How to Man­age Files and Fold­ers Effi­cient­ly on Win­dows 10

Gaurav Bidasaria

06 Aug 2020

Files and folders tend to accumulate over time on our Windows computers. We often end up buying an external hard disk and soon beef it up as well. It’s time you check the subtle art of managing files and folders on Windows 10 computers.

Just like our houses, we like to store junk on computers too. What if ‘we need it someday’ is the story we tell ourselves. And before we know it, there are way too many folders and files. Do you know what the other problem is? Storing files is easy, searching, and retrieving them are hard.

Let’s see what we can do about it.

1. Unload/Delete Files

There is just so much data on our computers but we don’t use half of them daily. Probably, even more. And we don’t need a lot of these files ever. They are old, redundant, and no longer serve their purpose.

I suggest you either delete these files and folders or move them to an external hard disk or pen drive. That should empty a lot of space, making room for new trash in the future.

2. Folder Structure

I noticed some of my friends like to save all files inside a single folder. All of them. That’s just lazy and bad management. Create folders and sub-folders in a logical structure. That way, everything will be neat, and you will find it easier to drill down to the required folder. Right-click anywhere to create a new folder or use the top bar.

Try using a pen and paper or a mind mapping tool to create a structure that makes sense. Move files to these folders and keep adjusting as needed along the way. One example can be creating folder structure by company, city, department, person, and project.

3. Don’t Use Notepad

A lot of users have a weird habit. They use Notepad to take quick notes. That’s inefficient. Use a note-taking app instead. We have covered so many over the years on GT. It will help you take better notes, search, and edit, and do so much more. How many text files can you make, and how do you even search their contents?

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4. Name Logically

This is another mistake that a lot of computer users make. They don’t name their files and folders correctly. That makes it difficult for them to find the same later. Name your files and folders logically so that you can to search for them even after years. Don’t use random alphabets or numbers.

Refrain from using abbreviations, but instead, use full names to make it easier to search and find. One example can be assigning numbers. Name files 001, 002, and 003 if you must and Microsoft report, Steve Jobs Profile, and as such. Always go for correct spelling where required or a logical sequence in case of numbers.

5. Using Meta Data

Noticed the View tab inside a folder? You can use it to sort data in many ways. Some examples are name, date, tags, size, file type, author, title, and more. You can also change the icon size allowing you to view more or fewer files in the same space.

Also, check out the Group by and Add column feature. You can choose to group similar files and folders and add columns that show more metadata. You can then arrange them in ascending or descending order.

6. Cloud Storage Apps

Noticed how I have three different cloud storage folders in the above screenshot? That’s because all my files and folders that I don’t use frequently are stored on an HDD. The rest is stored on these cloud apps. The only folder left contains some old and hard to find audio and video files.

Use Google Docs or Microsoft Office to create and save documents. You can also use them to save other files online, keeping offline storage empty for really important and sensitive stuff.

Using cloud storage will also protect your data from accidental damage from fire, water, theft, drops, failure, errors, and more. You will never have to save duplicate copies of that very critical file, either. And if you do, it will consume less space on your computer.

Also on Guiding Tech

How to Sort Files in Windows 10 Numerically and By Size

7. Hide Files

Most users don’t pay attention to hiding files or aren’t aware how to do it. Right-click on any file, leave system files alone, and you will find an option to hide the file under the Properties menu.

You can also hide, unhide, and view hidden files and folders from the View tab in File Explorer. That’s a neat way to clear clutter without having to delete or even move files and folders. Learn how to use it effectively to manage files and folders on Windows 10 computers.

8. Quick Access Menu

You will find the Quick access menu in the left sidebar in the File Explorer. A simple way to quickly access your most-used files and folders.

Drill down to the file or folder that you want to add from the sidebar itself, right-click, and select Pin to Quick access to add it there.

9. Search Faster and Better

The default Windows 10 search is not good enough. You can search for apps in the Start menu and files in the File Explorer. While they both work, they are both mediocre at best. There are far better and faster search tools out there that you can use to search and locate anything on your computer. Go check them out.

