Add Documents Full File Name And Path On The Screen
| Key to Instructions To help readers follow the instructions in this article, we use three different typefaces. Boldface type is used to identify the names of icons, agendas, URLs and application commands. Boldface italics type is used to identify options in a menu. Sans serif type indicates instructions and commands that users should type into the computer. |
Q. I often keep several documents and spreadsheets open at the same time so I can jump quickly from one to the other. Since the files are usually in different folders (subdirectories), this can get confusing. My work would be so much easier if I knew not just the name of the file, but its full path, too. Is there a way for me to display this information so I know where I am?
A. You’re not alone in wishing Windows would provide that information on the screen of an open file. Over the years, many users have urged Microsoft to add the function in its next version. Microsoft has not responded, which irritates many Windows users.
However, don’t fret. The good news is that I have discovered an undocumented trick that, while not perfect, will automatically display the basic information you need—a file’s full path name in the tool bar. It works on all the Windows applications I’ve tested. And it’s easy to do, although you must implement it in each application in which you want it to appear.
Here’s what you do: Click on Tools, Customize to evoke the Customize dialog box. Click on the Commands tab and locate Web under the Categories list. Then, with your mouse, drag the Address box to anywhere on the menu bar.
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| Drag the Address box up to the menu bar. |
I found the most convenient place is to the right of Help , where it doesn’t get in the way of frequently used tools. Finally, click on Close .
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| The full path and file name. |
The function is actually designed to work on Web pages—telling you what page you’re on and providing a list (by enabling the down arrow inside the box) of the pages you’ve recently accessed. If you click on the down arrow, you will not be able to access other files—only Internet sites. Use this technique simply as a way to fully identify the file you’re working on.
