Episode 92: File Explorer and Power Options
File Explorer is the primary graphical interface used to manage files and folders in the Windows operating system. It allows users to browse through storage devices, open documents, copy data, move directories, and delete or recover items. File Explorer exists in every supported version of Windows, though earlier versions referred to it as Windows Explorer. Despite the increasing use of cloud tools, File Explorer remains essential in both standalone and networked environments. The A Plus Core Two certification includes questions that expect familiarity with its layout, functions, and keyboard shortcuts.
The default layout of File Explorer includes a navigation pane on the left side and a main content area in the center. The navigation pane features Quick Access, which shows recently used folders and pinned items. Below that is This PC, which lists local drives and connected storage devices. Libraries and network locations may also appear depending on configuration. The folder tree structure in the navigation pane helps users navigate through multiple levels of directories, while the path bar at the top shows the current folder’s full location. A search field in the top right allows users to find files within the selected folder.
Users can customize the way files and folders are displayed by adjusting view options. These options include icons of different sizes, a detailed list that shows file size and modified date, or a compact list for rapid scrolling. Sorting options let users arrange files by name, date modified, type, or size. These features are especially helpful in directories with hundreds of files, where quickly locating the correct document depends on sorting and layout. Knowing how to adjust views and sorting helps technicians work more efficiently and coach users through organizational challenges.
Folder options allow deeper control over what is visible and how File Explorer behaves. These settings are accessed through the View tab and include options to show or hide hidden files and file extensions. Technicians often enable the display of hidden items when working with system files or diagnosing configuration problems. Other settings allow toggling the display of protected operating system files, which are hidden by default. For support tasks that involve system folders, registry export files, or configuration files, these settings are essential to understand.
File Explorer also handles core file operations like copying, moving, and deleting. You can use right-click menus, drag-and-drop gestures, or the ribbon menu at the top of the window to perform these actions. Keyboard shortcuts like Control plus C to copy, Control plus V to paste, and Shift plus Delete to permanently remove files are standard across all Windows versions. Files that are deleted normally are sent to the Recycle Bin, where they can be recovered. Files deleted using Shift plus Delete bypass the Recycle Bin and are removed immediately.
Understanding how file paths work is crucial for troubleshooting and scripting. An absolute path includes the full location of the file, beginning with the drive letter and including each folder down the hierarchy. A relative path describes a file location based on the current working directory. Technicians must understand both types of paths, especially when editing scripts or creating shortcuts. When working with shared files, Universal Naming Convention paths—written as backslash backslash server name backslash share—are used to locate network resources.
Mapped drives are commonly used to simplify access to shared folders on a network. These drives are assigned a drive letter and appear in File Explorer just like a local disk. You can map drives using File Explorer itself or by using the NET USE command from the command line. Mapped drives can be set to reconnect automatically at logon, ensuring users always have access to shared resources. Knowing how to create and troubleshoot mapped drives is a frequent support task and a recurring topic on the exam.
Recent items and pinned folders enhance usability by keeping frequently accessed content readily available. File Explorer's Quick Access area shows the most recently used folders and files. Users can also pin specific folders to the Quick Access sidebar or to the taskbar for fast access. These shortcuts improve productivity and can be customized based on each user’s workflow. For technicians, knowing how to add, remove, or troubleshoot Quick Access entries helps resolve navigation issues and improves user satisfaction.
Power Options are found in the Control Panel and provide control over how the system manages energy use and performance. This section allows users to configure settings for sleep mode, hibernation, display timeout, and processor performance levels. Different profiles are available depending on whether the system is running on battery or connected to A C power. Power Options are critical for extending battery life on laptops and for ensuring desktop systems remain responsive without wasting electricity during idle periods.
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Windows includes several built-in power plans that balance energy use and performance. The most common is the Balanced plan, which automatically adjusts processor speed and power use based on demand. This plan is suitable for most systems and provides a mix of performance and energy savings. The Power Saver plan reduces performance to minimize power consumption, which is helpful for extending battery life on laptops. The High Performance plan keeps the system at full power for maximum responsiveness, often used in workstations or when running demanding applications.
Technicians can also create and customize power plans to meet specific needs. Starting with an existing template, you can change settings such as when the display turns off, how long the system waits before sleeping, and what minimum and maximum processor states are allowed. These settings can be fine-tuned for battery-powered laptops or desktop computers that run continuously. In environments where performance, heat, or energy costs are factors, custom power plans help meet the organization’s goals.
Understanding the difference between sleep, hibernate, and hybrid sleep is important for both configuration and troubleshooting. Sleep mode stores the system state in memory and enters a low-power state. It resumes quickly but still consumes some power. Hibernate saves the system state to the hard drive and powers off completely, consuming no electricity. Hybrid sleep combines the two, saving to disk but keeping memory active for faster recovery. Knowing which mode is enabled helps resolve wake-up failures and power drain complaints.
Wake-on-LAN is a feature that allows systems to be turned on remotely by sending a special signal called a magic packet. This feature must be supported by both the firmware—such as BIOS or U E F I—and the network adapter. Wake-on-LAN is commonly used in enterprise environments for remote patching or maintenance during off-hours. It requires configuration in both the device firmware and the operating system power settings. Technicians should verify that all conditions are met before attempting remote activation.
Power management extends to external devices like USB ports and storage drives. By default, Windows may turn off idle USB devices or hard drives to save power. This setting is found in the advanced section of Power Options. While it reduces energy use, it can cause input lag, disconnections, or delays in file access. In support scenarios, disabling selective suspend or device sleep may be necessary to keep peripherals responsive, especially in systems with docking stations or shared devices.
A common example involves a laptop that will not wake from sleep properly. The user has configured hybrid sleep for faster resume times, but the system either stays black or requires a full reboot. In this case, changing the plan to standard sleep mode can resolve the issue. Updating the device firmware or display drivers may also be necessary, as some combinations do not handle hybrid sleep reliably. Scenarios like this appear on the A Plus exam to test your ability to isolate power-related failures.
Technicians supporting laptops often generate a battery usage report to assess health and performance. Using the command POWERCFG space forward slash BATTERYREPORT creates a detailed HTML file that shows charge cycles, usage patterns, and degradation over time. This report is helpful for identifying early battery failure or capacity loss. Users experiencing short battery life or inconsistent charging can benefit from a thorough analysis using this tool. Battery reports are especially useful in warranty evaluations and asset management.
Another important setting is the behavior assigned to the power button and the laptop lid. These can be configured under Power Options by selecting “Choose what the power buttons do.” You can assign shutdown, sleep, hibernate, or do nothing when these triggers are activated. On laptops, closing the lid often initiates sleep, but technicians may change this for users with docking stations or multiple monitors. Setting this correctly avoids unexpected shutdowns or wake-up failures during travel or presentations.
Fast Startup is a feature introduced in modern Windows versions that speeds up boot times by using a hibernation-style file to preserve the system state. While it improves startup performance, it can cause issues with driver loading, device initialization, or updates. If users experience inconsistent behavior during boot, disabling Fast Startup is a recommended step. This setting is found in the same panel where lid and power button behavior is configured. Turning it off can stabilize systems that behave erratically after shutdown.
To summarize, File Explorer and Power Options represent two core parts of the Windows user experience that technicians must master. File Explorer handles all file-level interactions, including navigation, copying, and file recovery. Power Options manage how the system consumes energy, both while running and when idle. Both areas include configuration details, troubleshooting opportunities, and command-line equivalents. These tools are emphasized throughout the A Plus Core Two exam and must be practiced regularly for real-world support effectiveness.
