How to Use Unknown Functions of Windows 10 Explorer

Contents

• Manage images
• Manage music
• Share files
• Search for documents

Windows 10’s File Explorer is not just for browsing your PC’s storage space: it has several functions that can do you some small favors, sometimes without the need to open any software. Functions that are surprisingly little promoted by Microsoft and yet are easy to implement. You can thus apply modifications to images, play music or videos, but also easily share files or perform very targeted searches. This is a real time saver that completes the use of Windows File Explorer (see our handy file Customize Windows 10 File Explorer).

How to manage images in Windows 10 Explorer?

Windows 10 File Explorer has some simple and convenient functions to manage photos without the need to open any software.

Apply rotations

• Select an image file from Explorer and then click the Image Tools tab. Several tools appear in the ribbon.
• Here you can apply one or more rotations to the left or right by clicking on the eponymous buttons. The result is immediately saved.

Launch a slideshow

• You can also select several images in the folder. Then just click on the Slideshow button in the tool ribbon.
• Immediately the selected images scroll one after the other in full screen. You can speed up the scrolling by pressing the right key on the keyboard and go back by pressing the left key.

How to play audio or video files in Windows 10 Explorer?

Windows 0 File Explorer has functions to play audio or video files.

• Navigate through your PC’s tree view and open a folder containing music or videos. Then click on the Play tab at the top of the Explorer window.
• Three new buttons appear in the tool ribbon. Click a file and then click the Play button to start playing it. The default audio player will automatically launch and play the selected song.
• You can also click the Play All button. In this case, all the items contained in the folder will be played in the order in which they are arranged in the folder.
• Finally, by clicking the Add to Playlist button, the selected song will be played after the currently playing title.

How to share files from Windows Explorer 10?

The notion of sharing everything, introduced since Windows 8, is still very present in Windows 10, but a little behind. However, Explorer has all the necessary options.

• Select the file of your choice in a folder. Click on the Sharing tab in Explorer. There are several choices for emailing the file, compressing it into a Zip file or printing it.
• If you choose Print, depending on the type of file you choose, the application to which it is attached will open while you print and close immediately.
• You can also choose the action to take for sharing. Click on the green Share icon at the top left of the tool ribbon. In the window that appears, you can choose to send it to a fairly close PC using Proximity Sharing (read our Windows 10 how-to sheet: exchanging files wirelessly between two PCs) or to open it in an application of your choice.

How to search for files with Windows 10 Explorer?

There are multiple ways to search for files in Windows. File Explorer also has a feature to quickly find what you are looking for on your PC.

• Click on the volume(disk or partition) orfolder that is supposed to contain the item you are looking for. Then click in the search field of the Explorer, at the top, and enter the name you are looking for, or only a part of it. Confirm by clicking on the arrow on the right. The results are immediately displayed.
• If you are looking for a specific type of document, such as an image or a Word document for example, but do not know the name, simply type * followed by the name of the desired extension in the search field and validate. For example *.jpg or *.docx.