Windows Explorer
Windows Explorer windows are the main tools that you use to find, view, and
manage information and resources in WindowsR. In Microsoft WindowsR XP,
Windows Explorer changes depending on what you're working with. Windows
VistaR simplified Windows Explorer so that you use the same interface to
work with almost everything on your computer, including your documents,
photos, programs, devices, and Internet content. In Windows 7, the Windows
Explorer interface has been further refined to enable you to get things done
in fewer steps. The search box in Windows 7 lets you find files and start
programs by typing a bit of information about the item that you're looking
for. Keyboard shortcuts added in Windows 7 make it easier for you to do
common Windows Explorer tasks from the keyboard. In addition, the Windows
Explorer list view was rewritten in Windows 7 to use a more modern UI
accessibility framework, providing accessibility programs with easier access
to the list view.
Windows Explorer Structure
The main parts of Windows Explorer include the address bar, the Back and
Forward buttons, the search box, the command bar, the navigation pane, and
the content area. These and other important parts are briefly described in
the following sections.
*. Address Bar:
The address bar appears at the top of Windows Explorer and displays your
current location as a breadcrumb bar-a series of links separated by arrows.
You can navigate to a different location by clicking a link or by typing the
path of a location. The address bar also features drop-down menus along the
current navigation path, enabling you to easily backtrack or navigate
forward anywhere along an address path. You can browse the Internet by
typing a URL in the address bar, which replaces the open folder with your
default web browser.
Other parts of the address bar include:
.
Previous Location button , Displays a list of the locations you
visited recently. The most recent location is at the top of the list, and
the oldest location is at the bottom.
.
Refresh button , Reloads the content area (described later) for the
current location.
*. Back and Forward Buttons:
The Back and Forward buttons appear to the left of the address bar. You can
use them to navigate to other folders or libraries that you already opened
without closing the current window. These buttons work with the address bar;
after you use the address bar to change folders, for example, you can use
the Back button to return to the previous folder. Just to the right of the
Forward button is the Recent Pages button, which shows a list of locations
that you visited recently. You can navigate to a recent location just by
selecting an item from the list.
*. Search Box:
The search box is located to the right of the address bar. As you enter a
word, a phrase, or even a date, Windows immediately starts searching for
matching files names, file properties (metadata), and text within each file
and returns results in just moments.
When the search box gets the focus, it displays a drop-down list of your
previous searches, if there are any. Below the list are buttons that you can
use to filter the search results. The available buttons change depending on
the current location. For instance, when you are browsing in Computer or
Favorites, the filter buttons include Date modified and Size. When you are
browsing in Libraries, the filter buttons change depending on the type of
library and the amount of space that is available under the search box for
displaying the filter buttons. You can expand the box to reveal any hidden
filters buttons. When you are browsing in your Pictures library, for
example, the filter buttons might include Albums, Artists, Genre, Length,
Folder path, Year, Rating, and Title.
*. Command Bar:
The command bar is a horizontal toolbar below the address bar that spans the
width of Windows Explorer. It gives you quick access to common commands such
as changing the appearance of your files and folders, burning files to a CD,
or starting a digital picture slide show. The toolbar's buttons change to
show only the tasks that are relevant. For example, if you select a picture
file, the command bar shows different buttons than it would if you select a
music file.
The command bar contains the following buttons that are always present,
regardless of the current file type:
.
Organize button - Displays a menu of commands that you can use to
organize and manage files and folders in the content view.
.
Change your view button - Changes the appearance and amount of
detail shown for items in the content pane.
.
Preview pane button - Shows or hides the preview pane (described
later).
.
Help button - Provides detailed information about Windows Explorer.
*. Navigation Pane:
The navigation pane fills the left side of the Windows Explorer window,
below the command bar. You can use the navigation pane to access libraries,
folders, network locations, saved searches, and even entire hard disks. The
navigation pane can include the following sections:
.
Favorites - Use the Favorites section to open your most commonly
used folders and searches.
