GET OUT--AND TAKE YOUR FILES WITH YOU

"I read with interest your tip on changing the default directory of an application, such as Word. My question is this: If I change my default Word directory from a folder on drive C to one on a recently installed drive (E), what happens to all the Word files that are still on drive C? Do I just move them? This may seem like a simple question, but I don't want to risk losing my old files."

Once you've changed a program's default directory, it is most efficient to move any other files created in that application to the same folder. That way, you don't have to go fishing through drives and folders to find them when you're in an Open or Save As dialog box.

An easy way to accomplish this operation is to use two Explorer windows. (You could also use one, double-paned window, but we prefer to avoid all that scrolling.) Open a single-paned Explorer window and display the contents of the new default folder. Now open a second Explorer window and find all your files created in the given application. (With any luck, they're all in one place. If not, you'll have to repeat these steps a few times to move them all.) Hold down Ctrl as you click each one, right-click and drag the selection into the first open window, let go and select Move Here. From now on, you can access these files directly from that application's Open or Save As dialog box.