Where Windows Hides Stuff

Most of the programs, data, and configuration files that make up Windows 95 and 98 get stuffed somewhere in the Windows folder. And this folder can squirrel away thousands of files inside dozens of subfolders. When you want to, say, back up or locate only the important stuff, where do you look?

Show everything! Before we go spelunking, take note: By default, Windows 95 and 98 hide certain files. You won't see any system files using My Computer or Windows Explorer unless you first change the default settings. To do this, open My Computer and select View, Folder Options (in the original version of Windows 95, this command is View, Options.) In the Advanced box, click to remove the check mark from "Hide file extensions for known files," and under "Hidden files," click the radio button labeled "Show all files."

Here's a quick guide to the most significant Windows folders and to finding the information you might need in a hurry.

C:\Windows

Although it's full of Windows knickknacks like configuration files (usually with the suffix .ini), what you'll probably want most in C:\Windows is the wallpaper. These files sport a .bmp or .gif extension and appear when you right-click the desktop and select Properties to change wallpaper.

Save your Internet Explorer wallpaper! If you've ever right-clicked an image in Internet Explorer and selected Set as Wallpaper, you saved the graphic in your Windows folder under the intuitive name Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp. Trouble is, the next time something catches your eye and you save it as wallpaper, you'll overwrite that first file. To save a wallpaper file from this fate, use My Computer or Windows Explorer to make a backup. Locate and click C:\Windows\Internet Explorer Wallpaper.bmp, right-click its icon, select Rename, and type a new name for the file.

C:\Windows\Desktop

Sure, you can minimize your applications and look at the Windows Desktop in all its glory. But if you want to do some file management, this is the place to use Windows Explorer. The Windows Desktop folder contains all the files you've placed on the desktop, but not the system icons for elements like My Computer, Network Neighborhood, or the Recycle Bin (these only appear on the desktop itself, or at the top level of the tree in Windows Explorer). Another useful tip: Some older applications won't let you reach the desktop from within file dialog boxes, but you can navigate to C:\Windows\Desktop to open or save files to the desktop.

C:\Windows\Media

Windows stores all the sound files for system alarms, Windows startup, and other "events" in its Media folder; you'll recognize the files by their .wav file extension. Other, smaller files with the extension .mid play music using the synthesizer in your sound card. If you collect sound files from the Internet, store them in the Media folder for safekeeping. When you decide to add them to your Windows sound scheme, they'll be easier to locate.

C:\Windows\Start Menu

The Start Menu bears a strong resemblance to the front-hall closet in every home: Applications throw in loose icons, the Programs area gets overloaded with stuff you'll never use ... it's a mess. To clean house, point My Computer or Windows Explorer to C:\Windows\Start Menu and delete, move, and consolidate entries into subject folders (browsers, plug-ins, and other online tools, for example, can all be tidied away into a folder named Online).

C:\Windows\Cookies

Paranoid about who's tracking you? Check out the files in the Cookies folder. When you're using Internet Explorer and sites issue cookies to track your visits, the cookies end up here. Site names appear prominently in the file names in this folder. For more information about cookies, read "Cookie Killers," in "The Defenders" feature from the September 1998 issue of PC World magazine.

C:\Recycled

This folder houses the contents of your Recycle Bin. If you ever lose the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, or your desktop becomes buried under mountains of other windows, go here instead.