Chapter three. Managing Files

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding Files and Folders 96

Windows XP's File Management Tools 97

Configuring File and Folder Views 104

Basic Navigation and Operations 112

Essential File Management 115

Compressing and Decompressing Files 119

Working with File Types and Associations 121

The Bottom Line 124

Every computer user has to work with files. Whether you're downloading MP3 files from the Internet or sharing Word documents with a friend or colleague, you need to know several essential file-related tasks. You have to know how to copy files, delete files, move files, and rename files. And you have to know which file management tools to use to perform these tasks.

Windows XP really doesn't add anything new in terms of what you can do with your files. What it does add is a much easier way to perform essential file management tasks. Everything you need to do is out in the open, instead of being hidden behind pull-down menus or obscure right-click commands.

In addition, Windows XP tries to anticipate what you want to do when you select a file. If you select an image file, for example, you are presented with a list of image-related operations. If you select an MP3 file, you are presented with a list of audio-related operations. This context sensitivity isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job of helping you do what needs to be done.

I think that these improvements to file management offer a compelling reason to upgrade to Windows XP. The simple addition of an activity center panel in My Computer doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but its impact is tremendous. That one little panel makes so many things so much easier to accomplish. It's amazing.

My only wish is that Microsoft had incorporated this type of file management years ago. This is the kind of thing that should have been in Windows from the beginning. Fortunately for us, it's here now. A few years late, perhaps, but welcome nonetheless.