Context Menu
Shift key:
Right--click (file or files) > Shift+Click (Delete) Or Right-click > Shift+Delete Key
Open & Open With:
One of the main reasons to use Windows Explorer: Double-clicking a file will open the right program automagically, and then the program will open the file in turn.
Even if you keep your files well organized, you may know where a file would be, but not what type it is. With Windows Explorer, they're all right there to see!
You can also pick an alternative program by using the "Open With" option in the context menu. If you don't see the option, select (left-click) the file first, then right-click it and the option will most likely be there. If that doesn't work, you can always use "Send To" (next tip).
Send To:
- Find your "Send To" folder: C:\Documents and Settings\Account_Name\SendTo
- Put (copies of) shortcuts of places where you often want to copy files to in your "Send To" folder.
- Right-click the file you want to send a copy of > hover over "Send To" in the context menu > click the location you want.
- Note: You can also put shortcuts to programs that you want to open files with in the "Send To" folder
Filename-hide (and Foldername-hide):
The idea is to create a custom "Recycle Bin": If the operation calls for deleting files or folders, just rename them by adding "-hide". That gives you a backup, in case you need to restore the original files or folders. You may need to recreate the folder to make it accessable again.
Later, when you're sure you don't need the files or folders, you can just delete them. If you want to clean up, and don't know where they all are, just search for files/folders containing "hide" in the name.
