Name

Windows Explorer — \windows\explorer.exe

Synopsis

The default Windows interface, including the Start menu, the Desktop, the Taskbar, the Search tool, the Windows Explorer window, and all folder windows.

To Open

Start Programs Accessories Windows Explorer

Command Prompt explorer

Double-click My Computer or any folder icon on the Desktop or in any folder window

Usage

explorer.exe [/n] [/e] [,/root,object] [[/select],subobject] 

Description

The Explorer is the default Windows shell (see Figure 4-103). It creates the Desktop, Taskbar, and the Start menu the first time it is run. Running it thereafter (without any command-line parameters) opens a two-paned window (commonly referred to simply as “Explorer”) in which you can navigate through all of the files, folders, and other resources on your computer.

Windows Explorer is the primary means of file and folder management in Windows XP

Figure 4-103. Windows Explorer is the primary means of file and folder management in Windows XP

See Chapter 2 for basic navigation and file management principles and Chapter 3 for discussions of the visual elements.

Explorer accepts the following command-line options (note the mandatory commas):

/n

Forces Explorer to open a new window (even if the specified folder is already open somewhere).

/e

Instructs Explorer to display the Folders Explorer Bar (commonly known as the tree) rather than the default single-folder view. In most cases, you’ll want to use /n and /e together.

Get Windows XP in a Nutshell now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.