  Dump:The place all your former hobbies wind up soon after you install your computer.
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Windows XP ...No matter what program you use in Windows XP or Vista, when you click the word File, then Open, you will be faced with what Mrs. Wizard lovingly refers to as a Mini File Manager. You will also see it pop up when you want to Save something. If you ever want to download a file or program from the Internet, you had better get comfortable with it now, because you will be seeing it a lot. There isn’t anything less fun than trying to figure out where something you just downloaded WENT...especially if you didn’t even bother to write down the file name.
There are several important parts to the Mini File Manager window. The "Up" folder
The little folder with a * on it is a handy little tool. You can also drag and drop files from one folder to another in your Mini File Manager, and generally do the sort of housecleaning (including deleting unneeded files and folders) that you would normally do in your My Computer or Explorer. If you spot a file that you would like to rename, you can right click on it in this view and choose Rename. SPECIAL NOTE: Check out how many extra drives were on Mrs. Wizard's machine! If I remember correctly, those were the days (Windows 98) when you had to partition really large hard drives because Windows couldn't "see" more than 2 gig at a time. Now the hard drives are so huge, looking at all those extra drives is kind of funny. VISTA Mini File Manager ...Yes, there is still a mini file manager in Vista. Navigating to folders and files on your machine is a lot easier if you pay attention to where you put them, and even easier if you keep personal files confined to the Documents folder, subfolders within the Documents folder, or your Desktop. I love saving things on the Desktop. Not permanently, but more as a landing zone until I decide what to ultimately do with something I download. It might be an installation file downloaded from the Internet, or a document. The best thing about the Desktop is it is one of the easiest places to find and drop things. Read More
Got questions?
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The term File Manager is a Windows 3.1 term and dates back to the "Old Windows" days, but describes the situation perfectly. It’s a way to quickly find the folder or file you need, providing you have a general notion of its location. It is also what you need to navigate your way to that certain folder you want to place a saved file into. 
is what you use to navigate to the folder "Above" the one you are currently viewing. Keep clicking it, and you will eventually end up with Desktop showing up in the "Look in:" window.
If you are trying to open a certain type of file, and it isn’t showing in a directory you feel certain it has to be in, try clicking the arrow to the right of the Files of type: box. Check the drop down list for the type of file you are looking for and make sure it is selected. The only time you will see everything listed is if you choose All Files. If you still don’t see your file, it ain’t there!
It’s a wonderful reminder that you can do all sorts of extra "Oh By The Way" things in Windows 95 and 98. This little button is what you click if you need to create a folder to put your new file in. Just click it once, give your new folder a name, then double click on it so that it appears in the Look in: box before you finally save your file.