The New Look of Windows 8 File Explorer

If you don't like the Metro User Interface, then you may really hate the new Windows 8 File Explorer—especially if you can't stand the ribbon menu that Microsoft has added to all of its products. Other than the disappearance of the Windows Start Menu (now taken over by the Metro Start screen), the new Windows Explorer is the most dramatic change on the Windows side of the operating system.

Windows Explorer is by far the most important tool in the Windows arsenal. It is used to find and open files, open Control Panel tools, launch programs, copy and move files, organize hard drives, and much more. The structure of the Windows Explorer menu was changed in Windows 7 and Vista, but a tap of the ALT key would bring the old XP menu back in view. That is no longer the case in Windows 8. Why does Microsoft have to mess with things?

I've only occasionally used programs with ribbon menus, so as I reviewed the new Explorer, I was also learning about the ribbon. This gave me an opportunity to evaluate both Windows 8 Explorer and the usefulness of the new menu interface without a pre-existing notion. As I dug deeper into the capabilities of the new Explorer, I slowly came to realize that there was means in this madness. It is a system that can be individually adapted to each person, potentially configured in such a way that best fits the computing preferences of each user. If you want all the menu labels in view, you can have it. If you prefer minimized to small square icons, each of which carry their specific menu behind them, while the ribbon is hidden, then you can have that.

While different from what many users have grown accustomed, the Windows 8 Explorer ribbon menu system offers more visibility of options and quicker access—usually saving at least one click. Plus many of the features we once accessed via the Start Menu (or other obscure methods) are just as easy to reach with Windows Explorer. For example, Computer Management, which is a collection of many of the important system tools such as Task Scheduler and Device Manager, is now a button on the Computer ribbon tab in Windows 8. Even in Windows 7, it was difficult to find Computer Management unless you knew that it existed and just where to look (usually I would search "manage" in the Windows 7 or Vista Start Menu search field).

I'm guessing that there will be a good bit of hostility toward the changes in the new Windows Explorer. However, in the long run, I feel it is a change for the better. You can see for yourself and make your own determination.

Windows 8 File Explorer
                 Open Windows Explorer with the +E key combination (works in both the Metro Start screen and Windows Desktop mode), or click the Windows Explorer tile on the Metro screen. If you're already at the Windows Desktop, you can click the Windows Explorer icon (looks like a group of folders) in the Taskbar. Explorer will open in the Computer mode, as shown in Figure 1. The Control Panel and other system controls are immediately available in the Computer tab of the Computer Windows Explorer window.

Figure 1. When first opened, Windows 8 Explorer displays the Computer tab of the Computer window. From this view the Control Panel can be opened, as well as, other system functions.

Note that the ribbon menus display both icons and text. Most of the figures in this column have been resized smaller causing some of the text labels to disappear. However, in normal use, both text and icons will be visible at all times. The advantage to offering both the control icons and the text labels is that the icons are easy to recognize on the ribbon and the text tells you what they do—lest you forget.

The File Menu
           The File menu breaks with the ribbon menu design and offers a standard drop-down menu which appears to be consistent regardless of the type of folder or file selected. What is significant is that additional features previously not found in Windows Explorer are immediately available, including the command prompt, Windows PowerShell, deleting history (recent places and address bar history), and Frequent Places (see Figure 2). (Frequent Places is hidden by the command prompt secondary menu.)

Figure 2. The File menu of Windows 8 Explorer appears to be standard across all Windows operating systems offering Frequent Places (hidden under Open command prompt in this image), the command prompt and PowerShell.

In Windows 7, the command prompt and Windows PowerShell would be found under All Programs => Accessories in the Start Menu. Now that the Start Menu is gone in Windows 8, Explorer has taken over at least this portion of the work. (To view all of the Metro apps and Windows programs available, return to the Metro Start screen ( key), then press CTRL+TAB simultaneously.)

The View Tab Menu
           Everything which appeared in the old Windows Explorer View menu is now available, and simultaneously in view, in the View tab of the ribbon (see Figure 3). In fact some features, such as Show/Hide "Hidden items" and "File name extensions", appear when a folder/file is selected (see Figure 9 and Figure 10 below). Previously, these were changed with the Properties menu (right-click).

Figure 3. The View tab of Windows 8 Explorer puts all of the layout options in view. For quick changes between the Details view and the Large icon view the two buttons in the lower right corner are available at all times regardless of the tab selected in the ribbon or the type of folder/file.

Viewing panes can be selected, but now, in addition to the Navigation Pane, there is only the option of either the Preview Pane or the Details pane—not both. The usual Layout options (thumbnails and details) are easily deciphered from the icons. The two layout buttons in the lower right corner are a plus. One equates to the Details layout while the other is Large thumbnails (icons). The advantage to these two buttons is that they are always available regardless of which ribbon tab is selected, making switching between the two layouts a snap (...or click).

Special Ribbon Tabs
                Windows 8 Explorer changes the ribbon tabs available depending upon the type of folder or feature viewed. In this case the special functions Disk Tools (Drive) has been added to the Menu (see Figure 4). When a drive is selected, the Drive tab offers those features formerly available through the Properties window (right-click). The command for safely removing USB drives also appear on this menu.