Also on Guiding Tech

# File Management

Organization Skills

Windows 10 comes with a lot of ways to manage and organize files and folders on your computer. It’s just that most people don’t know how or have time to explore the menu. Once you do and begin to think logically, it becomes easier to manage files and folders. Also, it is crucial to understand that this is a process. You will have to do some housecleaning from time to time. It’s not a set and forget system. As you create and save more files and folders, you will notice that things are getting out of hand again. Maybe, once every few months?

Next up: Have something sensitive you want to hide and protect? Click on the link below to learn how to lock files and folders on your Windows 10 computer.

Last updated on 7 Aug, 2020
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.

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Windows 10 Tip: Manage Files and Folders with File Explorer

When using your Windows 10 system to create information, over time, we accumulate a lot of files that store on our hard disk. A critical part of how Windows 10 (and Windows in general) organizes this is by using a File System that manages how files are stored and accessed on your computer. The part you and I see when we interact with the records that we create on our computers, such as documents, audio files, pictures, and videos is the File Manager.

In the case of Windows, it’s File Explorer. Over the years, this essential part of the Windows experience has evolved from its roots as File Manager in early releases, then Windows Explorer, and now called File Explorer, first introduced in Windows 8.

Since a lot of you are coming from Windows 7 and skipped Windows 8.x altogether, we thought you’d like to take a look at using File Explorer in Windows 10.

Using File Explorer in Windows 10

To see into your computer’s storage vault, click the File Explorer icon located on your Taskbar or click Start > File Explorer.

When you launch File Explorer in Windows 10, you get the Quick access window. Formally called Favorites in previous versions of Windows; here you will see your most frequently accessed folders and files you created.

You can use File Explorer for a variety of tasks. In addition to management and organization of files and folders, it’s also used to view and manage the resources of your computer such as internal storage, attached storage, and optical drives.

Quick Access Toolbar	Here you can pin your most frequently accessed commands. Quick Access also automatically pins your most frequently accessed folders.
Ribbon Toolbar	If you are familiar with Microsoft Office or apps such as Paint and WordPad, the Ribbon toolbar command is used to manage your files and often reveals hidden commands quickly. When you select a file or folder, this will display a contextual tab with additional options. You can copy, move, delete, rename, and a host of other tasks using the Ribbon.
Navigation and Address Bar	You can use these to navigate smoothly through a folder’s hierarchy or back and forward between folders. The Address bar also has a breadcrumb menu that makes it easy to navigate to a different folder path.
Quick Access	Here you can find your most frequently accessed folders and also ones you have pinned show up here, which is a new feature in Windows 10.
OneDrive synced folders	If you have a Microsoft Account setup with your Windows 10 PC, you can have your files stored in the online storage service and have them synced to your computer.
This PC	In previous versions of Windows, this was called Computer Explorer. Here you can view and manage your internal storage and attached storage devices including optical media.
Search	Use the search command to find files stored in the current folder.
Status bar	Displays information about the contents stored in the window, such as the amount of files, size, file selection and quick access to folder layout.

If you would rather see your computer environment now called This PC, click it in the left pane, or you can change it to the default from the Folder Options dialogue. To do so, select the View tab on the Ribbon and click Options under Show/Hide group.

Click in the Open File Explorer to list box and choose This PC then click Apply and OK.

If you don’t like to see your most frequently accessed folders and recently accessed files, you can adjust those settings from the same dialog. Under Privacy, uncheck the following:

• Show recently used files in Quick access
• Show frequently used folders in Quick access

Or you can choose to erase all traces by clicking the Clear button.

User Folder

In Windows 7 and earlier versions, you had a User folder directory which was used to store and organize your files in folders by content, such as Documents, Audio Files, Pictures, Videos, and other types of data. Some of these folders will still be available from This PC. Other folders that might be part of your User Folder created by third-party applications are accessible from within your user directory from the Bread Crumb menu.

To do that, click the arrow on the address bar (see below) and click your user folder represented by your account name. Or, press Windows key + R, then type: %userprofile% and hit Enter.

Change how Files Display in Windows 10 File Explorer

You can change how your files look by using the View tab. When you activate this tab, you will see various groups for changing the layout of the window, files, current view, or hide certain things you see onscreen. Within the Layout group, click one of the available options to change how your files display onscreen. You can also preview the layout before confirming by hovering over one of the available options.

