basically the same thing. Many tips, therefore, apply to either Explorer. There is some interesting history here for which we have no space. For reasons of its own, Microsoft wished to integrate IE into the operating system as much as possible and wanted to make the desktop and the Internet basically indistinguishable. Especially for those with a broadband connection, going back and forth from the Internet to the Desktop is now pretty much a seamless operation.
Views

Let us begin with a fundamental function of Windows Explorer- displaying the list of folders and files that are present on the system. There are two basic formats or views for displaying this information. One view format makes use of a single pane. This is the default for My Computer or for the view obtained from clicking on a folder icon. The single pane displays the contents of the container folder but shows no other folders. There are several variations on this view and information can be displayed in a number of different ways. To choose a particular format, go to the "View" menu. Figure 1 shows the choices that are in the View menu. If you have graphics files, Windows may automatically use the "Thumbnails" view but typically the view is "Icons" or "Tiles" (a larger version of Icons). Personally, I often prefer the "Details" view, which provides a list with assorted information such as size and the date modified for each file.