Windows XP in a Nutshell

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.

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.