blue file descriptions in WE

[Steve Hawkins]

I can't find any note in XP help as to why or how it decides to present some
files in blue text in Windows Explorer. It appears that most of my
regularly used files appear in black, but many appear in blue regardless.

What is the significance of the blue entries? How does XP decide which goes
in which colour?

SteveH

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Blue colored files are compressed files designed to save space.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| I can't find any note in XP help as to why or how it decides to present some
| files in blue text in Windows Explorer. It appears that most of my
| regularly used files appear in black, but many appear in blue regardless.
|
| What is the significance of the blue entries? How does XP decide which goes
| in which colour?
|
| SteveH

 

[Rock]

I can't find any note in XP help as to why or how it decides to present some
files in blue text in Windows Explorer. It appears that most of my
regularly used files appear in black, but many appear in blue regardless.

What is the significance of the blue entries? How does XP decide which goes
in which colour?

SteveH

Compressed files

 

[Steve Hawkins]

Ah so!

Thanks much all,

SteveH

Compressed files

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I can't find any note in XP help as to why or how it decides to present some
files in blue text in Windows Explorer. It appears that most of my
regularly used files appear in black, but many appear in blue regardless.

What is the significance of the blue entries? How does XP decide which goes
in which colour?

SteveH

By design, WinXP automatically compresses files that do not get
used frequently, and, if you've left the default settings intact,
displays those file names in blue.

If you wish to change this behavior, in Windows Explorer, click
Tools > Folder Options > View > Advanced settings: Show encrypted or
compressed NTFS files in color.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Guest]

Do these files become uncompressed again when you start using them? Is there
a way to stop files being compressed (as I assume this slows things down when
you want to access them?).

This blue file listing must have been part of a windowns update as it
happened on all my machines at work from the same day last week when I
updated them with the latest Windows fixes

Justin

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Type: File compression overview in Help and Support search box and hit
Enter.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Thanks Wesley
Where can I find out whether I can switch off NTFS compression as I am more
interested in performance than space. I have 10 workstations running 2000 and
XP linked to a server running Small Business Server 2003 which also holds all
our shared data. I would like to make sure speed is top and stop compressing
wherever possible. I would also like to uncompress those files which have
become compressed.
Thanks

 

[David Candy]

Open the drive to C:\, select everything, right click, Properties, Advanced.

Some folders, which aren't in daily use, are compressed (like backups of system files). This will uncompress these too.

Why are they compressing? Is it disk cleanup (it takes me 10 secs to cleanup manually)?

 

[Guest]

Thanks Wes
I am not sure why they are compressing. I do use disk cleanup occasionally
as it seems to help get systems going again when they start dragging their
heels. But I woudl be interested in knowing your "10 second" method if this
is better?
Thanks

 

[Guest]

Thanks David
I tried this, but selecting all folders and doing what you said does not
change the compressed files within these folders. If I open a folder down at
its lowest level and then highlight all the actual files, then I can
uncompress as you suggest. But this will take forever on our very complex
folder structure containing thousands of files. Is there any way of
uncompressing "en masse" as I am trying to do - rather than by file list?

 

[David Candy]

You may need a compressed file in the root folder. Or something. First time I tried nothing happened, but now it asks if I wasnt to do all Folders and Files. Try setting compression on a folder (a small one) then Select All and Remove it and it should do the whole disk.

 

[Guest]

Thanks David - you are a star! That worked fine....
Many thanks again for taking the time to help me