Section 3.2. Filesystem, Drives, Data, and Search


3.2. Filesystem, Drives, Data, and Search


View and change the properties of files.


To open

Right-click a file Properties

Click a file Organize Propertie


Description

The File Properties window has four tabs:


General

This tab displays basic information about the file, including its location, type, size, and size on disk; the date it was created, modified, and last accessed; and its attributes. You can change the program that opens it by clicking the Change button, and you can change the file attributes by selecting Read-only or Hidden. The Advanced button lets you compress and/or encrypt the file, add or take away the file from the index for searching, and add or take away the Archive bit (for use in backups).


Tip: Why are there two listings for file sizeone for size, and one for size on disk? There are two cases where the file size and size on disk are different:

Security

This tab shows you who has access to read and modify the file and its attributes, and lets you change those permissions. Click each group and username and you'll be shown the rights that person or group has to the filewhether they can read the file, modify the file, and so on. You can modify the permissions for each person or group, add new groups or people and set their permissions, and delete people or groups, which means they would have no access to the file.


Tip: The various file permission options and their meanings are quite complex, and beyond the scope of this book. However, if you want more details about the available options, go to the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419/en-us.

Details

This tab displays the metatags associated with the file, as well as a wide variety of other information, including the basic file information shown in the General tab. It also has a great deal of program-specific information. For example, a Word document will display what template was used to create the file, the number of pages in the file, the word count, the character count, the line count, the paragraph count, the total length of time during which the file has been edited, and so on. You can also remove metatags and properties from the file by clicking the Remove Properties and Personal Information link. The details for each file type are quite different from one another. Graphics files, for example, include resolution, bit depth, width and height, and other similar information, as well as a quality rating that users can apply to the file.


Previous Versions

This tab lets you view, save, or restore a previous version of a file, if such a version is available. Two types of previous versions may be available: those from a backup and those from what Windows Vista calls shadow copies. A shadow copy is a copy of a file made when Windows creates a restore point. Different files and types of folders have differing options for how you handle previous versions, but in general, you'll be able to open and save the previous version of a file to a different location, or restore it over the existing files.


View and change the properties of folders.


To open

Right-click a folder Properties

Click a folder Organize Properties


Description

The Folder Properties window has five tabs:


General

This tab displays basic information about the folder, including its parent folder, size, size on disk, date and time created, and number of files and subfolders contained within. The Advanced button lets you compress and/or encrypt the folder, add or take away the folder from the index for searching, and add or take away the Archive bit (for use in backups).


Tip: Why are there two listings for folder sizeone for size, and one for size on disk? If a folder has been compressed, the size listing shows its uncompressed size, and the size on disk shows its actual size on your hard disk.

Sharing

This tab lets you set sharing options for the folder. Click Share to share the folder, or change sharing options if the folder is already shared. Click Advanced Sharing if you want to give it a shared name in addition to its existing folder name. You would do this if you wanted to make it easier for someone to find the folder.


Security

This tab shows you who has access to read and modify the folder and its attributes, and lets you change those permissions. Click each group and username and you'll be shown the rights that person or group has to the folderwhether they can read it, modify it, and so on. You can modify the permissions for each person or group, add new groups or people and set their permissions, and delete people or groups, which means they would have no access to the folder. The Advanced button gives you additional ways to edit permissions, as well as a way to change who has ownership of the folder.


Tip: The various file permission options and their meanings are quite complex, and beyond the scope of this book. However, if you want more details about the available options, go to the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419/en-us.

Previous Versions

This tab lets you view, save, or restore a previous version of a folder, if such a version is available. Two types of previous versions may be available: those from a backup and those from what Windows Vista calls shadow copies. As explained earlier, a shadow copy of a folder is a copy of a file made when Windows creates a restore point. Different files and types of folders have differing options for how you handle previous versions, but in general, you'll be able to open and save the previous version of the folder to a different location, or restore it over the existing folder.


Customize

This tab lets you customize how the folder looks and acts. You can choose the kind of folder it is (All Items, Documents, Pictures and Videos, Music Details, or Music Icons). Based on what type of folder it is, the documents in it will be displayed differently, and different features will be available. For example, if a folder is a Pictures and Videos folder, the details it will display about each file include the date taken, tags, size, and rating, and the folder toolbar will include a Slide Show button so that you can display a slide show of the files in the folder. If the folder is a Documents folder, the details it will display are the date modified, type, size, and tags, but no Slide Show button will appear on the toolbar.

The tab also lets you choose a file that will be displayed on the folder's icon in Windows Explorer, and lets you choose a different icon than the default.


Configure and customize the index for searching.


