B.1 File Menu

Most of these commands operate on a selection ” that is, you're supposed to highlight an icon, or several icons, before using the menu. It's worth noting, too, that the File menu changes depending on what you've highlighted. For example, you see one set of commands when you've highlighted an icon, and a longer set when nothing is selected.

NOTE

Certain software installations may add other commands to your File menu.

B.1.1 Open, Open With , Preview

Opens a highlighted document, program, folder, or disk into a window, exactly as though you had double-clicked its icon. (If Windows doesn't know what program it's supposed to use for opening a highlighted document, the command says Open With..., so that you can choose the program you want. And if you've highlighted a graphics file, the command says Preview instead of Open.) Keyboard equivalent: Enter.

B.1.2 Print

Available for documents only. Sends the highlighted document to your printer after first opening the necessary application (such as your word processor) and offering you the Print dialog box, where you can specify, for example, how many copies you want. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, P.

B.1.3 Explore

Opens Windows Explorer, which shows you what's in the highlighted disk or folder in the Explorer two-pane format (see Section 4.1.4). This command is available only if the selected icon is a drive or folder. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, X.

B.1.4 Search

Opens a Search window that's ready to look in the selected drive or folder (the Search command isn't available if you select a file). See Section Section 2.8 for more on the Search command. Keyboard equivalent: F3.

B.1.5 Sharing and Security

Available only for folders and disks. Opens the Sharing tab of the icon's Properties dialog box. As described in Chapter 20, this dialog box is exclusively for people with networks; it lets you make a folder or disk available to other people on the network. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, H.

B.1.6 Run As

Available for programs only, this handy command lets you run a program as though you have an Administrator account (or somebody else's account), provided you know the account's password. It's described oin Section 17.3. Keyboard equivalent: Highlight the program name , then press Alt+F, A.

B.1.7 Pin to Start menu

Here's another option for programs (and shortcuts of programs) only. It forces the highlighted icon to be listed in the top left section of your Start menu for easy access. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, I.

B.1.8 Send To

Offers submenu commands that move or copy the highlighted icon(s) to the desktop, to a floppy disk, to the My Documents folder, and so on. (For files and folders only.) Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, N.

B.1.9 New

This command's submenu lets you create a new folder, shortcut, text file, or other new item, depending on the programs you've installed. For example, if you have Microsoft Office installed, you'll find a New Microsoft Word Document command here. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, W.

B.1.10 Create Shortcut

Creates a shortcut to the selected icon. (See Section 4.5 for more on shortcuts.) If you've highlighted a folder or document icon, the shortcut appears in the same window as the original icon; at this point, you haven't accomplished much. To make it useful, drag the shortcut to, for example, the desktop or the Quick Launch toolbar.

If the selected icon is a drive, Windows XP displays a message that says: "Windows cannot create a shortcut here. Do you want the shortcut to be placed on the desktop instead?" Click Yes. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F, S.

B.1.11 Delete

Moves the highlighted folder or file to the Recycle bin, after first requesting confirmation. Keyboard equivalent: Delete or Ctrl+F, D.

B.1.12 Rename

Opens an editing box for the name of the highlighted icon. Keyboard equivalent: F2.

B.1.13 Properties

Opens the Properties dialog box for the highlighted icon. Folder and file properties display creation-date and modification-date information. Disks display information about free and used space, along with a Tools tab that lets you open the disk-maintenance tools described in Chapter 16. If you've set up a network (Chapter 18), disk and folder Properties dialog boxes also offer a Sharing tab. Keyboard equivalent: Alt+Enter.

B.1.14 Close

Closes the window, just as if you'd clicked the X in the upper-right corner of the window (or double-clicked the icon in the upper-left corner). Keyboard equivalent: Alt+F4.