| Info on this page applies to PC's under Windows 95. It may or may not be helpful to those using other machines or operating systems. |
What and Why:
It is easy to lose track of files or folders on a PC.
And sometimes one does not know where the item is in the first
place. For example, a new user of VPlaces might know
that her AV files were in a folder called Gallery
but have no idea where to find that folder.
The Windows Start/Find function is intended for such situations.
Using Start/Find
Begin by clicking on Start, usually at the lower left of your screen.
Then click on Find and on Files or Folders.
Then, in the Find menu, first check that the Look In: entry is C:. Next, type the desired file or folder name in Named: and then click Find Now.
If you're lucky the list of items found will contain only one entry. Often there are several, so you have to figure out which is the one you want. Notice, too, that Find locates longer names that contain your entry.
You can treat entries in this list much as you would entries in an opened folder. Double-clicking on the name of a folder will open it, and double-clicking on an application (i.e., program, .exe file) will start it.
Right-clicking on an entry brings up a menu like that at right.
Here you have several worthwhile choices. For example,
Create Shortcut can start the process of creating a desktop icon for
a text, folder or program. A useful choice is Properties,
which brings up a report like that below.
Here is lots of information about the item, including, under Location, precisely where it is -- in what other folder(s) it will be found. This is especially useful if the location text was too long to read on the original list of items.
© 1998