Navigation+Pane+in+Vista

Navigation Pane in Vista

The navigation pane is a little something new Microsoft threw into Vista It is a very easy way to keep all of your files organized and put in place. Double click on the **Computer** icon on your desktop. It is located on the left hand side of that window. Across the top, you will see tabs for Organize, Views, Explore and so on. Below that, there are two sections broken up into **Favourite Links** and **Folders**. Under Favourite Links, there are a few entries there for Documents, Pictures, Music, etc. and under the Folders section; you will see some of the folders you work with on a regular basis. Here's a sample of what it looks like: In the Favourite Links section. By default, you have the Documents, Pictures and Music links, but you can add as many others as you would like. If you have a few other files you use on a daily basis that you would like to have easier access to, you can add them to the navigation pane. That way, you do not have to go through a line of folders and files to find the single one you need. You can just click on your Computer icon and they will be there! For example, maybe you are working on a big project and you need quick access to one of your Word documents. Just add it to your Favourite Links and it will be right there waiting for you each time you need it. Or, maybe you have some pictures you are editing and you need to be able to open them fast. Add them to your Favourite Links and voila. The options are endless! To add a file to your Favourite Links, all you have to do is [|drag and drop] it into your navigation pane. Once you have all the files added that you want, you will also want to check out the **Recently Changed** link. If you click on that, it will show you which files you have created or modified in the last 30 days. So, if you make a change to one of your files, you can look it up right there. There is also a **Searches** link and you can use that to look up any searches you have performed on your Vista computer. You can use it to quickly find files, no matter where they are on your hard drive. It is just an easy way to find exactly what you need, without having to look in a million places. You can even add custom saved searches to your Favourite Links if you would like. Now, if you prefer the traditional way of looking through your folders to find the files you need, you can resort back to using the Folders link on the navigation pane. You can even resize it to fit the whole pane if you do not like the idea of the Favourite Links section. It is up to you, depending on the way you like to do things. Either way, Microsoft has done a good job of giving you more options when it comes to navigating through your data. The navigation pane is a great way to keep all of your files organized and it just could not be easier to use.