How to Create a New Folder

This an in depth article on how to create a new folder. A folder is a storage position on a disk used to hold or store information on a computer. They enable users to organize their work articulately and in an easier way to access. Folders can store files, documents, letters, reports, music, movies, pictures and many more. A lower level folder is referred to as a sub-folder. In old days when working with DOS, folders were referred to as directories.

Where to Create a New Folder

You can create a new folder in many areas like for example on your desktop, windows explorer, removable hard disk drive, on your flash disk, your smart phone and many other areas. We will start by learning how to create a folder on the simplest of all places, the desktop.

How to Create a New Folder on the Desktop

To create a new folder on the computer desktop, do the following:-

1. Right click on an empty space on your desktop.
2. On the short cut menu that appears, move down and locate new, click on it and move straight,
3. Select or click on folder.
4. Once you get the new folder option, write or type the name of the folder you want to create. Then click anywhere on your desktop.

Note: For you to get used, create more than 10 folders on your desktop giving names you want.

Creating a Subfolder

A sub-folder is a folder contained inside a folder. You can create as many sub-folders as you wish.

Procedure

1. Open the folder you want to have a subfolder. You can double-click to open or right click on the folder and select open. It is good to use the double-click option because it does not involve lots of steps.
2. Once you open the folder, right click on an empty space and select new.
3. Click on folder.
4. Type the name of the subfolder.

You can continue creating subfolders in the same way. It is just a matter of opening the folder in which you want to create a subfolder and then creating your subfolder.

Renaming Folders

After creating a folder with a certain name, for example, Africa, it is possible to rename it to something else, let us say, America. The process is easy, right click on the folder you want to rename and then select Rename. Then type the new name you want.

Copying and Pasting Folders

You can create a copy of your folder (duplicating). This is achieved by, right clicking on the folder you want to copy, select copy, go to where you want to paste and then right click and select paste. If you paste on the same place as the original folder, it will have the name copy of…, then the name of the folder you were copying.

Moving Folders

You can move a folder or subfolder from one place to another. Or even from one drive to another. To move a folder, use the cut option.

Procedure of Moving Folders

1. Right click on the folder you want to move.
2. Select cut.
3. Go to the place you want to have your folder.
4. Right click on an empty space.
5. Click on paste.

The folder and its contents, if it had some, move to the new location. No copy is left behind. Before moving a folders, close all files or subfolders associated to it.

Deleting Folders

Once you create folders, you might need to delete them. Before you embark on the process, ensure there no important files.

Procedure

• Right click on the folder you want to delete.
• Select Delete.
• You will get a dialogue box asking if you are sure you want to delete your folder and its contents.
• You click on yes and the file will be taken to the recycle bin.

Recovering Deleted Folders from the Recycle Bin

Deleted files and folders are taken to recycle bin. You can be able to retrieve any item you have deleted from the recycle bin.

Procedure

1. Locate the recycle bin icon on your desktop.
2. Right click on it and select open.
3. Locate the file you want to restore
4. Right-click the file and then select Restore.

Your file will be restored back to the original position.

You can restore all the items in the recycle bin by using the recycle bin tasks options on the left-hand side. There is also an option of emptying your recycle bin.

How to Delete a Folder Permanently

You can delete an item permanently without it going to the recycle bin. This option should be used with a lot of caution. Use a combination of your keyboard keys shift and delete. Don’t ask me where the folder or file goes, I will tell you it goes to hell. Once you delete your file like this, you won’t be able to recover it unless you use software recovery tools. So don’t hate me if you end up shift-deleting one of your most important documents and you can’t retrieve it.

Creating a Folder on Your Flash Drive or Any Other Removable Storage Media

This is easy, you only need to access your drive and create your new folder using any of the above methods. To access your drive, double click on my computer icon on the desktop and locate your drive under the devices with removable storage. Double click to open the drive and create the folder(s) you want. On your left-hand side on the task pane, there is an option to make a new folder under the file and folder tasks.

Creating a Short Cut to the Desktop

You can create a short cut to the desktop on any of your folders that you access regularly.

Procedure

1. Right click on the folder or file you want to place on the desktop as a short cut.
2. Then select send to.
3. Click on the option desktop (create short cut).

A short cut icon to your file or folder is placed on your desktop.

Zipping a Folder

When you compress a folder or even a file, you reduce its size and hence reducing the space they occupy on where they are stored. If you are to email documents and files in a folder, you should compress or zip them.

Procedure

1. Right click on the folder you want to compress (reduce the size). Make sure the folder is not empty; otherwise you won’t be able to compress it.
2. Select send to compressed (zipped) folder.
3. A zipped folder is created.
4. Type in the name of your zipped folder.

How to Create a Zipped Folder

It is possible to create a zipped folder using the first method we learned of creating a folder.

Procedure

• Right click on an empty space on your desktop.
• Click on new.
• Then go down and select the compressed (zipped) folder.
• Give your zipped folder a name

From there on you can copy and paste the items you want to have in your zipped folder. Note that you can also make use of software such as Winzip, WinRAR, 7-Zip, among others to achieve the same.

Checking the Properties of a Folder

After you create your new folder, it is possible to check its properties.

Procedure

• Right click on the folder.
• Click on properties

You will be able to determine the type, location, size, size on disk, contains how many files and folders and when the folder was created.

You can also be able to assign read-only and hidden attributes. If you hide your folder, you won’t be able to see it under windows explorer. To un-hide your folder, go windows explorer, click on tools, then folder options. On the dialog box that appears click on view and then on advanced settings, click on show hidden files and folders radio button. Click on apply and then okay. Advanced settings can also be applied here like sharing the folder on the network and you can also apply some customized settings on your folder.

Folder Creating Exercise (Download PDF Format of Folder Creating Exercise)

1. Create the following folders on the desktop:-

• Europe
• Africa

2. Open Europe and create the following sub-folders:-

• England
• France
• Russia

3. Open Africa and create the following:-

• Cameron
• Nigeria
• Togo
• South Africa
• Kenya

4. Open South Africa and create the following:-

• Soweto
• Johannesburg

5. Open Kenya and create the following:-

• Central province
• Coast province

6. Copy folder England to Africa

7. Copy folder Cameroon to England

8. Rename folder Central province to Nyanza

9. Delete folder Johannesburg.