Folder Shortcuts

Don Bradbury shows you how to ease the pain of using deeply nested folders

If you find yourself regularly rummaging around in Windows Explorer, trying to locate and possibly move files that you don't particularly want there but prefer somewhere else, putting a shortcut to that folder on your Windows Desktop is the way to ease the pain.

Take the case for example when you frequently get picture attachments to your email software but actually prefer them to be in one of your 'My Pictures' (or other) folders where you can catalogue and otherwise manipulate them and not have them cluttering up the relevant email client folder.

Go into Windows Explorer. As a time saver, it is worth putting a shortcut to Explorer into Windows' Taskbar if you use it regularly. Now find the deeply nested or otherwise awkwardly located folder and right click on it then select 'Send To' and then 'Desktop (create shortcut)'.

That will effectively position the entire folder contents within a click's reach on your Desktop. Anything you do there to manipulate files (copy, move or delete) will be reflected in the folder you have hitherto had to locate the hard way. You'll find this a much more convenient way to handle such incoming files on a regular basis.

Don't, whatever you do, simply copy the folder in question to the Windows Desktop (ie holding Ctrl key down and dragging). Manipulating files within such a folder will only affect the copies and changes will not be reflected in the actual folder you've had trouble locating. Only by doing a shortcut on the Desktop in the manner described will make this work.

Don Bradbury