.
Libraries - Use the Libraries section to access the four default
libraries-Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos-and any libraries that you
create. Libraries let you organize and access your files by type, regardless
of where they are stored on the computer, without moving them from where
they are stored. Also, Windows Explorer lets you view the contents of a
library organized in ways other than the folder hierarchy, such as by name,
author, and creation date. For more information, see Working with libraries.
.
Computer , Use the Computer section to browse your folders and
subfolders.
.
HomeGroup - Use the HomeGroup section to access the shared files and
printers on your home network. This section is optional and is present only
if you have a home network. For more information, see HomeGroup.
.
Network - Use the Network section to access other computers on your
network.
Unlike Windows Explorer in Windows XP and earlier, the command bar and the
navigation pane in Windows 7 are available simultaneously, so tasks on the
command bar are always available-you don't need to toggle between the
navigation pane and the command bar to take action on your files.
Content Area
The content area is below the taskbar and to the right of the navigation
pane. This is where the contents of the current folder or library are
displayed. If you type in the search box to find a file, the files that
match your current view (including files in subfolders) will appear in the
content area.
The content area can include a column header that you can use to sort the
items and set the width of the columns in the content area. You can also use
the column headers to arrange your files into piles, or stacks. If you stack
by Author, for example, you will see one stack for each author.
When you browse a library, the top of the content area will include the
library pane. Commands in the library pane let you choose the locations to
include in the library, and to select the property used to arrange the items
in the content area (type, author, date modified, and so on).
*. Preview Pane:
The preview pane is an optional pane where you can preview the contents of
many types of files without opening them in a program. When present, it is
located to the right of the content area. You can show or hide the preview
pane by using the Preview pane button near the right end of the command bar.
*. Details Pane:
The details pane is located along the bottom of Windows Explorer. It
displays the most common properties associated with the selected file. File
properties are information about a file, such as the author, the date you
last changed the file, and any descriptive tags you might have added to the
file. You can add or change many file properties from the details pane.
Adding or changing properties will cause the Save and Cancel buttons to
appear on the details pane. You can use these buttons to save your property
changes or to cancel without saving them. For more information, see Change
the properties for a file.
The following sections provide tips on how to navigate the various parts of
Windows Explorer.
Navigating the Address Bar
You can set the focus to the address bar by pressing ALT+D. The address bar
will display the path or URL of your current location. From here, you can
navigate to a new location by typing an address and pressing ENTER. If you
press ESC, Windows Explorer displays the path of your current location as a
"breadcrumb bar"-a series of links separated by arrows. You can navigate to
any point in the current path by using the arrow keys and the ENTER key to
select a link (or ALT plus the first letter of the link). If you set the
focus to a link and press the DOWN ARROW key, Windows shows a drop-down list
of all locations associated with that point in the path. Select a list item
to navigate to a new location.
When the address bar has the focus, you can select the Previous locations
button by pressing ALT+DOWN ARROW. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to
navigate the list of previous locations, and use the ENTER key to return to
a selected location.
Navigating with the Back and Forward Buttons
Windows Explorer keeps track of the locations that you visit while browsing.
You can navigate to previous locations by using ALT+LEFT ARROW, and forward
by using ALT+RIGHT ARROW. Alternatively, you can go directly to a previous
location by pressing ALT+V followed by the G key to access the Go To item of
the View menu, and then using the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select a
previous location.
Navigating the Search Box
You can search a folder and its contents by typing in the search box. To set
the focus to the search box, press CTRL+F. As soon as it gets the focus, the
search box displays a drop-down list of your previous searches, if any. The
bottom of the list contains buttons that you can use to filter the search
results. Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to navigate the list items, and
press ENTER to select a previous search or to click a filter button.
Clicking a filter button displays a list of filter options that you can
navigate with the UP and DOWN ARROW keys, and select with the ENTER key.
