Copyright: Monday, April 30, 2001 12:41:07


Tools/Folder Options/ General tab


Specifies that hyperlinks to common folder tasks and other places on your computer are displayed in folders. These links appear in the left pane of the folder window.


Specifies that folder contents are displayed like classic Windows folders, which means that folder contents do not look and work like Web pages.


Specifies that the contents of each folder open in the same window. To switch back to the previous folder, click the Back button on the toolbar, or press BACKSPACE.


Specifies that the contents of each folder open in a new window. The previous folder content still appears in a different window, so you can switch between the windows.


Specifies that you want to open items in folders and on the desktop by single-clicking them, just as you would click a link on a Web page. To select an item without opening it, rest your pointer on it.


Specifies that icon titles in your folders and on the desktop appear underlined, like links on a Web page. For this to apply, verify that the Underline links setting in the browser is set to Always or Hover, but not Never.

To check the Underline links setting in the browser, open Internet Explorer, click Tools, and then click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, under Browsing, find Underline links.


Specifies that icon titles in your folders and on the desktop appear underlined only when you rest your pointer on the title.


Specifies that you want to single-click an item to select it and double-click an item to open it.


Click to restore the settings in this dialog box to the settings that originally came with this version of Windows.


      Tools/ Folder Options/ View tab


Click to apply the current folder view to all folders on your computer. This does not apply to toolbar settings.


Click to reset the folder settings that were in effect when Windows was installed. This does not apply to toolbar settings.


Specifies various display options for file, folder, and desktop content.


Specifies various display options for file, folder, and desktop content.


Specifies that the names of files you compress or encrypt on NTFS drives appear in a color when you view them in a folder window.  This does not apply to folders you compress using ZIP compression utilities.


Specifies that the complete path of the open file or folder is displayed in the title bar of the window.


Specifies that the complete path of the open file or folder is displayed in the address bar of the window.


Specifies whether to hide or display files and folders that have the Hidden attributes.


Specifies that hidden files do not appear in the list of files in this folder. Generally, hidden files are program or system files that should not be changed or deleted. To find out whether a file is designated as hidden, right-click the file, and then click Properties. Selecting this check box also reduces clutter in your folder windows.


Specifies that hidden files appear in the list of files in Windows Explorer.


Specifies that operating system files do not appear in the list of files in this folder in order to protect them from being deleted or changed accidentally.


Hides the last part of a file name, reducing clutter in folder windows.


Specifies that each folder is opened in a separate part of memory. When you open each folder in a separate part of memory, the stability of Windows can be increased. However, your computer's performance might decrease slightly.


 Specifies that the individual folder settings are retained whenever you close and then reopen the folder. When this box is not selected, all folder settings return to the default when the folder is closed and then reopened.


Specifies that the folder and browser windows you leave open when you log off from your computer will be restored the next time you log on to your computer.


Specifies that the My Documents folder is displayed on the desktop. My Documents is the default storage location for most files that you create. My Documents also contains the My Pictures folder, which is the default storage location for your pictures and scanned images and the My Music folder, which is the default storage location for your music.


Specifies that a description of a selected folder or desktop item is displayed in a pop-up window. When you select this check box, the pop-up description appears even if Web content is not enabled on your desktop or in folders.


Click to restore the settings in this dialog box to the settings that originally came with this version of Windows.


Specifies that Windows periodically search the network for shared folders and printers. All shared folders and printers that are found appear in My Network Places.


Shows the contents of system folders.  System folders, such as your system drive (usually drive C, unless you have more than one drive on your computer), Program Files, Documents and Settings, and Windows, contain files your computer needs to work properly.  The contents of these folders are hidden by default.


Click a folder in Windows Explorer to automatically display its contents as well as all subfolders within that folder. All other folders are automatically closed when a different folder is clicked. Click the plus or minus sign to hide or display other folders and their contents, without closing previously opened folders.


Displays a Control Panel icon in My Computer.


Displays Search Companion when you click Search in the Explorer toolbar. You can choose the animated screen character or plain text. The screen character provides you with choices about the search you want to conduct.


Displays the My Network Places icon on the desktop.


Disables automatic storage of folder thumbnails in a cache file. When you store thumbnail images in a cache file, Windows can reuse them instead of creating new ones every time you open a folder. If you disable this automatic storage function, folders that contain thumbnails might take longer to open.


Specifies that simplified sharing is enabled. Simplified sharing lets you share folders with everyone on your workgroup or network and make folders in your user profile private. However, if simplified sharing is enabled, you cannot prevent specific users and groups from accessing your shared folders. Clear this check box if you want to set folder permissions for specific users and groups.