File Explorer provides different ways to view your files

Go Back to a Previous Folder

If you would like to navigate to a previous folder, you can do this a couple of ways efficiently using either Recent Locations button or the Bread Crumb menu. When you click the Recent Locations menu, you can go back to a previously working directory quickly without going through multiple directories along the way.

The Bread Crumb menu introduced in Windows Vista provides similar capabilities; for instance, you can easily navigate to a folder with a folder path. So, if there are subfolders within a folder, you can quickly jump to any folder within that path.

Tip: You can also use the Backspace key to go back one step too.

Organizing Files and Folders

If you have a lot of files on your Windows 10 system computer, you’ll want to organize them. So if you need to see recent files created or older files, or you need to archive certain files elsewhere, you can easily do so. The View tab provides options for sorting how files are displayed. Here, I have chosen to sort my files by type. When I select this view, I can see all my Microsoft Word documents and Excel workbooks.

Copy, Pasting a File or Folder

One of the most common operations for users is copying, which creates a replica of an original file. To copy a file, select the file you want to copy and click Copy under the Home tab.

You can just as easily copy or move a file without leaving your current location. Under the Home tab within the Organize group, click ‘Copy to’ or ‘Move to’ button, and choose the location if it’s listed, or click the Choose Location button and select the location.

Customizing Windows 10 File Explorer

If there are folders you commonly access, you can have them pinned to the Quick Access pane. Right-click the folder you want pinned and select Pin to Quick Access or select the folder and then Pin to Quick access under the Home tab.

If you don’t always want to see the Ribbon in Windows 10, you can minimize it by clicking the Minimize button or press Control + F1 on your keyboard.

As you now know, File Explorer in Windows 10 contains a wealth of tools you can use to manage your files! The ribbon, which will be new to many, offers numerous organizational tools that are quickly accessible. All of this makes it easier to discover and find your information.

50 Comments

Hi Andre
Since updating to Windows 10 I find that when I have two versions of File Explorer open and want to have them side by side the Taskbar option “Show Windows Side by Side” does not work correctly.
The two versions become Stacked not Side by side.
Eg.
Press Win Key+E twice (to open two versions of File Explorer)
Right Click in the Task Bar and select Show Windows Side by Side.

This is an annoying bug and Microsoft should be notified by it but How do you notify them?

I think your problem is that you’re opening two SESSIONS of File Explorer when what you want is two WINDOWS.

Instead of clicking Windows E a second time…just type CTRL N (new window) once your first window is open.

THEN you can use the old side-by-each command.
(The way you’ve BEEN doing it, each “session” only HAS one window open…..so when you say “Show windows side by side”…….it thinks you’re on drugs! 🙂

How can I duplicate the folder structure [only partial in most cases, e.g. the structure for the lowest level or two on part of a drive] in Windows 10 while not copying all the files over? Thanks.

Open a command prompt and use the xcopy command with the /T & /E switches. Type “xcopy /?” for a list of switches and the help file.

/T Creates directory structure, but does not copy files. Does not
include empty directories or subdirectories. /T /E includes
empty directories and subdirectories.

How do I increase the font size in File Explorer? Or how do I zoom in so that I can read the screen?

Not sure about the font-size method……but Windows Key/+= key will magnify up to 800% (Go back down to 100 using Win/- keys.(of course!)

How can one add a back arrow button to where the pin to quick access button is located now? I really miss the old layout, and the small arrows that has replaced it just isn’t the same, at all..

not sayin my name =-=

in the search bar do you have a star next the your profile?

I’m trying to burn word documents to a CD. I have file folders with sub folders under each folder. These are recipes that I have organized into different categories, like chicken, pork, etc. When I burn them to a CD they appear in alphabetical order, but not in their sub folder categories. How do I burn the CD keeping the categories separate? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

I can’t even get two copies of file explorer open. I don’t know how to organize my files and folders without doing this. I need to see what I am doing, my short term memory is apparently not long enough to retain what I am dragging and where I want to drag it to to, and then to make it worse scrolling and dragging can make it all squirrel out.

Kristin I suppose by now you’ve worked it out. If not, here’s my way…

I have File Explorer on the taskbar (Start>File Explorer – right mouse click – Add to Taskbar).

