Why are some entries blue in Windows Explorer?

[Laurel]

I THINK this may have just started within the last few weeks, and I've been
installing lots of stuff to go with .NET, BUT, the files that are blue seem
to have no common factor - certainly not related to .NET. For instance, I
have 3 files with .sql extensions. One shows up blue in Windows Explorer.
The other two are black. I've looked at Properties and can't see any
differences. None have been opened recently. There's no pattern I can see
in active-ness, extension, size, etc.

I say I "think" above because I'm a visual noodnik. I tend not to notice
subtle (and not so subtle) differences in things I look at.

If there's a more focused forum for Windows Explorer, please let me know. I
couldn't find one in the list.

TIA
LAS

 

[Edwin vMierlo]

The blue ones are compressed,
- right click on the file, select properties
- click the "Advanced" button
- here you can see (little check box) if the file is compressed or not

HTH
_Edwin.

 

[John Jay Smith]

Blue is normal, these are compressed files using the built in compression of
the NTFS file system
that enables compression "on the fly".

When you do a disk clean up, notice it has an option there to compress older
files than "xxx"
Windows finds files that have not been accessed for a long time and thinks
that you dont use them often, so might as well compress them to save up a
bit of space. You can disable this...
but there is no reason to do so..

I personaly uncheck the compress in the clean disk tool, because it takes
too long to do it

Some files are compressed by default, like the downloaded updates for
windows..
that are stored there in case you want to remove an update by uninstalling
it


-Ken

 

[Laurel]

Thanks! Yes, "compress old files," was something I asked cleanup to do, for
the first time.

 

[Rock]

I THINK this may have just started within the last few weeks, and I've been
installing lots of stuff to go with .NET, BUT, the files that are blue seem
to have no common factor - certainly not related to .NET. For instance, I
have 3 files with .sql extensions. One shows up blue in Windows Explorer.
The other two are black. I've looked at Properties and can't see any
differences. None have been opened recently. There's no pattern I can see
in active-ness, extension, size, etc.

I say I "think" above because I'm a visual noodnik. I tend not to notice
subtle (and not so subtle) differences in things I look at.

If there's a more focused forum for Windows Explorer, please let me know.
I couldn't find one in the list.

TIA
LAS

Blue means compressed
Green means encrypted

Those color choices can be changed. In Windows Explorer, Tools | Folder
Options | View to make them show as black or use TweakUI, one of the MS
powertoys, for different colors.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/default.mspx

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I THINK this may have just started within the last few weeks, and I've been
installing lots of stuff to go with .NET, BUT, the files that are blue seem
to have no common factor - certainly not related to .NET. For instance, I
have 3 files with .sql extensions. One shows up blue in Windows Explorer.
The other two are black. I've looked at Properties and can't see any
differences. None have been opened recently. There's no pattern I can see
in active-ness, extension, size, etc.

I say I "think" above because I'm a visual noodnik. I tend not to notice
subtle (and not so subtle) differences in things I look at.

If there's a more focused forum for Windows Explorer, please let me know. I
couldn't find one in the list.

TIA
LAS

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

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[Paul Johnson]

I THINK this may have just started within the last few weeks, and I've
been installing lots of stuff to go with .NET, BUT, the files that are
blue seem
to have no common factor - certainly not related to .NET. For instance, I
have 3 files with .sql extensions. One shows up blue in Windows Explorer.

You could have found this answer in Windows Help: RTFM.

Different colors mean different things. Blue means compressed.