Key Folder Titles in Local Disc C (in My Computer) Turned Blue?

[Guest]

Several of the folder titles titles at the top and bottom of the main hard
drive folder (Local Disk C) are now in blue font (like those in this
newsgroup) -- including MSconfig.sys Bandlink, Centron, DELL (top) and
meaningless little docs (not folders at the bottom) of the window for Local
Disk C file -- versus noraml black for other folders.

What does this mean?

Thanks for any help. I haven't tried to changer it back to balck for fear
of disregarding a cryptic message from my just-installed SP2

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Compressed NTFS files are displayed in blue.

Encrypted NTFS files are displayed in green.

If this option is selected in Folder Options...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color

[[Specifies that the names of files you compress or encrypt on NTFS drives
appear in a color when you view them in a folder window. This does not
apply to folders you compress using ZIP compression utilities.]]

To uncompress files or folders.

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to uncompress and then click
Properties.

2. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.

3. UNSelect the Compress contents to save disk space check box and then
click OK.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click OK.

5. In Confirm Attribute Changes, select the option you want.

6. Click Apply, wait for the attributes to be applied (you'll see a window
with a guage) then click OK.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Compressed NTFS files are displayed in blue.

Encrypted NTFS files are displayed in green.

If this option is selected in Folder Options...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color

[[Specifies that the names of files you compress or encrypt on NTFS drives
appear in a color when you view them in a folder window. This does not
apply to folders you compress using ZIP compression utilities.]]

To uncompress files or folders.

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to uncompress and then click
Properties.

2. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.

3. UNSelect the Compress contents to save disk space check box and then
click OK.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click OK.

5. In Confirm Attribute Changes, select the option you want.

6. Click Apply, wait for the attributes to be applied (you'll see a window
with a guage) then click OK.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

Thank you very much, Wes, for taking the time to explain this to me. I'm
guessing that this feature is a default prompted by my installation of
Windows ServicePack2.

I learned alot tonight. Your clear instructions motivated me to explore an
area of the interface I'd never seen before. At 50, I'm catching up fast (I
was in Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer's freshman class but computer class was
voluntary then and I never really had to do more than type an email or memo
until I decided to go back to school and become a teacher. That's why I
appreciate your instruction all the more.).

I don't know what NTFS means. I also don't understand why a supposedly
compressed file is the same size (KB-wise) as an unzipped file (at least it
seems to be so based on holding the cursor over the file to get its specs
when compressed)....Maybe the size doesn't impinge on the disc in an
operati0nal way? (I really don't know what I meanbt by that last thought...I
need to learn exactly what a disc is before I startmaking guesses like that).


But understanding the "how" is as important as knowing the "why" for now.
And I owe my learning tonight to you.

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Hi Dan,

As I told my 5 1/2 year old Nephew the other day when he asked, "I am 55
1/2." ;-)

Say hi to Bill and Steve for me.

To tell for sure if a file or folder is compressed...
Right click a file or folder | Properties | General tab |
Advanced button | Compress contents to save disk space will be checked if
the file or folder is compressed.

Compress contents to save disk space
[[Specifies whether this file or folder is compressed. The contents of
compressed folders are not automatically compressed unless you elect to
compress the contents when prompted.
If multiple files are selected, a check mark means that all the files are
compressed. A filled box means that some files are compressed and some are
not.
Compressed files and folders cannot be encrypted.]]

Your hard drive, that all your files are stored on, is a disk, or a hard
disk drive.

NTFS means NT File System that is how your hard drive is formatted. It
could be formatted in FAT32 (Short for File Allocation Table), but you can't
compress files in that format. Oh yeah, NT stands for New Technology.
Windows XP is really Windows NT 5.1. XP is a marketing name and stands for
eXPerience.

Some files may not compress, like .jpg files, but by compressing them you
can save disk space because of file slack.