I click to open it and then, if I want another copy, I click again on the File Explorer icon on the taskbar BUT WHILE HOLDING SHIFT – a separate FE windows open, and you can drag one hard against the side of your monitor using your left mouse button on the title bar. When you then let go of the mouse button – making sure you see a half screen outline on your monitor – the first FE window will snap to fill half screen size. Then you can click on the other FE window to make it snap to the other half of the screen.

Then you can drag files between different folders in your computer or between different computers on your network.

Ok here is my delima when pulling files over to move them. I highlite the file and pull them over to the same window left hand column, and before i can let go of them, it has squirly opened up the subdirectories or moved on me, so they go into the wrong directory. Very very frustrating. Isn’t there a button or check mark where i can make it NOT EXPAND the directories. If not, why now ;)? Thank you for answering that.

Oh one more delima with windows 10. I can’t even see a button or place where it says PRINT in my Notepad Next application. What do i have to do to get it to appear? There is a print button on all the other applications.

Jerry, did you ever learn how to move something from one file explorer window to the other, without the darn thing suddenly going into the wrong directory? Happens to me a lot, also.

You, Kristin, have just made my day !
To explain, I must detail that I’ve a huge amount of schooling, medical degrees,
mechanical training, and more. I can tear anything apart, and rebuild it. I’ve also applied for a few patents. (blah, blah, blah)
HOWEVER, in the last few years of being habitually
frustrated with computers, I’ve upgraded to (2) twenty four inch monitors.
This solved a fraction of my struggles, yet all the “tutorials” and “advice” and explanations from “EXPERTS” continually left me with the desire to smash everything and revert to books, pen and paper, etc.
“Not” having the ability to “SEE WHAT WE’RE DOING” seems to be a “very common” roadblock in the world of computers.
It could also be in “your” situation, as is mine, that certain individuals are more “kinesthetic” and “visual” than others, in terms of “how they retain information”.
Having grown up with 3 DIMENSIONAL, auditory, and visual learning, it took me a long
time to realize that “IT’S NOT ME”.
The world of learning computers, let alone programs, files, folders, and the myriad of differing combinations is VERY UNNATURAL to my own personal way of learning.
Having learned this, I’ve solved my anger/frustration with computers and built myself
a 6-monitor system, allowing me to have a “huge” desktop where I CAN SEE EVERYTHING and the “inter-relationships”……AS I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER, RETAIN, and Learn !

Great post Andre, thanks
Is there a way to customise File Manager so that I don’t see all stuff I don’t need in the Navigation Pane – such as Documents, Music, Pictures and Videos?
Thanks

i accidentally clicked something that i didn’t read while i was deleting an app. (i think it was “do this to others”).. now, i could copy, move or delete any file, apps and all while i have it open.. how do i undo this? how do i return it to its default setting?

Hi somehow windows 10 file explorer has taken my music album folders and made individual folders for each artist. So now i have many more folders to look through for my music and some folders only have 1 somg in them… i have tried changing the view but i cannot get them to merge back into album folders. Is there a way to do this?

on 8, I could like all the favorites and quickly look at them by xing out at the top. Now I have to click each one in the folder to look at. This takes way too much time. How do I get them all to open in a favorites forlder like 8. I hope this isn’t the new way, so aggrevating. Thanks

I was trying to save a file to local drive C: but it wont allow me to. How to save a file in desired directory?

You can try Long Path Tool, it helped me a lot.

Is there anything about how to keep Microsoft from duplicating your files? When Windows 7 came out-was extremely confusing because on one hand you have similar names-like photos for instance-you will find a few different locations for “Photos” but are not the same location. Supposedly, these are all the same files arranged in a different order-there is only one file or on the picture and it all goes back to the one copy of that file.

With Windows 10 in file explorer-next thing I know is my folders start multiplying without me making it happen. If I want to clean and organize-it is giving me multiple copies of the same file. So instead of having one file accessed from multiple locations-this becomes not one file but multiple copies of the same files you know must manage. Instead of having one file you have five or six files you have to consolidate and eventually deletes-you are not working with one file access from multiple locations but five different files found in five different locations.

