How to Hide Left Panel of Folder Window?

[Clueless in Seattle]

I'm well behind the Windows curve and I'm just now learning to use Windows XP
Home. Up to now I've been using Windows 2000 Pro.

On my XP desktop I have a shortcut to my music folder which containins my
MP3 files.

When I double click on the shortcut, a window opens on the desktop
displaying the contents of my music folder.

This window has a panel along the left side containing items like "File and
Folder Tasks" and "Other Places."

I can't figure out how to close, hide or otherwise delete this panel. This
panel takes up a lot of precious desktop real estate and doubles the width of
the folder window. I often have six or more music folder windows opened at
the same time on my desktop so I can drag MP3 files from one folder to
another. As you can imagine, having that extra panel on all of those folders
makes quite a mess of my desktop.

Can someone help me with this?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm well behind the Windows curve and I'm just now learning to use
Windows XP Home. Up to now I've been using Windows 2000 Pro.

On my XP desktop I have a shortcut to my music folder which
containins my MP3 files.

When I double click on the shortcut, a window opens on the desktop
displaying the contents of my music folder.

This window has a panel along the left side containing items like
"File and Folder Tasks" and "Other Places."

I can't figure out how to close, hide or otherwise delete this
panel. This panel takes up a lot of precious desktop real estate
and doubles the width of the folder window. I often have six or
more music folder windows opened at the same time on my desktop so
I can drag MP3 files from one folder to another. As you can
imagine, having that extra panel on all of those folders makes
quite a mess of my desktop.

Can someone help me with this?

Get a bigger screen. ;-)

Or turn off the common tasks folder.

Tools --> Folder Options --> Use Windows Classic Folders.

 

[Clueless in Seattle]

Many thanks, Shenan Stanley,

That did the trick! It didn't occur to me to look in "Tools." I was
looking in "View." Duh!

I'm grateful to have the help available in this newsgroup, and appreciate
your taking the time to answer such a basic question.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions as I start finding my way around in
XP and hope I won't wear out my welcome here.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm well behind the Windows curve and I'm just now learning to use
Windows XP Home. Up to now I've been using Windows 2000 Pro.

On my XP desktop I have a shortcut to my music folder which
containins my MP3 files.

When I double click on the shortcut, a window opens on the desktop
displaying the contents of my music folder.

This window has a panel along the left side containing items like
"File and Folder Tasks" and "Other Places."

I can't figure out how to close, hide or otherwise delete this
panel. This panel takes up a lot of precious desktop real estate
and doubles the width of the folder window. I often have six or
more music folder windows opened at the same time on my desktop so
I can drag MP3 files from one folder to another. As you can
imagine, having that extra panel on all of those folders makes
quite a mess of my desktop.

Can someone help me with this?

Get a bigger screen. ;-)

Or turn off the common tasks folder.

Tools --> Folder Options --> Use Windows Classic Folders.

Many thanks, Shenan Stanley,

That did the trick! It didn't occur to me to look in "Tools." I
was looking in "View." Duh!

I'm grateful to have the help available in this newsgroup, and
appreciate your taking the time to answer such a basic question.

I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions as I start finding my way
around in XP and hope I won't wear out my welcome here.

Ask away. Just a peer-to-peer newsgroup.
Glad to help, glad you got it sorted.