[[Files are created in varying lengths depending on their contents. DOS,
Windows and Windows NT-based computers store files in fixed length blocks of
data called clusters. Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or
multiple clusters perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end
of the file to the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called
"file slack".]]
from...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

So a 1byte file could take up 4KB of disk space if the cluster size is 4KB.

Right click any file | Properties | General tab | Look at Size compared to
Size on Disk.

Help and Support is full of useful information. There is even a glossary in
there.

Another tip that I use all the time.

On the title bar of most dialog boxes in the upper right corner is a [?]
button. As there is in many other Windows items.

Left click [?] and your cursor turns into a ?, click the item you want to
know about. This will display a help topic if there is one.

Right-click the item, and then click the What's This? command.

For example...
Right click any file | Properties | Click the [?] | Move the ? to the Change
button and click it |
[[Click to change the program that opens files of this type.]] should
display.

You have to play around a little and you have to be careful that you have
the ? and do not change a setting that you didn't want to change because you
didn't have the ? as a cursor. Also not everything has a popup message.

Another tip, if you open something and do not make any changes or aren't
sure, click the Cancel button instead of the OK button to close. That way
even if you did change something, the changes are not saved and it's like
you never opened it.

You can right click that same Change button and What's This? should popup |
Click on What's This? | [[Click to change the program that opens files of
this type.]] should display.

Some definitions...

NTFS
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/n/ntfs.htm

FAT, FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/f/fat.htm

Hard disk
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/harddisk.htm

Computer Hopes Computer Dictionary
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Compressed NTFS files are displayed in blue.

Encrypted NTFS files are displayed in green.

If this option is selected in Folder Options...
Start | Run | Type: control folders | Click OK |
View tab | Show encrypted or compressed NTFS files in color

[[Specifies that the names of files you compress or encrypt on NTFS
drives appear in a color when you view them in a folder window. This
does not apply to folders you compress using ZIP compression utilities.]]

To uncompress files or folders.

1. Right-click the file or folder you want to uncompress and then click
Properties.

2. On the General tab, click the Advanced button.

3. UNSelect the Compress contents to save disk space check box and then
click OK.

4. In the Properties dialog box, click OK.

5. In Confirm Attribute Changes, select the option you want.

6. Click Apply, wait for the attributes to be applied (you'll see a
window with a guage) then click OK.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

Thank you very much, Wes, for taking the time to explain this to me. I'm
guessing that this feature is a default prompted by my installation of
Windows ServicePack2.

I learned alot tonight. Your clear instructions motivated me to explore
an area of the interface I'd never seen before. At 50, I'm catching up
fast (I was in Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer's freshman class but computer
class was voluntary then and I never really had to do more than type an
email or memo until I decided to go back to school and become a teacher.
That's why I appreciate your instruction all the more.).

I don't know what NTFS means. I also don't understand why a supposedly
compressed file is the same size (KB-wise) as an unzipped file (at least
it seems to be so based on holding the cursor over the file to get its
specs when compressed)....Maybe the size doesn't impinge on the disc in an
operati0nal way? (I really don't know what I meanbt by that last
thought...I need to learn exactly what a disc is before I startmaking
guesses like that).


But understanding the "how" is as important as knowing the "why" for now.
And I owe my learning tonight to you.

Thanks again,
Dan

 

[Guest]

Hi Dan,

As I told my 5 1/2 year old Nephew the other day when he asked, "I am 55
1/2." ;-)

Say hi to Bill and Steve for me.

To tell for sure if a file or folder is compressed...
Right click a file or folder | Properties | General tab |
Advanced button | Compress contents to save disk space will be checked if
the file or folder is compressed.

Compress contents to save disk space
[[Specifies whether this file or folder is compressed. The contents of
compressed folders are not automatically compressed unless you elect to
compress the contents when prompted.
If multiple files are selected, a check mark means that all the files are
compressed. A filled box means that some files are compressed and some are
not.
Compressed files and folders cannot be encrypted.]]

Your hard drive, that all your files are stored on, is a disk, or a hard
disk drive.

