Files, folders & search

Common tasks

Browse files and folders — Manage and organize files with the file manager.
Copy or move files and folders — Copy or move items to a new folder.
Delete files and folders — Remove files or folders you no longer need.
Preview files and folders — Quickly show and hide previews for documents, images, videos, and more.
Rename a file or folder — Change file or folder name.
Search for files — Locate files based on file name and type.
Sort files and folders — Arrange files by name, size, type, or when they were changed.

More file-related tasks

Browse files on a server or network share — View and edit files on another computer over FTP, SSH, Windows shares, or WebDAV.
File manager preferences — View and set preferences for the file browser.
File properties — View basic file information, set permissions, and choose default applications.
Find a lost file — Follow these tips if you can’t find a file you created or downloaded.
Open files with other applications — Open files using an application that isn’t the default one for that type of file. You can change the default too.
Purge trash & temporary files — Set how often your trash and temporary files will be cleared from your computer.
Recover a file from the Trash — Deleted files are normally sent to the Trash, but can be recovered.
Share files by email — Easily transfer files to your email contacts from the file manager.
Turn off or limit file history tracking — Stop or limit your computer from tracking your recently-used files.
Write files to a CD or DVD — Put files and documents onto a blank CD or DVD using a CD/DVD burner.

Removable drives and external disks

Open applications for devices or discs — Automatically run applications for CDs and DVDs, cameras, audio players, and other devices and media.
Safely remove an external drive — Eject or unmount a USB flash drive, CD, DVD, or other device.

Backing up

Back up your important files — Why, what, where and how of backups.
Check your backup — Verify your backup was successful.
Frequency of backups — Learn how often you should backup your important files to make sure that they are safe.
Restore a backup — Retrieve your files from a backup.
Where can I find the files I want to back up? — A list of folders where you can find documents, files and settings that you may want to back up.

Tips and questions

Edit folder bookmarks — Add, delete, and rename bookmarks in the file manager.
Hide a file — Make a file invisible, so you cannot see it in the file manager.
Select files by pattern — Press Ctrl+S to select multiple files which have similar names.
Set file permissions — Control who can view and edit your files and folders.
Templates for commonly-used document types — Quickly create new documents from custom file templates.
What is a file with a ~ at the end of its name? — These are backup files. They are hidden by default.