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Cheap Tricks for computer success
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Periodic navigationThis is a little trick to navigate among Windows folders that old-time users of DOS, the precursor to Windows, may recognize. Suppose you’re trying to find a document to open in a program like Word and you have to look in a folder higher than the one that’s showing in the Open dialogue box. You can click on the little yellow folder with the arrow pointing up near the top of the box, or you can try typing two periods (..) as the File name and pressing Enter. You’ll find that you’ve moved up one folder. Type in three periods (…) and you move up two folders — always one fewer steps than the number of periods. But that’s not all. This also works in desktop folders if you have them set up to display like Web pages. To go to the parent folder of the one you have open, for example, type two periods in the Address line and press Enter. Free *Cheap Trick* of the Week: August 27, 2001 |
| Now, here's some more information related to this tip. Why is Windows Explorer important, and (if you don't know already), how to you call it up? Microsoft tends to hide this, but it should be your standard interface with your computer, unless you don't mind working blind. You can always right mouse click the Start button to invoke it, but you should add Windows Explorer to your Quick Launch bar and several other menus in Windows. Now, you really do want to change things in Windows Explorer. The default settings for Windows Explorer defy logic. Change these so you can actually see what files you are looking at. Enable it to show you the file extensions (unclick the insane "Hide extensions" box that is, stupidly enough, checked by default though actually there is never any reason to ever check this box). Select the option to show details. Now, you will be able to see your file size, file date, and other useful information. If you right click around a bit, you can find quite a bit of functionality in Windows Explorer. If you haven't been using this interface previously, make a point of using it now. If you always open files from within Windows Explorer, you will always be able to see all available files and select the right one. Use Windows Explorer to set up your filing system as if it's a paper filing cabinet. Save all files either on the data drive (dual hard drive machine) or in a folder on a single hard drive machine. Do NOT save files to the default locations. These never make any sense. They are typically within your applications, which is a dumb place to save them. That's how you end up with corrupted data files and it also makes file backups difficult. For single-drive users, an easy solution is to create a folder called 0files as your top-level data folder. The zero means it will show up at the top of your file list, making things easy for you. Below this folder, create you filing structure. Never store anything at the root of this folder. Think of it as the shell of a five-drawer filing cabinet and don't toss stuff in the bottom. Always put files in folders that are in drawers. With a good filing structure in place, you will always be able to find your files by simply clicking right to them. So think this out as you go and follow a good taxonomy. It's a much more effective way to work than how the zombies at Microsoft envision people working.
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