NTFS means NT File System that is how your hard drive is formatted. It
could be formatted in FAT32 (Short for File Allocation Table), but you can't
compress files in that format. Oh yeah, NT stands for New Technology.
Windows XP is really Windows NT 5.1. XP is a marketing name and stands for
eXPerience.

Some files may not compress, like .jpg files, but by compressing them you
can save disk space because of file slack.

[[Files are created in varying lengths depending on their contents. DOS,
Windows and Windows NT-based computers store files in fixed length blocks of
data called clusters. Rarely do file sizes exactly match the size of one or
multiple clusters perfectly. The data storage space that exists from the end
of the file to the end of the last cluster assigned to the file is called
"file slack".]]
from...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

So a 1byte file could take up 4KB of disk space if the cluster size is 4KB.

Right click any file | Properties | General tab | Look at Size compared to
Size on Disk.

Help and Support is full of useful information. There is even a glossary in
there.

Another tip that I use all the time.

On the title bar of most dialog boxes in the upper right corner is a [?]
button. As there is in many other Windows items.

Left click [?] and your cursor turns into a ?, click the item you want to
know about. This will display a help topic if there is one.

Right-click the item, and then click the What's This? command.

For example...
Right click any file | Properties | Click the [?] | Move the ? to the Change
button and click it |
[[Click to change the program that opens files of this type.]] should
display.

You have to play around a little and you have to be careful that you have
the ? and do not change a setting that you didn't want to change because you
didn't have the ? as a cursor. Also not everything has a popup message.

Another tip, if you open something and do not make any changes or aren't
sure, click the Cancel button instead of the OK button to close. That way
even if you did change something, the changes are not saved and it's like
you never opened it.

You can right click that same Change button and What's This? should popup |
Click on What's This? | [[Click to change the program that opens files of
this type.]] should display.

Some definitions...

NTFS
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/n/ntfs.htm

FAT, FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/f/fat.htm

Hard disk
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/harddisk.htm

Computer Hopes Computer Dictionary
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

Triple thanks, Wes.

I just printed out your enormously helpful perspective using knowledge
gained from my second question of the evening (posted in the XP...excuse
me...NT 5.1... General newsgroup): if i set my printer to "shrink to fit," I
can now refresh my memory from printed material without guessing at the last
two words of every page...as I've unfortunately done for a decade.

And thanks so much for the links to learn more...if one knows the underlying
structure of things (like a house, for instance, as I become "handier" there
with every challenging project)...then solving the inevitable problems is so
much easier. You're a patient and excellent teacher.

As for Bill G., I'm sure he's a good guy but he moved on to bigger and
better things after dropping out halfway through sophomore year without
meeting me. I don't think he feels much, if any connection, to his college.

Didn't know Steve B. much at all but he's always impressed me as being a
very good guy and a straight shooter...he's obviously a tough and
competitive businessman, but he's always been enormously friendly and
seemingly genuinely interested in our brief conversations at the "5-year"
reunions...he's also got a lot of smart things to say in his booming manner
in the panels that are generally held...99% of the CEOs I met in my corporate
days didn't come close to him on leadership and enthusiasm.

And both Steve and Bill make it possible for our reunion classes to break
all-time giving records without having to force a newly impoverished high
school history teacher to break his piggy bank.

Thanks again so very much, Wes, for taking considerable and considerate time
to tutor an eager and apppreciative student.

All the best,
Dan

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Keep having fun, Dan.

And post back with other questions there are folks here a lot more
knowledgeable that I am.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

Hi Dan,

As I told my 5 1/2 year old Nephew the other day when he asked, "I am 55
1/2." ;-)

Say hi to Bill and Steve for me.

To tell for sure if a file or folder is compressed...
Right click a file or folder | Properties | General tab |
Advanced button | Compress contents to save disk space will be checked if
the file or folder is compressed.

