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6. Windows 3.1 File Manager

Greg Baker describes some Windows 3.1 File Manager keyboard shortcuts.

Experiment with these keyboard shortcuts to see the effects they produce and try out other combinations of keystrokes to see the effect that they produce.

Check Windows 3.1 documentation and help file for other shortcuts.

• Tab
  Moves between the drive list, directory tree and file list.

• Up and Down Arrow keys
  Moves between directories and subdirectories in the directory tree and files in the file list.

• *
  Expands the directory tree from highlighted subdirectory.

• /
  Selects all files in a subdirectory.

• Enter
  Pressing the Enter key is equivalent to double clicking the left mouse button. Pressing Enter while a subdirectory is highlighted will alternately display and collapse the view of the subdirectories. Pressing the Enter key with a file highlighted will open that file if it is associated with a particular application. If the application is already running the document will open and control will pass to the application. If the application is not running it will be started and the file opened ready for work.

• Ctrl+DriveLetter
  Changes to the file list for the drive indicated by DriveLetter. Thus Ctrl+A brings up the directory for drive A. If you want to view two directories at the same time enter Alt+W, N followed by Ctrl+DriveLetter for the new drive.

• F5
  Refreshes the display of current drive. This is useful for checking the contents of a series of floppy disks. Simply look at the first with Ctrl+A then subsequent disks with F5.

• F7
  Moves file highlighted.

• F8
  Copies file highlighted.

• Alt+Enter
  Brings up the properties list for a highlighted file or directory.

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This page was prepared by Greg Baker.
Last updated: 29 July 1997
Comments and suggestions to Greg Baker at greg@pcug.org.au