How to access My Computer in Windows 7 and navigate on the Hard Drive

Accessing My Computer

On Microsoft Windows 7, you can use My Computer to navigate around your computer. This program provides you with a starting point for accessing system information, adding or removing programs, and changing settings. The overall function of My Computer is to provide you information and access to your computer. The following steps show you how to obtain basic information about your computer via My Computer:

1. Select the Start menu. The Start menu appears.

2. Select My Computer. The My Computer dialog window appears. The right side of the Windows 7 My Computer dialog window presents you with key areas for the files stored on your computer, as well as information on the hard drives and other devices.

3. Double-click on the name of an item on the right side of the My Computer window to open it. If you double-click on a Windows 7 document folder, you are presented with the documents and folders that are stored in that folder. The same result happens if you select one of the other folders in the My Documents window of your computer.

4. Click on the Back button in the upper-left part of the window if you double-clicked on a document folder. This returns you to the My Computer window’s original information.

5. Double-click a Hard Disk Drive, preferably one labeled Local Disk. This would be Local Disk (C:). This causes the Windows 7 files and folders stored on your local drive to be displayed.

6. Click on the Back button to return to the My Computer window’s original information.

7. Click on the View system information option on the left side of the My Computer dialog window. The System Tasks provide links to do various things. This dialog contains information about your system that you may find useful, such as listing your processor, the amount of memory, and the version of Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 you are running.

8. Click the OK button in the System Properties dialog window to close it.

9. Select File > Close to close the My Computer dialog window.

Navigating What’s on the Hard Drive of your computer

You can navigate the Windows 7 documents and folders that are stored on your computer’s hard drive. Windows 7 include a program, called Windows Explorer, which you can use to navigate through the files, drives, documents, and folders on your computer. The following steps walk you through some of the uses of Windows Explorer:

1. Open Windows Explorer. From the Start menu, select All Programs > Accessories > Windows Explorer. Note that the Windows 7 files and folders displayed may be different depending on what is on your computer.

2. Click on the Folders icon in the toolbar if it is not already selected. Clicking this icon shows the folders that are on your computer. It also shows the drives, desktop, and other key areas. This information is shown in the left pane.

3. Click on the name of a drive, folder, or other location in the left pane of the Windows Explorer window. This selects the item and shows its contents in the right side.

4. Double-click a folder or drive in the right pane. This selects and opens the folder. The contents of the folder are displayed. Additionally, the folder is selected in the left pane.

5. Click on the Up icon to move to the folder above the current folder. Looking at the left pane, notice that the folders and drives are organized in a hierarchical manner. If you are at the base folder, the Up icon will not be selectable.

6. Click the Back icon to return to the previous item displayed in Windows Explorer. For example, if you start in the Windows 7 My Documents folder, then click the My Pictures folder, you will see the items in the My Pictures folder. You could then select the Back button to return to the My Documents folder. When you get to the folder you started in, the Back button is disabled.

7. Click the Forward button to go to a folder that had been previously selected. This can only be selected if you’ve used the Back button. If you have not used the Back button, the Forward button is disabled.

Creating, Renaming, and Deleting Files and Folders in Windows 7

One reason for navigating through Windows 7 is to organize files and folders. This can include adding new files and folders, as well as renaming or deleting them. Following are the steps involved with each of these processes:

1. Open Windows Explorer or one of the common Windows 7 folder areas such as My Documents, and navigate to the place where you want to create, rename, or delete a file or folder.

2. Make a new folder by using the following steps:

Click on the Make a New Folder text in the File and Folder Tasks options. This creates a new folder.
Type the name for the new folder into the highlighted box, and then press Enter.

3. Create a new file or document in the current folder by using the following steps:

Select File > New from the Explorer menu. This displays a menu that contains the types of documents and files you can create.
Select the file type you want to create. A file is added to the current folder with the name highlighted.
Type in the new name for the file. Make sure to keep the extension of the file the same. The extension is the part of the name at the end. It is generally a period followed by three characters.
Press the Enter key to accept the new name. If you change the extension, or leave it off, a warning appears. You need to select the No button and re-enter the filename with the extension.

4. Rename an existing Windows 7 file or folder by using the following steps:

Click on the item you want to rename to select it. Once selected, click on Rename This File or Rename This Document in the File and Folder Tasks options, or simply press the F2 key. This places a box around the filename or folder name and allows you to make changes.
Type the new name, remembering to keep the extension the same.
Press the Enter key to save the new name. If you change the extension on a filename, you will be given a warning message.

5. Delete an existing file or folder using the following steps:

Click on the item you want to delete to select it. Once selected, click on Delete This File or Delete This Folder in the File and Folder Tasks options or simply press the Delete (Del) key. If you are using the default Windows options, you will be prompted with a message asking if you are sure you want to delete the file or folder.
Click Yes to remove the Windows 7 file or folder. This moves the file to the Recycle Bin.

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