Working with files and folders

File folders in a flat file system

A file is an item that contains information—for example, text or images or music. When opened, a file can look very much like a text document or a picture that you might find on someone's desk or in a filing cabinet. On your computer, files are represented with icons; this makes it easy to recognize a type of file by looking at its icon. Here are some common file icons:

Icons for a few types of files

A folder is a container you can use to store files in. If you had thousands of paper files on your desk, it would be nearly impossible to find any particular file when you needed it. That's why people often store paper files in folders inside a filing cabinet. On your computer, folders work the same way. Here are some typical folder icons:

An empty folder (left); a folder containing files (right)

Folders can also store other folders. A folder within a folder is usually called a subfolder. You can create any number of subfolders, and each can hold any number of files and additional subfolders.

Using libraries to access your files and folders

When it comes to getting organized, you don't need to start from scratch. You can use libraries, a feature new to this version of Windows, to access your files and folders, and arrange them in different ways. 

Here's a list of the four default libraries and what they're typically used for:

• Documents library. Use this library to organize and arrange word-processing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other text-related files.
• By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Documents library are stored in the My Documents folder.
• Pictures library. Use this library to organize and arrange your digital pictures, whether you get them from your camera, scanner, or in e-mail from other people.
• By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Pictures library are stored in the My Pictures folder.
• Music library. Use this library to organize and arrange your digital music, such as songs that you rip from an audio CD or that you download from the Internet.
• By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Music library are stored in the My Music folder.
• Videos library. Use this library to organize and arrange your videos, such as clips from your digital camera or camcorder, or video files that you download from the Internet.
• By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Videos library are stored in the My Videos folder.

Understanding the parts of a window

When you open a folder or library, you see it in a window. The various parts of this window are designed to help you navigate around Windows or work with files, folders, and libraries more easily. 

Here's a typical window and each of its parts:

Parts of a Window

1. Navigation Pane: Use the navigation pane to access all kinds of locations: folders you’ve added to your favourites list, your libraries, the drives on your PC, and other PCs on your network. Tap or click a location to view its contents in the file list, or tap or click an arrow to expand a location in the navigation pane. To browse your PC’s drives and the folders in them, expand Computer.
2. Back, Forward, and Up Buttons: Use the Back button to go back to the last location or search results you were viewing and the Forward button to return to the next location or search results. Use the Up button to open the location where the folder you’re viewing is saved (sometimes called the parent folder).
3. Ribbon: Use the ribbon for common tasks, such as copying and moving, creating new folders, emailing and zipping items, and changing the view. The tabs change to show extra tasks that apply to the selected item. For example, if you select Computer in the navigation pane, the ribbon shows different tabs than it would if you select a folder in your Music library. If you don’t see the ribbon, tap or click the Expand the Ribbon button in the upper right or press Ctrl+F1.
4. Address Bar: Use the address bar to enter or select a location. Tap or click a part of the path to go to that level, or tap or click at the end of the path to select the path for copying.
5. File List: This is where the contents of the current folder or library are displayed. It’s also where your search results appear when you enter a search term in the search box.
6. Column Headings: In Details view, you can use the column headings to change how the files in the file list are organized. For example, you can tap or click the Date modified heading to sort by date (with the files you worked on most recently at the top). If you tap or click the column heading again, the files are sorted with the oldest ones at the top. Press and hold or right-click a column heading to select other columns to add.
7. Search Box: Enter a word or phrase in the search box to look for an item in the current folder or library. The search begins as soon as you begin typing—so if you enter “R,” for example, all the files with names starting with the letter R will appear in the file list. For more info, see Searching for files in File Explorer.
8. Status Bar: Use the status bar to quickly see the total number of items in a location, or the number of selected items and their total size.

Viewing and arranging files and folders

When you open a folder or library, you can change how the files look in the window. For example, you might prefer larger (or smaller) icons or a view that lets you see different kinds of information about each file. To make these kinds of changes, use the View ab in the Ribbon.

Each time you click the View option in the Layout group, it changes the way your files and folders are displayed by cycling through five different views: Large Icons, List, a view called Details that shows several columns of information about the file, a smaller icon view called Tiles, and a view called Content that shows some of the content from within the file.

Different views

What is a folder and how is it different from a library?

A folder is a container for your files. Every file is stored in a folder or a subfolder (a folder within a folder). You can access all your folders by clicking Computer in the navigation pane (the left pane) of any open folder. In some ways, a library is similar to a folder. For example, when you open a library, you'll see one or more files. However, you can't store files or folders in a library. This is a subtle, but

important, difference. In libraries, you can include folders from different locations so that you can see the files in one place. This is a good way to keep your files organized so you don't have to search multiple locations to find what you're looking for.

Create a new folder/file.

A folder is a location where you can store your files. You can create any number of folders and even store folders inside other folders (subfolders). Here’s how to create a new folder: 

1. Go to the location (such as a folder or the desktop) where you want to create a new folder.
2. Right-click a blank area on the desktop or in the folder window, point to New, and then clicks Folder/File.
3. Type a name for the new folder/file, and then press Enter.
4. The new folder will appear in the location you specified.