Improve folder and file management

XP's Windows Explorer is one of the worst-designed folder and file managers you'll find anywhere. It makes it hard to perform even rudimentary tasks, such as moving and copying files and folders. Want to copy a file from one folder to another? Most of the time you're stuck having to open two separate Explorer windows, then dragging and dropping between them.

Ditch Windows Explorer altogether
Here's a simple solution: Get Q-Dir from SoftwareOK.com. This is the file manager that Microsoft should have created.

It has four windows, so you can easily copy files and folders among them. You can also define links for your favorite folders or network locations for easy navigation and copying.

The program also lets you assign different colors to different file types, so it's easy to distinguish one from another. And there are lots of other extras as well, such as a screen magnifier and the ability to control how many windows open at start-up -- from one to four.

Teach Windows Explorer new tricks

If you're not interested in a wholesale upgrade of Windows Explorer to Q-Dir, you can still teach Windows Explorer some nifty new tricks, all having to do with the context menu, which appears when you right-click a file or folder.

Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder options

Copying and moving files in Windows Explorer requires you to open up multiple copies of Explorer and drag between them. There's a simpler way: Add Copy To Folder and Move To Folder options to the right-click context menu.

You'll then be able to browse anyplace on your hard disk to copy or move the file to, then send the file there. To do it:

1. Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit at a command prompt or the Run box.
2. Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\
shellex\ContextMenuHandlers.
3. Choose Edit --> New --> Key to create a new key. Call it Copy To and set the value to {C2FBB630-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.
4. Create another new key called Move To. Set the value to {C2FBB631-2971-11d1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}.
5. Exit the Registry.
The changes should take effect immediately. Now when you right-click a file, the Copy To Folder and Move To Folder options will appear.

Full article @ http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/home/news.asp?id=49481