Compress contents to save disk space
[[Specifies whether this file or folder is compressed. The contents of
compressed folders are not automatically compressed unless you elect to
compress the contents when prompted.
If multiple files are selected, a check mark means that all the files are
compressed. A filled box means that some files are compressed and some
are not.
Compressed files and folders cannot be encrypted.]]

Your hard drive, that all your files are stored on, is a disk, or a hard
disk drive.

NTFS means NT File System that is how your hard drive is formatted. It
could be formatted in FAT32 (Short for File Allocation Table), but you
can't compress files in that format. Oh yeah, NT stands for New
Technology. Windows XP is really Windows NT 5.1. XP is a marketing name
and stands for eXPerience.

Some files may not compress, like .jpg files, but by compressing them you
can save disk space because of file slack.

[[Files are created in varying lengths depending on their contents. DOS,
Windows and Windows NT-based computers store files in fixed length
blocks of data called clusters. Rarely do file sizes exactly match the
size of one or multiple clusters perfectly. The data storage space that
exists from the end of the file to the end of the last cluster assigned
to the file is called "file slack".]]
from...
File Slack Defined
http://www.forensics-intl.com/def6.html

So a 1byte file could take up 4KB of disk space if the cluster size is
4KB.

Right click any file | Properties | General tab | Look at Size compared
to Size on Disk.

Help and Support is full of useful information. There is even a
glossary in there.

Another tip that I use all the time.

On the title bar of most dialog boxes in the upper right corner is a [?]
button. As there is in many other Windows items.

Left click [?] and your cursor turns into a ?, click the item you want to
know about. This will display a help topic if there is one.

Right-click the item, and then click the What's This? command.

For example...
Right click any file | Properties | Click the [?] | Move the ? to the
Change button and click it |
[[Click to change the program that opens files of this type.]] should
display.

You have to play around a little and you have to be careful that you have
the ? and do not change a setting that you didn't want to change because
you didn't have the ? as a cursor. Also not everything has a popup
message.

Another tip, if you open something and do not make any changes or aren't
sure, click the Cancel button instead of the OK button to close. That
way even if you did change something, the changes are not saved and it's
like you never opened it.

You can right click that same Change button and What's This? should
popup | Click on What's This? | [[Click to change the program that opens
files of this type.]] should display.

Some definitions...

NTFS
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/n/ntfs.htm

FAT, FAT12, FAT16 and FAT32
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/f/fat.htm

Hard disk
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/h/harddisk.htm

Computer Hopes Computer Dictionary
http://www.computerhope.com/jargon.htm
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

Triple thanks, Wes.

I just printed out your enormously helpful perspective using knowledge
gained from my second question of the evening (posted in the XP...excuse
me...NT 5.1... General newsgroup): if i set my printer to "shrink to
fit," I can now refresh my memory from printed material without guessing
at the last two words of every page...as I've unfortunately done for a
decade.

And thanks so much for the links to learn more...if one knows the
underlying structure of things (like a house, for instance, as I become
"handier" there with every challenging project)...then solving the
inevitable problems is so much easier. You're a patient and excellent
teacher.

As for Bill G., I'm sure he's a good guy but he moved on to bigger and
better things after dropping out halfway through sophomore year without
meeting me. I don't think he feels much, if any connection, to his
college.

Didn't know Steve B. much at all but he's always impressed me as being a
very good guy and a straight shooter...he's obviously a tough and
competitive businessman, but he's always been enormously friendly and
seemingly genuinely interested in our brief conversations at the "5-year"
reunions...he's also got a lot of smart things to say in his booming
manner in the panels that are generally held...99% of the CEOs I met in
my corporate days didn't come close to him on leadership and enthusiasm.

And both Steve and Bill make it possible for our reunion classes to break
all-time giving records without having to force a newly impoverished high
school history teacher to break his piggy bank.

Thanks again so very much, Wes, for taking considerable and considerate
time to tutor an eager and apppreciative student.

All the best,
Dan