File Explorer Questions

[BobH]

I've been cleaning up and archiving a bunch of music files. (Photos are next, grrr!) This has caused me to use File Explorer a lot. I've noticed a couple of things I don't understand.

First, I can't find a way to Select All. Right clicking in the right side panel gives a very useful popup, but if it includes Select All I'm blind to it.

Eureka! The Select All function is found withing the ribbon displayed when the Home menu option is chosen!!

Second, I've notices that selecting a file and right clicking gives different popup menus. I haven't sussed out any pattern yet, but I know that one of the popups does not include the Delete function.

Can anyone set me straight on how to use File Explorer or point me to a good wiki?

[HansV]

That's a rather broad question. For what kind of files is the Delete option missing?

See if this tutorial is helpful.

[BobH]

The files that I'm working with are mostly mp3 with occasional .jpg for album cover art. The album art doesn't appear in File Explorer for reasons not clear to me. They appear when comparing files on drive F: and drive K:. But, that's not what I was asking about.

It seems that the drop down menu/pop-up menu depends upon where in the right panel my cursor is located. I'm still trying to figure out how to capture the menus as screenshots and will post again if i succeed.

[Argus]

First, I can't find a way to Select All. Right clicking in the right side panel gives a very useful popup, but if it includes Select All I'm blind to it.

Eureka! The Select All function is found withing the ribbon displayed when the Home menu option is chosen!!

Select all (Ctrl-A) was/is in the Edit menu of Windows 7, not in the right click context menu.

Second, I've notices that selecting a file and right clicking gives different popup menus.

As one would expect since it is a context menu, some choices that are available for the currently logged in user account, depending on file type and how the context menu was invoked.

I haven't sussed out any pattern yet, but I know that one of the popups does not include the Delete function.

If you miss the target and click inside a folder there will be no option to delete (in the "popup menu"). That's one.

[JoeP]

An easy way to select all is to select one item, then use CTRL+A.

Album art files are hidden files. So, you need to use the View tab in File Explorer to enable the display of hidden items.

The context menu changes depending on the file type. Yes, you may see several variations of the context menu.

[BobH]

Another Eureka Moment . . . (fanfare and drum roll)

I finally found an article that tells how to capture a pop-up menu using snipping tool. After launching the snipping tool, click the Delay tab and choose the number of seconds you want to wait. I chose 5 seconds because I'm a septuagenarian and don't move as fast as I once did. Next I opened File Explorer and right clicked in the right panel in the area beyond where the file information appears and got this . . .

strange fe menu.PNG

which is the strange pop-up menu I encountered. I was unable to make it appear if I right clicked in any of the data columns, but I have a definite recollection of having seen it instead of the regular menu that appears on right clicking . . .

FE reg rc menu.PNG

Having found some answers, I still would like to know if this is normal behavior.

[Argus]

Next I opened File Explorer and right clicked in the right panel in the area beyond where the file information appears and got this . . .
[...]
which is the strange pop-up menu I encountered. I was unable to make it appear if I right clicked in any of the data columns, but I have a definite recollection of having seen it instead of the regular menu that appears on right clicking . . .

Having found some answers, I still would like to know if this is normal behavior.

I would say it is.
As I mentioned, if you click on anything that is not a "target" within the folder (i.e. another folder or file) then that's what you get, not much to act on but the folder itself; view, sorting etc; if you want to share the content, if you want to create a some file types, and of course properties for the folder. (Another way looking at it (the lack of delete in the context menu), is that you do not delete a folder from within the folder.)

[BobH]

Thank you, Argus!

[Rebel]

I finally found an article that tells how to capture a pop-up menu using snipping tool. After launching the snipping tool, click the Delay tab and choose the number of seconds you want to wait.

Bob, if you are interested, an even easier way to capture pop-up menus is to use the Snipping Tool replacement - the Snip & Sketch tool.

Once the tool is installed (and I believe that it is installed by default with the last few updates to Windows 10) :
a) Open whatever pop-up menu you want to capture
b) Then Windows Key + Shift + S
Select whatever snip shape you want and then use the cross-hair cursor to select the snip. The snip is automatically saved to the clipboard. You can perform different editing functions on the snip. or you can simply paste the snip into whatever application you are using.
I find the new Snip & Sketch far superior (and easier to use) than the old Snipping Tool.

[CraigS26]

My experience with Seeing DELETE on a Rt Clk is that I must Rt Clk in a manner that makes my File-Folder Row BLUE; IF I Clk too far Rt of the Name I don't get Blue OR DELETE.
Or, 1-left-clk to get Blue, hold cursor inside Blue area and Rt Clk to see Delete, Copy, etc.

I never noticed Select All in Home Tab - Thanks.
My usual method for Select All, or a large group, is to one-left-clk the 1st desired File-Folder, then Hold SHIFT and left-clk the last member - All should turn BLUE.
I Must hold the cursor IN the Blue area and Rt Clk to get Copy, Delete, etc.

I pick and choose multi individual files-folders (skipping around) with same idea but using CTRL vs SHIFT.

[ChrisGreaves]

... It seems that the drop down menu/pop-up menu depends upon where in the right panel my cursor is located....

I recall discovering that the right-click menus are cleverer weirder than that.
I commonly right-click on a bunch of images and choose Edit, which then fires up a copy of MSPaint for each image. When every MSPaint window is closed, my job is done.
However when (Win7) I select more than fifteen images, the Edit option disappears.
I suspect that this is just another of those "nobody will ever want to edit more than fifteen images" design decisions.
Cheers
Chris

[Argus]

I suspect that this is just another of those "nobody will ever want to edit more than fifteen images ...

... in MS Paint".

[HansV]

Chris would!

[ChrisGreaves]

I suspect that this is just another of those "nobody will ever want to edit more than fifteen images ...

... in MS Paint".

I know, I know.
Once I get this Win10 beast settled down I'll think about upgrading myself ...
Cheers
Chris