To open

Control Panel [System and Maintenance] Indexing Options

Windows Explorer Search Tools Modify Index Locations (the Search Tools icon appears when you type text into the Search box, but it is otherwise invisible)


Description

The Indexing Options screen shows you what folders are included in your index and lets you add or remove folders. The index is used to speed up searches in Windows Vista.


Search for files.


To open

Start Search

Start Enter text in Start Search

Enter text in Search box in Windows Explorer.


Description

Search has been embedded so deeply into Windows Vista and Windows Explorer that at first it can be difficult to know where to begin. Should you use the Search box inside Windows Explorer? The one inside Internet Explorer? The Start Search box that appears when you click the Start button? How about choosing Start Search to go straight to the Search Folder and Advanced Search screen?

Table 3-2 shows the major ways you can perform a search in Windows Vista and recommendations on when to use which.

Table 3-2. Different ways to search

Search method

When to use it

Search box in Windows Explorer

Best for searching inside individual folders and subfolders, because it searches only the current folder and subfolders. Also best for searching on filenames.

Start Search (leads to Search folder and Advanced Search)

Best for performing complex searches across multiple folders and for when you want to save a search for future use.

Start Search box on the Start menu

Best for quick searches across multiple folders or for searching the Internet. Not good for searching for filenames.

Search box in Internet Explorer

Best for searching the Internet.


Windows Vista performs a search while you type your search term into a Search box. So as you type the letters vis, for example, it will display all files that have vis in them and will narrow the search as you type more letters into the box.


Understanding searching and the index

When you search for a file on your computer, you aren't actually searching your entire hard disk. Instead, you're searching the Windows Vista index, which makes searching lightning fast.


Tip: Sometimes you will search outside the index. For example, when you perform a search inside a folder, you also search the filenames inside the folder, not just the index. And, as explained later, you can also expand your search to nonindexed locations when you want.

Although the index makes searching lightning fast, it can cause some confusion, as well. By default, your entire PC is not indexed, because doing that would defeat the purpose of the indexit would get so large that it would slow down your search.

By default, the following are indexed:

  • Your user folder (\Users\username), which contains your Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders, as well as Contacts, Favorites, and the hidden AppData folder, which contains your Windows Mail messages.

  • Offline files, which are files stored on a server or network drive that you have configured to be available offline.

  • The contents of your Start menu.

That's well and good, but what happens if you don't store files and folders underneath your user folder? What if you store them in other places on your hard disk? Then you won't find them when you perform a search, unless you specifically search for them outside the index, which of course defeats the purpose of the index.

There is a solution, however. You can add any folders you want to the index (and take them away, as well). For details, see "Indexing Options," earlier in this chapter. A simple way to get to the Indexing Options screen is from Windows Explorer, by choosing Search Tools Modify Index Locations. (The Search Tools icon appears only after you type text into the Search box.)


The default Windows interface, including the Start menu, the Desktop, the Taskbar, the Search tool, the Windows Explorer window, and all folder windows.


To open

Start All Programs Accessories Windows Explorer

Command Prompt explorer

Double-click any folder icon on the Desktop or in any folder window.

Windows Key-E


Usage

 explorer.exe [/n] [,/root,object] [[/select], subobject] 


Description

The Explorer is the default Windows shell. When run without any command-line parameters, it opens a two-paned window (commonly referred to simply as Explorer) in which you can navigate through all of the files, folders, and other resources on your computer.

Explorer accepts the following command-line options (note the mandatory commas):


/n

Forces Explorer to open a new window (even if the specified folder is already open somewhere).


/select ,subobject

Include subobject to specify the file or folder to be initially highlighted or expanded when the folder is opened. If subobject is a folder, it will be expanded in the tree. If you also include the /select parameter (not valid without subobject), the parent of the specified folder is highlighted on the tree, no branches are initially expanded, and subobject will be highlighted in the right pane.


,/root,o bject

By default, Explorer opens with the Desktop as the root folder. Use ,/root,object to specify a different root. The object parameter can be a folder name or a class ID.

For example, if you want Explorer to open to the Computer folder so that no drive branches are initially expanded (which is handy if you have several drives), type the following:

 explorer.exe /n, /select, c:\ 

To open an Explorer window rooted at the Documents folder, type:

 explorer.exe /root,c:\Documents and Settings\username\Documents 

where username is the username of the owner of the Documents folder.



Windows Vista Pocket Reference
Windows Vista Pocket Reference: A Compact Guide to Windows Vista (Pocket Guides)
ISBN: 0596528086
EAN: 2147483647
Year: N/A
Pages: 63

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