Quick Tip

101-2010
 

Select Files Using Check Boxes

You can make it easier to select files by turning on a Windows 7 feature that enables you to select files using check boxes. You could select consecutive files by clicking the first file, pressing and holding the Shift key, and then clicking the last file. Similarly, you can press and hold the Ctrl key and click each file you want to select.

An easier way is to configure Windows 7 to display a check box beside each file and then you can then select any file by activating its check box.

TIP:  Turning On Check Box Selecting.  In any open folder window, Click Organize. On the drop down menu Click Folder and Search Options.  When the Folder Options dialog box appears, Click on the View tab.  In the View tab scroll down the Advanced Settings until you see, “Use check boxes to select items”, click in the box next to it and then click OK.

Open any folder with files in it and you will see a box next to each file.  Click on a box and a check mark appears to select the item.  If you select a file by accident, you can fix the problem by clicking the file’s check box again to deselect it.  This does not affect any of your other selected files, which is one of the chief advantages of using this method.

NOTE:  This same feature is available in Vista and works the same way.