To move, copy and delete files from any drive in your computer, you will use a program called ‘Explorer.’ If you are using Windows98 at home, it is actually called ‘Windows Exlorer’ and can be found under the ‘Start’ button, an be found under the ‘Start’ button, inside ‘Programs.’ If you are using a WindowsNT machine at school, it is called ‘Windows NT Explorer’ and can be found in the same place. However, there is an easier way to get to it.
 
 

• If you want to start ‘exploring’ the files of your computer, right-click on ‘My Computer.’

 

• This will bring up a pop up menu. Select ‘Explore.’ The Windows Explorer will start and display the contents of you computer, which will also include all of the network drives you have available.

• Windows Explorer:

• On the left side, you see the drives and folders. On the right side, you see the contents of whatever you have selected on the left. Notice that in this picture, I have the local C:\drive selected. On the right, therefore, you see all of the folders and files that are in the C:\drive. Also notice the little + (plus) signs in the left next to the different drives.

• If you click on the plus signs, it will expand the folders on the left so that you can s> If you click on the plus signs, it will expand the folders on the left so that you can see them, but it will not change what you see on the right. Notice that ‘Primary (C:)’ is still selected and the contents on the right have not changed, but the folders under ‘Secondary (E:)’ have been expanded so that you can see them on the left. Also notice that what used to be a plus sign is now a minus sign. This shows us that you cannot expand that drive any more than it already is.

 

 
 
 
 
 

• To delete a file, select the folder on the left that you would want to delete from. This will display the contents of that folder on the right. In this example, I have selected the folder ‘temp’ in the c:\drive. The contents of ‘temp’ are shown on the right. I then selected the file ‘BECUck.qif’ on the right. Notice how folder icon on the left shows that the ‘temp’ folder is open. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT CLUE AS TO WHERE THE FILES ARE THAT WE ARE VIEWING.
• Once the correct file is selected, press the ‘delete’ key on the keyboard. It will most likely ask you to confirm that you want to delete that file. If you do, press the ‘Yes’ button. If you have selected multiple files (I’ll show you how to do that next) and you press the delete key, it will ask you to confirm thepress the delete key, it will ask you to confirm the deletion. At that point, in addition to the ‘No,’ ‘Yes,’ and ‘Cancel’ buttons, you will also have a ‘Yes to All’ button. If you press this button, it will delete all selected files.
• To select multiple files, there are two ways.
• If you want to select a range of files, i.e., several files in a row with everything in between the first and last files, do this:

1. Select a file by single-clicking it.
2. With your left hand, hold ‘Shift" key down (Careful, don’t let it squirm out from under your finger, they can be fidgety when they want to be).
3. Select a file several files down from the first one. Notice that all the files in between the two you selected are also now selected.

• If you want to select several files, but not necessarily all in a row, repeat the procedure above, but hold down the CTRL key instead and select individual files with the mouse. To deselect a file you have already selected, simply click on it again. BE CAREFUL NOT TO DOUBLE-CLICK ON A FILE WHILE YOU HAVE SEVERAL SELECTED. It will open ALL selected files.
• To copy a file:

Click and hold on the file and drag it to the file or drive you want to copy it to. When the desired destination file is the file or drive you want to copy it to. When the desired destination file is highlighted, drop the mouse.Notice plus sign on the mouse? The plus sign means that the file will be copied and not moved. This is an important distinction. When you copy a file, you leave it in the original location and create a second copy in another place. When you move a file, you remove it from its original location and place it in another. When you are copying/moving files from one drive to another (i.e. from your H:\drive to a disk… the A:\drive), the default action is to copy. When you copy/move a file within a drive (i.e. from one folder to another in the same drive), the default action is to move the file. If you don’t see the plus sign on the pointer, you are moving the file.

• To move a file:

• To move or copy multiple files:

• If you cannot see the file folder or drive on the left you want to copy to:

1. First select the file on the right that you want to copy or move.
2. On the left, use the scroll bar to move up and down and click on the plus signs only to expand the folder list on the left. If you click on a folder icon on the left, then your selected files on the right will disappear and you’ll have to go back, locate then and select them again.

• To copy a file to the a:\drive using the right-click:

Right click on the selected file(s). This will bring up a pop up menu. Select ‘Send To.’ Another menu will appear where you can select where you want to send the file(s) to. If you select ‘3 ½ Floppy (A)’ the file will be copied to the A:\drive.
 
 
 
 
 
 

• The other way to copy/move a file is to right-click on it and select ‘cut’ or ‘copy’, depending on whether you want to copy or move it. Then right click on the destination and select ‘paste.’ I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS FOR BEGINNERS AS THERE CAN BE CATASTROPHIC MISTAKES MADE IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY LUCID (for the best ofTASTROPHIC MISTAKES MADE IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY LUCID (for the best of us at the end of the day, lucidity can be a real challenge).