IF01403
Windows
Explorer
Windows
Explorer is an application that is part of modern versions of the Microsoft
Windows operating system that provides a graphical user interface for accessing
the file systems. It is the component of the operating system that presents the
user interface on the monitor and enables the user to control the computer. It
is sometimes referred to as the Windows GUI shell, or simply "Explorer".
The Windows
Explorer debuted in Windows 95 as a replacement for the older Windows 3.x File
Manager. It could be accessed by double-clicking the new My Computer desktop
icon, or launched from the new Start Menu (which succeeded the earlier Program
Manager). There is also a shortcut key combination - Windows key + E. Successive
versions of Windows (and in some cases, Internet Explorer) introduced new
features and capabilities, removed other features, and generally progressed from
being a simple file system navigation tool into a task-based file management
system.
While
"Windows Explorer" is a term most commonly used to describe the file management
aspect of the operating system, the Explorer process also houses the operating
system's search functionality and File Type associations (based on filename
extensions), and is responsible for displaying the desktop icons and wallpaper,
the Start Menu, the task bar, and the Control Panel. Collectively, these
features are known as the Windows Shell.
Did this Article Give you the
Information You Were Looking For?
If you found this information useful,
please
