Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Folders

You use folders in Windows XP to store data, such as documents, pictures, spreadsheets—you name it. Any type of file or application can be stored in a folder. Depending on your needs, you may not require additional folders. After all, Windows XP automatically tries to place files in your My Documents folder or one of its subfolders, such as My Pictures. However, you may need to create your own folders to manage data. Users in your environment may also need to manage folders on their computers by creating specific folders to meet their needs. You can create folders within folders, and folders within those folders, to as many levels as you want or need.

To create a new folder, open the folder in which you want to create the new folder, such as My Documents or simply your C drive. Click the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder. A new folder appears. Type a desired name for the new folder. If you want to create a new folder directly on your desktop, just right- click an empty area of your desktop, point to New, and click Folder.

At any given time, you can rename a folder by simply right-clicking the folder and clicking Rename. Then press BACKSPACE, type a new name, then press ENTER. This feature makes it easy to keep your folders organized and to move your folders from place to place as needed.

Finally, you can delete any folder by right-clicking the folder and clicking Delete. This moves the folder to the Recycle Bin. Keep in mind that this action deletes everything in the folder as well. This includes files, applications, and any subfolders. If you just want to delete the folder, hold down SHIFT while deleting the folder. This action deletes the folder, but not the files.

Note 

You can share any folder on a network so that other users can access the data in the shared folder. See Chapter 9 to learn more about Windows XP networking.