Creating Your Own File Folders

Windows comes with over 15,000 file folders in its overall directory structure. These folders help to keep individual files organized under various “headings” like Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. You can create your own file folders to maintain (or change) this organization scheme.

For example, I created a Temp folder on my C: drive so that I can easily create and find temporary files that I create for various reasons. I also created a WindowsTips folder within my Documents folder so that I can keep my WindowsTips articles separate from my other Word documents.

There are several ways to create your own file folders in Windows. A couple of ways make use of the commands built into Windows Explorer. (In Windows 10 the Windows Explorer was renamed File Explorer. Anytime you see "Windows Explorer" in this tip, it also applies to File Explorer.)

Launch Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder in which you'd like to create a subfolder. Near the top of the Explorer window and to the right of the menu items there is a menu item called "New Folder." By clicking this item a subfolder is created under the currently selected folder. The default folder name is automatically selected so that you can immediately rename it to whatever you like. When you've typed the new name, press Enter to have it take effect. (If you don't rename the folder, it retains its default name of “New Folder,” which is not very descriptive.)

Another way to create your own folder under Windows Explorer is to again navigate to the folder in which you'd like to create a subfolder. Then, right-click on a folder name and hover the mouse pointer over the New command near the bottom of the Context menu. A fly-out menu appears, allowing you to select “Folder.” Click that and you'll create a new folder named “New Folder.” Again, the cursor is set to this subfolder so that you can immediately rename it to whatever you like.

 This tip (11937) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.