Fig 1.0 Click on the PICTURES shortcut link to open the PICTURES folder
Fig 1.1 The content view of the PICTURES folder
| FOLDER VIEWS |
In this section I will show you how to change a folder's content view (sub-folders and files view)
so that you can manage/view that content better. With picture files (photos) for example you may
want them displayed/viewed as Thumbnails (preview icons) whereas for Copy & Paste purposes you
may want them displayed/viewed as a List of files. It depends on the occasion/purpose.
In this first example I will show you how to change the display area of the PICTURES folder. So begin
by opening the PICTURES folder - Click on the START Menu button and then on the PICTURES shortcut link.
The above content view shows 3 sub-folders, 12 photograph files (pictures) and 1 shortcut link to the SAMPLE PICTURES sub-folder. Ignore the content for now though, it is the content view that matters. The PICTURES folder is currently using the MEDIUM ICONS content view which can be changed to another view by clicking on the folder's VIEWS drop-down menu. Doing so will bring up the content view selector.
As you can see from Fig 1.2 above, the content view selector has many views to choose from. In this example I am using the MEDIUM ICONS view but am just about to click on the LARGE ICONS menu-item to change the folder's content view. Here is a sample of the other content views.
If you want to change to a custom-size content view you can do so by dragging the content view selector manually up or down. For example. If you are using the MEDIUM ICONS content view and want larger icons but not too large, not LARGE ICONS content view, you can always drag the selector between the two content views.
In the above example I am changing the content view from MEDIUM ICONS to smallish custom sized icons. As I drag the selector downwards the smaller the icons become. If I level up with the SMALL ICONS menu-item the content view will automatically change to become the SMALL ICONS content view.
| CLASSIC MENUS |
If you want to use the classic menus that appeared in Windows XP folders for example, which are now switched off by default in Windows Vista, you can do so as follows. Click on the ORGANIZE drop-down menu and then hover the mouse pointer over to the LAYOUT menu-item until its sub-menu appears. From there, click on the MENU BAR menu-item to switch on the classic menus.
If you want to switch off (hide) the classic menus simply click on the MENU BAR menu-item again. When the classic menus are switched on (shown) a tick is placed on the left-side of the MENU BAR menu-item and when the classic menus have been switched off (hidden) the tick is cleared.
| DISPLAY AND RE-SIZE THE FOLDERS PANEL |
If you want to show or hide the FOLDERS Pane, to the left of the content view (display area), you can do so by clicking on the heading FOLDERS.
Fig 3.0 Click on the heading FOLDERS to display the FOLDERS Pane |
Fig 3.1 The PICTURES folder selected by default |
When the FOLDERS Pane is displayed (Fig 3.1 above) it has the current folder selected by default,
the PICTURES folder in this case, with the FOLDERS Pane perhaps a little too small for your liking
(Fig 3.2 above). This is because the display area (content view) of the FOLDERS Pane can only use
the height and width initially dictated to it by the size of the PICTURES folder (window). The
FOLDERS Pane has already stolen some of the space used for the FAVORITE LINKS Pane. So what is the
solution?.....Re-size the PICTURES folder and/or the FOLDERS Pane itself to give it more display
area (content view). A good example of re-sizing Folder/Window Panes can be found in the
Re-Size The Window Panes
section.
Do not change the height of the FOLDERS Pane - It is easier to change the height of the PICTURES
folder instead, by dragging the bottom of the PICTURES folder (see the
Re-Size A Window section for an example).
The same applies to the width of the FOLDERS Pane - It is easier to change the width of the PICTURES
folder. Again. See the Re-Size A Window section
for an example. Figures 1.2 and 1.3 of the Re-Size The Window Panes
section show an example of re-sizing the width of a pane and Figures 1.4 and 1.5 show an example of
re-sizing the height of a pane.
Fig 3.2 The height of the PICTURES folder has been re-sized |
Fig 3.3 The red arrows show where to drag the mouse pointer from and to |
To re-size the height of the FAVORITE LINKS, to claim some or all of its display area back, simply drag the top of the FOLDERS Pane downwards. Again. Figures 1.4 and 1.5 of the Re-Size The Window Panes section show an example of re-sizing the height of a pane.
Do not worry too much about re-sizing and panes as the above mentioned sections will give good examples, so you can always come back to this subsection later.
| THE DETAILS VIEW |
Did you notice in the content views, shown at the top of this section, that they all defaulted to
having the column headings Name, Date Taken, Tags, Size and Rating? This is because of the way
Folder Options is set up (explained in the next subsection). Basically. Those column headings are
meant for the DETAILS content view. Although all content views give information about a folder or
file, when you hover over that folder or file with the mouse pointer, the column headings when used
with the DETAILS content view add richness to what you can see at a glance. This is because of the
way you can change the column headings, and more specifically because of the way you can choose which
column headings to use.
