Computing Fundamentals Module
Lesson 4 — Using Windows Explorer
Computer Literacy BASICS
Objectives
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2
Define uses for Windows Explorer.
Identify the parts of the Explorer window and
the icons used to represent drives, disks,
files, and folders.
Use Explorer to view the contents of a drive
or folder.
Expand and collapse the folder list.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Objectives (cont.)
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3
Change the view in the Explorer contents
pane.
Sort the information in the contents pane by
criteria in the Details view.
Display information about a file or folder in
the Properties dialog box.
Search for files or folders.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Vocabulary
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Contents pane
Folders bar
Search
Sorting
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Tree pane
Wildcard characters
Windows Explorer
Computer Literacy BASICS
Introducing Windows Explorer
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Explorer is a Windows program that gives
you control over the organization and
management of files and folders.
In earlier versions of Windows, My Computer
and Explorer were separate programs, but
they have been combined in Windows XP .
Explorer provides additional features to make
management tasks easier and faster.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Quick Quiz
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Explain how Windows Explorer’s tree pane
(Folder bar) is related to the contents pane.
Answer: When an object (such as a folder
or disk) is selected in the tree pane, its
contents are displayed in the contents
pane.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Starting Windows Explorer
There are three ways to start Explorer:
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Click Start, point to All Programs, point to
Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
Right-click over the Start button and then select
Explore from the shortcut menu.
Click Start, click My Computer, and then click the
Folders button on the toolbar.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Comparing My Computer and
Windows Explorer
The primary difference between My Computer
and Explorer is the use of the left pane:
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My Computer’s left pane contains a resource bar
with links to system resources.
Explorer’s left pane contains the folders bar
(also called the tree pane), which shows the
structure of your file folders.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Comparing My Computer and
Windows Explorer (cont.)
My Computer window
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Explorer window
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Explorer Window
The Explorer window consists of two panes:
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The Folders bar or tree pane on the left includes
a hierarchical display of all objects on the
desktop.
The Contents Pane at right shows the contents
of the object (folder, disk, drive, or computer)
you have selected in the left pane.
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Explorer Window’s Panes
Contents pane
Folders bar
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Icons in the Explorer Window
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The Desktop icon is the main “root” of the
upside-down tree. It is the top-level folder in
the tree pane, with folders and subfolders
branching off below it.
All other icons stem from the Desktop icon and
are subordinate folders, including
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My Documents
My Computer
My Network Places
Computer Literacy BASICS
Icons in the Explorer Window
(cont.)
Top-level
folder
Subordinate
folders
Plus sign
indicates
subfolders
are not
displayed
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Subordinate Folders
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Each subordinate folder may have its own
subordinate folders.
Subordinate folders are shown beneath and
indented from the parent-level folder.
A folder with a plus sign by its icon has
subordinate folders that are not currently
displayed.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Expanding and Collapsing
the Tree
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To display subfolders, you must expand the
folder list by clicking on the plus sign in the
box to the left of the folder.
Clicking the minus sign next to a folder will
collapse the folder list, making it possible to
view more objects in the tree.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Changing the View in Explorer
Explorer’s View menu is similar to all View
menus:
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You can choose to view the Standard toolbar
buttons, the status bar, and the Explorer bar.
You can change the view in the contents pane to
Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, or Details.
If a folder contains all graphic files, you can use
the Filmstrip option on the View menu.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Details View
Note the
additional
information
provided in
Details view for
each file: size,
type, and date
modified.
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Quick Quiz
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True or False? You can change the view of
objects in the contents pane, but you cannot
change the view of objects in the tree pane.
Answer: True
Computer Literacy BASICS
Sorting Files and Folders
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To easily locate files and folders, you can sort
the items displayed in a window.
Sorting is the process of creating a list
organized on a specific criterion.
You can sort files by any details listed in
Details view such as name, size, and type.
To sort by any option, just click the column
name in Details view.
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Toolbar
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Explorer’s toolbar is similar to My Computer’s
toolbar.
It contains Back, Forward, and Up navigation
buttons.
The Views button provides the same options as
the View menu to change the contents pane
view.
The Search button opens the Search
Companion to help you find files or folders.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Viewing the Contents of a
Drive or Folder
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You select a drive or folder to view by
clicking the appropriate object in the Folders
pane.
Or you can select the object in the Address
Bar drop-down list.
The contents of the selected drive or folder
will display in the Contents pane.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Viewing the Contents of a Folder
The selected folder,
system, is
highlighted
in the tree
pane and
displayed
in the title
bar and the
Address
Bar.
