Jan's Working with Windows:

Step-by-Step: Select Folders

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What you will learn:

to select folders by clicking to select folders that are adjacent to select folders that are not adjacent to deselect folders

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Start with: , Removable drive in Details view.

Select in Contents Pane

1. If necessary, change the view to Details view.
2. In the Navigation pane, click on the name of your removable drive to select it.
   The name is highlighted and the Contents pane shows what is on the drive.
3. In the right pane, click on the folder name my docs to select it.
   The name is highlighted but nothing else happens.
   

4. Expand folder tree: Double-click the removable drive in the left pane.
   The folder tree expands to show the folders on the drive.
   ( WinXP has already done this automatically.)

   The folder my docs is selected in the folder tree.

   The folder in the right pane is no longer selected.

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Select Adjacent Folders: SHIFT key

1. If necessary, in the left pane, click on the folder my docs to select it.
   The right pane now shows the three folders that you created.
2. Click on the folder excel docs to select it.
3. Hold the SHIFT key down and click on the folder word docs.
   All three folders are selected.

   Using the SHIFT key this way selects all files and folders between the two clicked. It doesn't work on the folder tree!

   Difference in views: The technique will also work other views, but what is considered to be "between" depends on what view is in use. Remember that some views list items going across the pane and some list going down the pane. You can have an unhappy surprise if you don't notice which view you are using when you select.  

4. Click in a blank spot in the right pane to deselect the folders.

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Select Adjacent Folders: Drag

1. Drag from a blank spot in the right pane below the folders until the marquee select has highlighted all three folders in the pane. Release the mouse button.
   All three folders are selected.

   Notice that your selection rectangle only has to include a small part of an icon to include it in the selection.

2. Experiment: Dragging to select
   Practice dragging to select icons with the least amount of the icon inside the selection rectangle.

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Select/Deselect Folders- Not Adjacent: CTRL key

1. Hold the CTRL key down and click on the folder paint docs and move the mouse pointer off the icon.
   The folder paint docs is no longer selected but the other folders remain selected.

   Using the CTRL key selects or deselects files and folders one at a time. You can use this method to select items that are not next to each other (non-adjacent). Again, this doesn't work on the folder tree. It works in the Contents pane or a WinXP My Computer window.

2. Click in a blank area of the window to deselect all folders.
3. Click on the folder excel docs, hold the CTRL key down, and click on the folder word docs.
   Once again two folders are selected which are non-adjacent.
4. Experiment: Selecting in different views
   Change to a folder that contains many items, like the Windows folder. Apply different views and experiment with selecting a number of adjacent and non-adjacent items. Can you figure out which items will be selected when SHIFT is held down?