Using Windows File Explorer

Windows File Explorer is the file manager application supplied with the Windows operating system. It is used to explore and manipulate the file system personal computers are based on. The illustrations used in this document are from Windows 10.

Windows File Explorer provides the following services:

Search for a file or folder
Move or Copy a file or folder
Create a folder (applications create files)
Rename a file or folder
Check the size of a folder (and all its files and sub-folders)
Delete a file or folder

Brief review of how a computer stores information

Skip to 'The Windows File Explorer Window' if files, folders and storage systems make sense to you.

People and computers use containers to store information. People grab whatever is handy to contain or keep whatever they have in hand at the time. For example; we may grab a cigar box or shoe box to save a handful of photos until we get time to put them in an album. A computer cannot save anything that is not a digital file. When we use an application to digitize ANYTHING, we are converting it to a digital computer file. That makes the file a container for a single item.

The second storage unit on a computer is a folder. A physical file box can hold multiple hanging file folders, which, in turn, can hold one or more file folder(s) as well as document files; a folder on a computer is a container for one or more files AND/OR folders.

Storage devices, in our digital world, are our File Cabinets. When we have one or more file cabinet, we need some way to differentiate between them. Windows File Explorer assigns a letter and colon to each storage device on the computer. In particular, look for the (C:). This is the main permanent storage device for the computer. Letters are assigned in alphabetic order for each additional storage device you may have in your computer, or that you add via USB ports or camera memory card reader slots while using your computer. Each storage device is navigated the same way using Windows File Explorer.

The Windows File Explorer 'Window'

Open the Windows File Explorer application:
Look for the Windows File Explorer icon (looks like a file folder) already 'pinned' to the Task Bar. Select it to open Windows File Explorer. (Pinning is another useful term from everyday life that is now applied to computers. You 'pin' a note to a corkboard to keep it handy, or apply a yellow sticky somewhere for the same reason!).

If the folder icon isn't pinned to your task bar, you can do a quick Search for it. Hand OFF the mouse! Poke the windows logo key on your keyboard to open the start screen! Don't click ANYTHING. Just begin typing file explorer. Watch the screen as you type. The computer will find file explorer LONG before you are done typing.

When file explorer appears at the top of the list and is highlighted, STOP TYPING! Hand OFF the mouse! Just poke the enter key on the keyboard to tell the computer you are done typing and to open the application. Whew! Why do people seem to want to click EVERYTHING?

If you see file explorer further down the list, use your mouse to select it to open the application.

Look at the window that opens when you start the application. You should see several normal window components: Title bar at the top (notice that the title bar is NOT Windows Explorer, but the name of the folder selected in the navagation pane), Menu bar under the title bar, Tool bars or the more recent Ribbon, the Status bar at the bottom of the window, and at least two panes of information; the Navigation (Left) pane and the Content (Right) pane. You can also choose to have a Preview and/or a Details pane.

The File Explorer Navigation (left) Pane

The File Explorer Navigation Pane has TWO clickable areas:

The arrow heads to the left of the folder icons and titles (only when there are sub-folders). NOTE: Until you move your cursor into the Navigation Pane, the arrow heads will NOT appear!
The folder icons and titles themselves.

Additionally, the Navigation Pane only shows how the folder containers are stacked; it does NOT show files! Like the Russian dolls, containers can hold containers that can hold containers...

When you file something (save a file) in a computer, it is the folder that is the container you file it in! It is the Navigation Pane of file explorer that lets you find the folder you put your file in; OR lets you create a NEW folder inside whichever folder you choose.

When you click on the arrow head of a folder, you will tell the computer to OPEN or CLOSE the folder! The direction the arrow head is pointing tells you the OPEN (toward the icon) or CLOSED (NOT toward the icon) status of the folder. Remember: a folder will only have an arrow head when it contains sub-folders!

Windows File Explorer is so useful in the computer, there are many times a dialog box will open to let you use your knowledge of the file explorer to help you locate a specific folder (container); OR to help you search for or create a folder you wish to save a file in! YOU create folders; Applications create files.

The File Explorer Content (right) Pane

When you select the name of the folder in the navigation (left) pane, you are telling the computer to show you the content of the folder in the Content (right) Pane of the file explorer window.

Information in the content pane displays both Folders and Files (if there are any) in the folder you selected in the navigation pane. What you see as the content of the folders depends on the VIEW (menu item) you select!

NOTE: If your view of the content/details pane does NOT look like what you expected or prefer, remember to select the View menu and Select the Layout you prefer.

