One of the most useful ways to organize files in a location is to use different views. The easiest way to do this is to click on the down arrow (▼) next to the Views icon, like this:

Just click on the view you want to change how you see the contents of the large white window. Here’s what each of the views do:

-          Thumbnails: Displays each item as a small picture. If the item is a picture file, the thumbnail will show a preview.

-          Tiles: Displays medium-sized icons for each file. Each file’s icon represents the program used to open it.

-          Icons: Shows each file as a small icon. Each file’s icon represents the program used to open it.

-          List: Shows a list of files in this location.

-          Details: Shows a detailed list for each file. You can click on the column headers (circled in red in the sample below) to sort by that field.

-          Properties: Divides the viewing window into two portions. One portion still displays files in the selected location; the other portion displays properties for the selected file.

-          Preview: This view also splits the viewing window into two portions. This time, the right-hand side shows a preview of the selected document.

You can also change your view by right-clicking in a blank space in the My Computer window and clicking View.

No matter what view you are using, you can also use the Arrange By menu to arrange your files. Here’s what the Arrange By menu looks like:

You can pick any of the values (Name, Size, Type, or Modified) to arrange your files that way. (You may have to right-click again and click Refresh for the view to apply.)