Folder Options allows you to apply certain settings and a content view from one folder to all other
folders of the same folder type. However. This is not always a good idea, especially if you normally
view pictures as MEDIUM ICONS for example but this time want to view them as LARGE ICONS. Permanently
changing the content view of the PICTURES folder to LARGE ICONS and then applying LARGE ICONS to all
other folders might make other files in those folders look too big or out of character.
To change the columns headings for the current folder, in this case the PICTURES folder with a
DETAILS content view, right click over the empty column heading to bring up the Options menu. Do
not worry if you cannot see the empty column heading, just right click over any column heading
instead. From there, left click on the MORE menu-item to bring up the CHOOSE DETAILS window.
The Options menu provides you with a quick way of removing the default column headings, except for Name which must remain, by simply unticking those column headings you do not want to use. However. In this example I will remove all but the Name column heading and then add the Date Modified column heading, therefore it is better to use the MORE menu-item in this scenario to access the CHOOSE DETAILS window. Also, the CHOOSE DETAILS window has loads more column headings on it. For example. If you have music files in your folder or use the MUSIC folder you can use the Bit Rate, Length and Album Artist column headings for example.
Fig 4.1 Untick the column heading(s) you do not want to use |
Fig 4.2 Tick the column heading(s) you want to use |
To arrange information in a certain order simply click on the appropriate column heading to do so.
For example. In the above example I wanted the information arranged in Date Modified order, hence I
clicked on the Date Modified column heading. If I wanted the information in name order I would of
clicked on the Name column heading instead. More information and examples on customizing column
headings can be found in the Customize Windows Mail Columns
section.
You should begin to realise by now that the PICTURES folder (window) and the Window Mail window have
common elements on them, such as window panes and column headings, that can be manipulated in the
same way. And this is true of other windows that have the same elements. Many third party software
titles for example use the common List View - A view like the DETAILS content view but it can have
Grid Lines on it to separate its information.
| FOLDER OPTIONS |
Folder Options, as described above, allows you to apply certain settings and a content view from one folder to all other
folders (sub-folders) of the same folder type. So in the case of the MUSIC folder you could have it and all of its
sub-folders using a LIST content view. And with the PICTURES folder you could have it and all of its sub-folders using a
DETAILS content view. So what happens if you put a picture file into the MUSIC folder for example. Is the MUSIC folder
still classed as a music folder type? Yes it is! Remember. It is the folder itself that inherits the folder options
(certain settings and a content view) and not the files themselves. Hence its name Folder Options, not File Options.
To use Folder Options either click on the ORGANIZE button to bring up its Options menu and then click on the FOLDER AND
SEARCH OPTIONS menu-item (Fig 5.0 below) or click on the TOOLS menu and then the FOLDER OPTIONS menu-item (Fig 5.1) if
the Menu Bar is switched on. Either way the Folder Options window will appear (Fig 5.2).
Fig 5.0 Click on FOLDER AND SEARCH OPTIONS to continue |
Fig 5.1 Click on FOLDER OPTIONS to continue |
When the Folder Options window appears (below) it will open on the GENERAL Tab (window), but you need to click on the VIEW Tab in order to change the folder options and/or apply the current folder options.
Before clicking on the APPLY TO FOLDERS button (above) there is one important option that you should switch off (untick)
and that is the HIDE EXTENSIONS FOR KNOWN FILE TYPES option. When ticked Windows Vista hides the file extensions (i.e. .doc,
.mp3, .jpg and so on) and when unticked Windows Vista shows the file extensions. So when you are looking at a picture
file for example, with HIDE EXTENSIONS FOR KNOWN FILE TYPES switched off (unticked), you do not have to guess "Is that
John picture file a .jpg file or a .png file" for example because the file extension can be seen.
When you are ready click on the APPLY TO FOLDERS button to continue. Remember. You are not only applying the current
content view to the folder(s) but you are also applying any column headings you have changed within that content view.
When the above message requester appears simply click on its YES button to apply the current folder options (settings). After that, click on the OK button of the Folder Options window to close it.
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
All HTM files in the yoingco.com folder and its sub-folders are (c) John White, August 3rd 2005 - 2009. All Rights Reserved. FREE Vista Helpline: Contact John