Manipulating files ( Win. Vista & 7 )

Manipulating files

Viewing file details

• Click on the Counting files folder (within the left side of the window).  You will see the files within this folder displayed in the right side of the window, as illustrated.  You can view the file name, date modified, file type and file size.

• Move the mouse pointer over (but do not click on) the file called Dolphin.  You can see from the Type column that this is an image file.  After a short delay you will see a popup displaying more information about the image, such as the dimensions of the image.    Slowly move the mouse pointer down the list of files and see what additional information is displayed about other types of files when you point to a file.

• Click on the file called Dog. This is an image file and you will see a preview of the image in the bottom-left section of the window. 

• Right click on the selected file and from the popup menu displayed select the Properties command.  

• This will display the Properties dialog box for the selected file, displaying even more detailed information about the file.  Click on the OK button to close the dialog box.  

Sorting the file list within the Windows Explorer

• Within the left section of the window, select a folder called Sorting files.

• Move the mouse pointer to the word Name displayed at the top of the first column of information. 

• Click once.  Click a few more times.  Each time you click the list is ordered A-Z or Z-A, as illustrated. 

• Move the mouse pointer to the words Date Modified displayed at the top of the second column of information.  Repeated clicking on this will reorder the display in ascending or descending date order. 

• Move the mouse pointer to the word Type displayed at the top of the third column of information.  Clicking on this will sort the files by type, as illustrated.    TIP: In the example illustrated, the Type column is not wide enough to display the information within it.  To make the column wider, move the mouse pointer to the vertical line separating the top of the Type and Folder column.  You will see the mouse pointer changes to the shape of a small cross with arrows pointing left and right.  Press the mouse button and drag the column border to the right and when you release the mouse button the column will be wider.  The column will then look like this.  You may also have to make the program window itself wider to display the information! 

• You can use the Size column to sort the files according to their file size.