When the search is completed, you can press the DOWN ARROW key to navigate
to the resulting items in the content area. From there, use the UP and DOWN
ARROW keys to navigate through the items, and press ENTER to open an item.
Navigating the Command Bar
You can navigate to the command bar by using the TAB key. When the command
bar has the focus, you can use the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys to navigate the
command items, and the ENTER key to select a command. Use the DOWN ARROW
key
to access the drop-down list (if any) associated with an item.
Navigating the Navigation Pane
The contents of the navigation pane are organized as one tree with several
root items: Favorites, Libraries, Computer, HomeGroup (optional), and
Network. You can use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to navigate the items in the
tree, and the ENTER key to display the contents for an item in the content
area. If an item has subitems, you can expand and collapse the list of
subitems by using the LEFT and RIGHT ARROW keys. You can expand the tree to
the current location by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+E.
Navigating the Content Area
When you press the Windows logo key+E to start Windows Explorer, it opens
with the focus set on the first clickable item in the content area. From
there, you can use the arrow keys to move through the items, and the ENTER
key to open a folder or to select an item.
Windows Explorer can include group items in the content area. A group item
is a clickable item that has a set of related subitems. For example, when
you browse the Computers folder, the content area contains a Hard Disk
Drives group item that includes a subitem for each hard disk in your
computer.
When you select a group item, all subitems in the group are selected. When a
group item has the focus, you can use the RIGHT and LEFT ARROW keys to
expand and collapse the list of subitems. When the subitem list is expanded,
you can use the arrow keys to move from one subitem to another, and the
ENTER key to select a particular subitem.
You can use CTRL+R to refresh the list of items in the content area.
Navigating the Library Folders
You can use the keyboard to open the Libraries folder directly from the
taskbar (Windows logo key+3 by default). You can navigate the libraries
folder and the contents of a library just like any other folder-by using the
arrow keys and by pressing ENTER to open a folder or to select an item.
To view a library organized in a way other than by the folder hierarchy,
press SHIFT+TAB when the content view has the focus. This sets the focus to
the Arrange by menu. From here you can use the DOWN ARROW key to navigate
through the menu items to select an alternate view. If you want to add a
folder to a library, press SHIFT+F10 to get the folder's context menu, and
then select Include in library.
Navigating the Details Pane
You can use the TAB key or Shift+TAB to access the details pane for a
particular item, but only if the details pane is visible and contains items
that you can edit. When an item has the focus, pressing the TAB key twice
sets the focus to the first editable item in the details pane. From there,
you can navigate among other editable items, if any, by using the TAB key or
SHIFT+TAB. To save your changes or cancel without saving, tab over to the
Save button or the Cancel button and then press ENTER.
Navigation Keys
Windows logo key+E Open a Windows Explorer window.
CTRL+N
Open a new Windows Explorer window.
CTRL+W
Close the current window.
CTRL+SHIFT+N
Create a new folder.
END Display the last item in the active window.
HOME Display the first item in the active window.
F11 Maximize or restore the active window.
NUM LOCK+asterisk (*) on numeric keypad
Display all subfolders under the
selected folder.
NUM LOCK+plus sign (+) on numeric keypad
Display the contents of the
selected folder.
NUM LOCK+minus sign (-) on numeric keypad
Collapse the selected
folder.
LEFT ARROW
Collapse the current selection (if it is expanded), or
select the parent folder.
ALT+ENTER Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item.
ALT+P
Display or hide the preview pane.
ALT+LEFT ARROW View the previous folder.
BACKSPACE View the previous folder.
RIGHT ARROW
Display the current selection (if it is collapsed), or
select the first subfolder.
ALT+RIGHT ARROW
View the next folder.
ALT+UP ARROW View the parent folder.
CTRL+SHIFT+E
Display all folders above the selected folder.
CTRL+mouse scroll wheel Change the size and appearance of file and folder
icons.
ALT+D
Select the address bar.
CTRL+E
Select the search box.
CTRL+F
Select the search box.
Control+R
Refresh the content area.