Windows Explorer

Since Windows 95 gives you the ability to create, move, copy, and delete items anywhere inside of it, File Manager, the program in Windows 3.1 responsible for the same things, is not really required anymore. However, many people find it beneficial to understand the structure of their computer. For that reason, Windows 95 allows you to look inside the organization of your computer by using the Windows Explorer.

You can get to the Windows Explorer in one of two ways: you can find it under the Start|Programs menu, or you can right-click any drive or folder and choose Explore from the shortcut menu. The typical Explorer screen looks like the following: (click the thumbnail image to see the full picture)

The left side of the screen gives the tree structure of all the drives, folders, and subfolders in your computer. Notice that the Desktop is at the top of the tree structure. Since you can access all other locations from the desktop, the tree shows the Desktop as the root folder for everything else.

You may also notice a series of + signs next to many of the folders and drives. This is an indication that there are subfolders inside of the folder or drive. To expand and see these subfolders, simply click on the + sign. The computer will open the next level of folders for your viewing. Take a look as the C: drive is expanded.  (again, click the thumbnail image to see the full picture)

There are 15 folders inside the C: drive, many of which have subfolders of their own. Those subfolders without + signs do not have subfolders. (although they can have files) However, notice that the + sign is no longer next to the C: drive icon on the left side: it is now a - sign. This indicates that the branch is expanded. Clicking the - sign will collapse the branch.

The right side of the Explorer displays the contents of whatever is selected in the tree structure. The contents could be files, programs, or even more folders. The information on this side can be displayed in the same 4 methods as all other windows: large icons, small icons, list, and details.

The Windows Explorer, like the File Manager before it, can create folders and move them. It can also create files, copy them, move them, and delete them. You can drag files or folders to new locations. As in File Manager, dragging an item to a different location on the same drive constitutes a MOVE unless you hold down the [CTRL] key. Dragging an item to a different drive constitutes a COPY unless you hold down the [SHIFT] key.