Microsoft Weekly

Add extra columns to File Explorer windows

By Ed Bott

The built-in Windows file management tool--Windows Explorer in Windows 7 and earlier and File Explorer in more recent versions--lets you see only a fraction of the information it knows about a group of files. Even in Details view, you're limited to just a few columns, with the selection based on the folder type.

But you don't have to stick with those default column arrangements. Instead, add extra columns you can use to sort, filter, and group the contents of a folder or a search.

For example, in folders that are set using the Pictures type, you can add the Date Taken field to sort and group pictures by date. Using filters, you can easily find all the pictures you took during a specific date range, making it easy to sort your vacation photos.

Or in Music folders, add the Bit Rate field to help sort out high-quality MP3 files from older, low-fidelity tracks.

To add a column heading, switch to Details view and right-click any existing heading. The resulting list contains some popular additions, but you can see the full list by clicking More. Click any item on the list to add it to the current view, where it appears with a checkmark to its left. To remove a column heading, click the column name again to remove the checkmark.

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