The most popular location in Windows is a folder called My Documents. As the name implies, it's where you store most of the stuff that you create on your computer.
You can most easily get to the My Documents folder by opening its icon on the desktop. The folder's window pops open, revealing its marvelous contents - your stuff!
If the My Documents folder doesn't appear on the desktop, follow these steps to display it:
1. Open the Display Properties icon in the Control Panel.
You can also right-click on any blank part of the desktop and choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
2. In the Display Properties dialog box, click the Desktop tab.
3. Click the Customize Desktop button.
4. In the Desktop Items dialog box, General tab, put a check mark by the My Documents item.
5. Click OK to close each dialog box.
The My Documents icon now appears on the desktop.
You can also get to the My Documents folder from the Start menu. Clicking the Start button displays the Start menu, and one of the icons in the upper-right side is the My Documents folder.
If the My Documents folder doesn't appear on the Start menu, then follow these steps to display it:
1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Choose Properties from the context menu.
3. In the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box, ensure that the Start Menu tab is up front.
Click on that tab if it isn't up front.
4. Click the Customize button.
You need to click the Customize button by the Start Menu option, not the Classic Start Menu option.
5. Click the Advanced tab in the Customize Start Menu dialog box.
6. Scroll through the list of Start menu items to find My Documents.
7. Select the Display as Link option.
8. Click OK to close each dialog box.
The My Documents icon now shows up in the Start menu.
Take a moment now to visit the My Documents folder. It contains your documents and the stuff that you create, plus it contains other folders. Some of the other folders, such as My Pictures and My Music, are customized to hold specific types of files. (Pictures and music for the My Pictures and My Music folders, respectively.)
You can also create your own folders for specific types of files, or just to be organized. For example, you can create a My Downloads folder inside the My Documents folder to keep all the silly files that you download and save from the Internet.
Here are some useful facts about your laptop's My Documents:
- My Documents is really a folder, which is a storage container for files.
- You can find the My Documents folder on your laptop's hard drive. So when you read about "saving this or that file to the hard drive," the saved files go to the My Documents folder.
- You can quickly access the My Documents folder by using the Address drop-down list in any Save As, Open, or File dialog box. Press the F4 key to activate the Address drop-down list.
- Most of the Save As dialog boxes use the My Documents folder as the first choice for where to save your stuff.
- Download is the term for transferring a file from the Internet to your own computer.
- Your programs don't reside in the My Documents folder. They go in the Program Files folder.