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Contents
of the
selected
system
folder are
displayed
in the
contents
pane.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Quick Quiz
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The selected drive is displayed or highlighted
in the title bar, the tree pane, and the
_______________.
A.
B.
C.
D.
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contents pane
taskbar
Search Results window
Address Bar
Answer :D
Computer Literacy BASICS
Displaying File Properties
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You can view file or
folder properties (name,
size, type, etc.) in the
Properties dialog box.
To open it, right-click
the file or folder name
and select Properties
from the shortcut menu.
The Properties dialog box
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Quick Quiz
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The name of the application used to create a
file is listed on which tab in the Properties
dialog box?
Answer: General tab
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Search Feature
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The Window XP Search feature helps you find
files and folders.
There are three ways to start the Search
program:
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Click the Search button on the Explorer toolbar.
If you are not in the Explorer window, click the Start
button and then select Search from the Start menu.
Right-click over the Start button and then select
Search for the shortcut menu.
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Search Companion
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When the Search window appears, you will
see two panes that are similar to the panes
in My Computer.
The left pane is the Search Companion, and
it offers a list of options to search.
The results of your search will appear in the
right pane of the Search window.
Computer Literacy BASICS
The Search Window
The Search
Companion pane
provides the ability to
search on various
criteria including the
name of the object, a
word or phrase in the
file or folder, the
modified date, the
file/folder type, or the
size of a file.
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Finding Files and Folders
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To start a search, type all or part of the name
of the file you want to find in the text box at the
top of the Search Companion pane.
You can also use the wildcard characters (* or
?) to substitute for characters in a filename.
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Use * to substitute for zero or more characters.
Use ? to substitute for only one character.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Finding Files and Folders (cont.)
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To search for files containing specific text, type
the text you want to find in the A word or
phrase in the file text box.
Use the Look in list arrow to select the drive or
folder you want to search.
When you are finished selecting search
options, click the Search button at the bottom
of the Search Companion pane to start your
search and display search results.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Search Options
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Computer Literacy BASICS
Quick Quiz
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What are the two wildcard characters, and
what does each one do?
Answer: The * substitutes for zero or
more characters in a search word or
phrase; the ? substitutes for just one
character.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary
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Windows Explorer and My Computer are
actually the same program in Windows XP.
When you start Explorer, you see a window
with the familiar title bar, menu bar, display
window, and status bar. The display window
is divided vertically into two panes—a left
pane, which displays the Folders bar, and a
right pane, which displays the contents.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary (cont.)
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The Folders bar, also referred to as the tree
pane, displays all of the objects on the
desktop in a hierarchical structure, and it
displays the folder structure for the currently
selected disk. The contents pane displays
the contents of the folder selected in the tree
pane.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary (cont.)
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In the tree pane, the open folder is the active
folder. In the contents pane, a folder icon
represents a subfolder of the open folder.
Explorer’s View menu options and Views
button allow you to control how files are
displayed in the contents pane. You can
select Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, Details,
and sometimes Filmstrip (for graphics files).
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary (cont.)
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You can display the properties of a file by
right-clicking the filename in the Explorer
window and then selecting Properties from
the shortcut menu to open the Properties
dialog box, which provides information about
the file including size, type, date, author, and
other details.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary (cont.)
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Sorting files in the contents pane organizes the
list according to a specific criterion. You can sort
files and folders by many specifications including
name, size, date modified, and type.
In the tree pane, you can collapse (decrease the
levels shown in) the tree so the folders and
subfolders do not appear. You can also expand
(increase the levels shown in) the tree so it
shows folders of all levels.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Summary (cont.)
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The Search feature is available in Explorer
by clicking on the Search button on the
toolbar, or you can access Search directly
from the Start menu.
Options in the Search Companion allow you
to refine your search to find specific files or
folders.
Computer Literacy BASICS
Activity: Complete each statement.
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Windows Explorer
Like My Computer, _________________________
makes it
easy to view the contents of disk drives and folders.
Desktop
At the top of the tree pane is the ____________________
icon.
To display subfolders in the tree pane, you must
____________________
the folder list.
expand
To collapse a folder, click the ____________________
sign
minus (-)
next to it.
To sort files by name, date, size, or type, you click the
appropriate ____________________
in Details view.
column heading
minus (-), Windows Explorer, Desktop, column heading , expand
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Computer Literacy BASICS