1) Search for a File or Folder

If you look at the File Explorer window illustration, just under the Menu Bar there are two text boxes; similar to your internet browser, the left box is an address box, and the right text box is a search text box. While the internet browser uses these boxes to access files (websites) on the internet, file explorer uses these boxes to access files on your computer.

In the example illustration, the computer address of the folder selected in the navigation pane (Videos) is displayed in the address box.

Please notice that the search box is displaying the words Search Videos. Each time you select a folder name in the navigation pane, the search text box will display that name to remind you WHERE the computer will search for the text YOU type into the box.

The search procedure:
First you must select the folder (in the navigation pane) you wish to search. Then you type the word or words you know are part of the file or folder name to search for in the search text box. The computer will search the folder you have selected, and all the sub-folders, for whatever you typed in the search text box. The results of the search will appear in the content pane. The results not only tell you where the file(s) or folder(s) are, you can then double click the file or folder you were looking for to open it.

2) Move or Copy a File or Folder

The reminder for this operation is that the 'drag and drop' proceedure is exactly like playing checkers. You use your pointing finger to reach out and touch the checker. You then keep your finger on the checker and move it to the desired location on the checker board. You then remove your finger from the checker. The only difference with a computer is that you are using a pointing device rather than a checker, and your finger presses a button, rather than touches a checker.

Please note: when your screen cursor gets close to a selectable item on the screen, the computer responds by highlighting that item. You do NOT have to position the cursor with precision, you only have to be within the highlighted area!

The move (copy) proceedure:

Before you start this proceedure, I must remind you: Once you begin the proceedure DO NOT LET GO OF THE OBJECT until you have it where you want it (or put it back where it came from!). If you let go before you get it where you want it, the computer WILL put it somewhere. You probably just weren't watching to see where it went!

Using your pointing device, position your cursor on the file or folder you wish to work with. Use your pointing finger to select (touch, click, etc.) the item. Keep your item selected while you use the pointing device to drag the item toward the folder you want it in.

As you approach the desired location, words attached to your screen cursor AND the object you are moving/copying will appear. Be SURE you read both WHAT the computer will do, and WHERE it will put your object before you drop it.

If the computer is going to MOVE the object, you may choose to COPY it by pressing and holding the CTRL key on your keyboard until after you have dropped the object in the new location (stop moving the pointing device and remove your finger from the select button).

3) Create a File Folder

You may create a new folder (remember: a folder is just a container for more folders or files) with your choice of names anywhere in any storage device.

The create proceedure:
In the navigation pane, navigate to, and select the name of the folder in which you want the new folder to appear. Choose the Home menu item and select the New Folder icon in the ribbon.

OR:

In the navigation pane, navigate to, and menu click on the name of the folder in which you want the new folder to appear, and from the pop-up menu, select New, then Folder.

In either case, a text box appears with the words New Folder already highlighted (the highlight is usually a blue background). Hands OFF your pointing device! Just type the name you want the folder to have, AND THEN POKE ENTER to tell the computer you are done typing!

If you get click happy and the highlight disappears, or you have misspelled the name, see the next item: Rename a File or Folder.

4) Rename a file or folder

You may rename ANY file or folder. Move your screen cursor to the name you wish to change, and menu click! In the pop-up menu, select rename. The name appears highlighted in a text box. Hands OFF your pointing device! Just type the new name you want the file or folder to have, AND THEN POKE ENTER to tell the computer you are done typing!

5) Check the size of a file or folder (and all its files and sub-folders)

In the navigation pane, navigate to, and menu click the name of the folder you wish to check. In the menu that pops up, select the bottom item: Properties.

This service will answer the question; "I wonder how 'big' this file or folder is?" For example: If you want to use the Windows 10 File History app for backing up your data, you need to know how much 'data' it will backup. File History backs up the Users folder on your (C:) permanent storage unit.

For this example: In the navigation pane, navigate to, and menu click the name of the folder Users (on your C: drive). In the menu that pops up, select the bottom item: Properties. The illustration is the Properties dialog box for the Users folder and all its sub-folders on one of our computers. Yours will be different!

6) Delete a file or folder

Windows File Explorer is NOT required to delete a file or folder; but it may be needed to find the file or folder. Simply navigate to and select the file or folder you want to delete, and tap a delete key on your keyboard.

OR:

If you can see your recycle bin, just drag the object you have selected to the recycle bin and drop it!