Figure 4. In the Computer view of Windows 8 Explorer a special Disk Tools tab is made available.

These special ribbon tabs are tailored to the specific type of folder. Pictures, Music and Videos folders offer this extra tool tab with the tools appropriate for each (see Figure 6). The Picture Tools tab only appears when the folder type is Pictures. In the Picture Tools tab images can be rotated left or right, viewed in a slide show (right-click on images for slide show controls after show starts), set as background, etc. There are similar functions for Music Tools and Video Tools in their respective folder type. To change the folders type select the folder, then open the Properties window from the Home tab in Windows Explorer and use the Customize tab.

Figure 5. In Windows 8 Explorer the Picture Tools in a Pictures type folder offers limited editing and viewing functions.

The Share Tab
             A Share tab will appear also when an appropriate folder type is selected (see Figure 7). Sharing features include printing, faxing, burning to disc, e-mail, zip compression and Homegroup. Homegroup is the network sharing systems first introduced in Windows 7. It supports Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers.

Figure 6.The Sharing tab in Windows 8 Explorer offers tools for e-mailing, printing, faxing and Homegroup.

Search Tools
              The Search Tools tab does not appear until the search field is selected by clicking the left mouse button when the cursor is hovering over the search field. All of the advanced search functions (which are a little more cryptic in Windows 7) are in view and ready to use (see Figure 7).

Figure 7. Windows 8 Explorer Search Tools puts all of the search functions in clear view.

This is an improvement over both Windows 7 and Vista. Vista included Advanced Search options and Windows 7 allows selection of options directly in the search field. In the Windows 8 ribbon the advanced search options are buttons always available for easy access.

Keyboard Option for the Ribbon Menu
              In previous versions of Windows Explorer, if the old XP menu bar (File | Edit | View | Tools | Help) was not in view, the ALT key would pop it up. Now pressing the ALT key turns the keyboard into hot keys that will activate the labeled parts of the ribbon menu (see Figure 8). (The classic Windows menu bar seems to be retired.)

Figure 8. In Windows 8 Explorer pressing the ALT key will display hot labels for the various tabs. Hit the assigned key and the next set of hot labels will appear in the appropriate place.

For example, after pressing the ALT key, the V key will select the View tab from the ribbon menu. The View tab will then display another set of hot keys for selecting the functions within the View tab. This is exactly the same as a point and click except you use the keyboard rather than the mouse.

Quick Access Toolbar
           Windows 8 also includes a Quick Access Toolbar (circled in red below the ribbon menu in Figure 9) which only displays a single square icon for the included functions. By default these single click hot buttons include: Undo, Redo, Delete, Properties, New Folder and Rename. This toolbar can be set to appear above or below the ribbon. While you can remove all of the buttons from the toolbar, I did not see a way to remove the toolbar itself. (There is always someone who wants to make features completely disappear.)

Figure 9. The Quick Access Toolbar in Windows 8 can include functions from any of the ribbon tabs.

However, you can completely bypass the ribbon by adding ribbon menu functions to the Quick Access Toolbar. Right-click on the name of a feature in the selected tab and click Add to Quick Access Toolbar. The feature will now be added to the Quick Access Toolbar in the form of another small square icon button. Clicking that button will access the feature without affecting the display of the ribbon. (For the reverse, right-click on the new button to remove it from the toolbar.)

If you want an even more minimalist view of Windows Explorer, you can right-click on either the ribbon or the toolbar and check Minimize the Ribbon. (You can also click the little arrow in the upper right corner next to the Help question mark.) This will cause the features of the various tabs to disappear leaving only the tab names visible at the top. Clicking the tabs will continue to temporarily open the ribbon view for each tab. To bring back the permanent ribbon reverse the process with the same right-click and uncheck Minimize the Ribbon.

Resizing the Ribbon Menu
           For readability I resized the Windows Explorer window smaller for the screen shots. This left the text as readable as possible. However, as the Windows Explorer window is made smaller, text and graphics will disappear from the ribbon. This is fine if you remember the purpose of each icon, but not so good if you have trouble with mere images. Figure 10 shows what is lost by resizing the window to a smaller width. If you click on the little down arrow in each section the original options will temporarily appear.

Figure 10. When the Windows 8 Explorer window is reduced in width, the ribbon automatically reduces the space required by collapsing the option boxes. In red are the lost options, although they pop up when the reduced box is clicked.

It most situations, you should be able to size the Windows Explorer window wide enough to see all of your options, making your selections easier.

The Three Key Features from Windows 7
            The Navigation pane in Windows 8 includes the three key Windows 7 features: Favorites, Libraries and Homegroup. Favorites is for shortcuts that you use frequently. Libraries is a system for collecting similar types of folders and files together whether on your computer or over a network. Homegroup is a sharing system between various computers available in Windows 7 and Windows 8 (see Figure 11). For more detailed information about these the features see the e-book Windows 7 Explorer Secrets available at ComputorEdge E-Books, Amazon.com, and iTunes.

Figure 11. Windows 8 Explorer supports three key features of Windows 7: Favorites, Libraries and Homegroup. Favorites can be removed from the Navigation pane by unchecking Show favorites.

I use Favorites extensively, but if you want to remove it from the Navigation pane, uncheck Show favorites from the drop down menu.