Windows Folders

Recent versions of Windows have converged on a consistent set of folders. The organization is especially important to study if switching from tablets or Chromebooks that have very different folder structures. This chapter will use Windows 11. The principles apply to other versions of Windows, but some of the shortcuts, menus, and other graphical user elements might differ.

Learning Objectives

You should be able to:

• Identify the location of important folders
• Be able to navigate using Windows Explorer

Video Walkthrough

Use this video to follow along with the steps in this lab.

Launch Explorer

Explorer is the official name of the application that lets you browse files and folders on your computer. You can launch Explorer several ways:

• Use the Windows key+e shortcut. This is my preferred way.
• Find the File Explorer app in the start menu.

• Right-click on the start menu to open the super-secret options and choose File Explorer.

Explorer Organization

The Explorer windows contain several default categories: The Quick access, OneDrive, This PC, and Network.

The Quick access category contains recently used folders and folders that a user pins.

Microsoft OneDrive is a service that synchronizes data between the local computer and the cloud. Files can be synchronized across devices, including multiple computers, smartphones, and other Microsoft devices.

Perhaps the most important category for learning what is on your computer is This PC. The This PC view shows the devices and drives connected to the computer. If you had a USB drive attached to the computer, a smartphone connected to the computer, or added a new hard drive, they would show up here. While Microsoft often tries to hide the complexity of the file system from the casual user, the This PC gives you a detailed view of the organization of hard drives. The next section will have you investigate the This PC category more.

Large organizations tend to keep at least some files stored centrally on networked servers. These networked servers can be accessed from client devices. In the screenshot below, there are no network connections available.

C-Drive

• Click on the This PC category. Notice that there is a Windows (C:) drive. But why is it labeled C? Historically, computers came with floppy disks. It was common to have two floppy disk drives. Those drives would be given the letters A and B. Fixed hard drives were given the label C. For historical purposes (and perhaps some backward compatibility), the first hard drive on your computer is typically given the letter C.
• Double-click on the C: drive to list its folders.

• Depending on what software you have installed, the list of folders could be slightly different.
• Take a few sends to read the names of the folders.
• Double-click on the Users folder to display its contents.

• In this case, there are two folders: jim and Public. The jim folder corresponds to a specific user's account. The Public folder is used for sharing files between accounts. Imagine if a family had separate accounts for each person. If they stored photos in their individual user folders, members of the family could not access each others' content. But if they stored the photos in the Public folder, all members of the family could access the photos.
• Open your user account folder.

• Each user has a separate Documents folder, Desktop folder, Downloads folder, etc.
• Navigate back to "This PC".
• Go to C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc. This folder contains the hosts file. The hosts file is the first place your computer will look when trying to find the IP address associated with a domain name.

• Programs are typically stored in two locations--C:\Program Files and C:\Program Files (x86).
• Take a look at the programs in C:\Program Files. This folder contains 64-bit applications.

• Open C:\Program Files (x86). This folder contains 32-bit applications.

• Having two places where Windows stores programs is somewhat annoying. It basically means that you have to check two different places to see where a program was installed.

File Extensions

File extensions are the three or four letters after the period in a file name. For example, document.docx has the extension docx. The extension tells the computer what program to use to open the file. For some reason, Microsoft chooses to hide file extensions by default. Most organizations configure computers to show file extensions. Some malware tries to trick users by naming a file document.doc.exe. The file extension is exe, which means it is an executable file. If the file extension is hidden, the user might think the file is a Word document. The user might double-click on the file, thinking it will open in Word. Instead, the file will run as an executable, potentially causing harm to the computer.

To check whether file extensions are hidden, click on the View tab in the Explorer window. There is a check the box next to File name extensions. The following screenshot shows the File Explorer window with file extensions hidden, and two files in the folder. Notice that ThisLooksLikeDocx.docx appears to have the extension .docx, but really this is just part of the filename.

Checking the box to show file extensions reveals the true file extensions. The file that appeared to have a .docx extension actually has a .exe extension. This is a common trick used by malware to deceive users. Somebody might think they are opening a document, but they are actually running an executable file when they double-click on the file.

For security reasons, it is a good idea to show file extensions. It is easier to spot malicious files when the file extensions are visible.

Hidden Items

Files and folders can be hidden by changing the folder properties. To change the properties of a file or folder in the File Explorer, right-click on the item, and choose Properties. In the General tab, there is a check box next to Hidden. Checking this box will hide the file or folder. Unchecking the box will show the file or folder.

Some files and folders are hidden by default. Typically, these are files and folders that regular users do not need to edit (and editing them can sometimes cause problems). But, malware might try to hide itself by hiding the folder in which it resides.

To show hidden items, click on the View tab in the Explorer window. There is a check box next to Hidden items. Checking this box will show hidden folders and files. The following screenshot shows the contents of my C:\ drive with hidden items unchecked. This means that any file or folder with the hidden attribute will not be displayed.

Checking the box to show hidden items reveals the hidden folders. The hidden folders are displayed with a faded icon to indicate that they are hidden. In the screenshot below, several folders are now displayed, including a folder named nasty_malware.

A file or folder being hidden does not necessarily mean it is malicious. But, it is a common tactic used by malware to hide itself from the user.

Navigate to c:\users\youraccount\AppData by typing it directly in the address bar (changing youraccount with your actual account). AppData is hidden by default. Check out the Local and Roaming subfolders. When you install software, it often stores settings and other data in these folders. For example, the Chrome browser stores bookmarks and other settings in the AppData folder.

Challenge

• What applications are storing data in your AppData folder?
• Which applications are 64-bit?
• Which applications are 32-bit?

Reflection

• What aspects of the Windows folder organization is most confusing?
• How would you make it easier for people to organize files on their computers?

Key Terms

• Windows Explorer: A file management application included with Microsoft Windows operating systems, allowing users to browse, manage, and organize files and folders on their computer.
• C Drive: The primary hard disk partition on a Windows computer, typically designated as "C:\". It is where the operating system, applications, and user data are usually stored.
• Microsoft OneDrive: A cloud storage service provided by Microsoft that allows users to store files and access them from any device with an internet connection.
• Windows Home Folder: A directory on a Windows computer that contains personal files and settings for a specific user. It is typically located at "C:\Users\Username".
• Windows Program Files Folder: A directory on a Windows computer where installed applications are stored. It is typically located at "C:\Program Files" and "C:\Program Files (x86)" for 64-bit systems.