Is there a way to manage files and folders that does not make multiple copies of the same file(so you are only managing one file but not five different files) How can I manage my files and folders so I can keep them in one place, location with out seeing the same files copied and growing into a huge list of files you have to manage? In other words, having a clean and concise work area that bis easy to manage? How do I stop Microsoft from making copies of my files putting them all over the place in my file/folder manager?

Some online software’s are great in case of long path errors like Long Path Tool, all problems solution in one go.

How do you prevent files and folders from being deleted? Been noticing from time to time that a folder I could access is no longer there. I go to the Recycle Bin and thankfully-find it and restore it. How can I stop this action from happening?

I am the only one using my laptop so the reality-it should be myself determining what gets deleted and what does not.

Is there some kind of registry, journal entries, or whatever I need to look at to pinpoint when this happens and who caused it(whatever feature on my computer.)

In a similar action, when working with a lot of files-pictures-when moving them from place to place(like cut and paste), I keep seeing these photos and files being duplicated in file management. I suspect when this happens, the cause being cut and pasted files-that it leaves a copy you did not intend to leave at the current address. For whatever reason-when Windows 7 came out-had a long time to wrap my head around the ideal that there is one file but can be accessed from multiple locations-one file though. I somewhat suspect there has been a change up by Microsoft which would be very disingenuous if that is what is happening.

Yes maybe MS can use another check box if we want to be reminded of a deletion or not be reminded. I”m used to the fact that you can hit the delete button, and it’s done, no asking if you’re sure. But you can also accidentally hit that button and lost files. Maybe make that optional to each individual person.

Hey, David,
Maybe the clue is in your phrase “Cut and paste”. Perhaps you are “Copy and pasting”, not cutting?

Also, if you ever move files by “dragging and dropping” you must be sure to hold down the shift key while doing this; otherwise, you are “dragging and COPYING”, i.e. making another copy of the file in the new location. BUT, the old one ALSO stays where it was, so you now have TWO copies.

Try it on a test file.

Everything you need to manage files and folders except for the files and folders themselves. I want to get rid of excess and copied files. Apparently when you try to open another copy of a folder already opened so you can compare-apparently you can only open one version of a folder. When you try to open a second copy-it takes you right to the first copy you have opened already. The more I get into Windows 10, the more I begin to realise Microsoft is not about making basic features Windows miight have had in the past are not a part of the new and improved edition of Windows. As Microsoft adds innovative features-you do it at the price of losing basic functionality you always had available to you-you have to reinmvent the wheel because Microsoft decided you do not need that wheel

David did you get any help with your two inquires here?
I have these same problems and my Photo folders and files are beyond management.
I really need help with these problems too.

Also in talking about files and losing or gaining files. Why after you drag files to the same drive, do they still appear to be in the directory you pulled them from? Then you click on them and explorer says they are not there. Why don’t they just delete the listing like they used to in Vista. I always have to leave that directory and then come back to it for it to show the correct listing.

I really like the system

Not really but the last few days I figured out why I began seeing more and more files and folders multiplied. The reason is if you select a number of files to move or delete. Not sure if this matters but I do use the little box to show if selected or not.

When I select some files or folders to be deleted-notice they do not all delete or they all do not cut so am aware of it and now look to see if files or folders were cut or deleted because you cannot trust Windows 10 to delete or cut files and folders.

What I am doing now is trying to organize file explorer. I get these folders and files and there is a bit of clutter. Try to consolidate. Problem is when I select something here, three other locations pop up with all its folders and this is where confusion comes in. I made a folder named, “Iraq” for pictures of the Iraq war. Put the files in there and have not looked at it fora week or two. I go in to the explorer and could not find it. So I decide to do a search and here comes this folder entitled I”Iraq” which does not have pictures but PDF Books I have.

But in everything, I think have a total of five or six little folder icons that are the same-like for instance “pictures ” is found this way in files Explorer. I get really confused on how they decided to make things because with these various repeats of files and opening one folder that will open another five which when done-maybe one of those five will prompt you and go open different folders until I get one big convoluted mess. I do not even know why they make files explorer to be in this one pane of in formation that pops up-I honestly thought I should be able to open my files or folders in multiple places on my computer and also decided to put them together in one application-files explorer.

It all gets very frustrating. It took some time to get here so I apologize in not responding-am sure nI have something in my email but have been ignoring it the last few weeks.