Direct Folders : The Quickest Way to Access Folders on Windows

Do you download several kinds of files on the Internet? Is your desktop a huge mess because you just dump every downloaded file there?

Are you tired of clicking through several folders just to go to the file you want to upload? Don’t you just wish your web browser was smart enough to remember your most-used folders?

If you answered yes to any of these, then you absolutely need to use Direct Folders.

Direct Folders is a small Windows program designed to help applications that use the “Browse/Open/Save file” dialog box.

The Direct Folders menu can be activated by double clicking an empty area of the window, through the middle mouse button or using a Windows key shortcut of your choice.

My preferred setting is a simple double click with the left mouse button.

Note: You double click on an empty area where the mouse is not pointing to any file or folder.

You can also set Direct Folders to run automatically on Windows startup.

The Info panel is enabled by default to show you the full path to the folder you’re currently viewing.

Adding your favorites

Direct Folders runs in the background. You can load up the settings by clicking on its icon found in the tray and selecting Configure.

Here is where you add your favorite folders. The submenu option offers greater organization (especially if you have a lot of favorites) but it’s only available in the Pro (paid) version of the application.

Viewing recently-used folders

Direct Folders also gives you a way to quickly go to your most recently-used folders.

Resizing the file dialog

One extra feature that you might want to use is the option to set the initial size of the File dialog box.

This is especially useful if you find yourself always resizing the dialog box to see more files.

Download Direct Folders

Direct Folders is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7. The free version includes all the features demonstrated in this article.