Print The Contents of Any Directory

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To help readers follow the instructions in this article, we used two different typefaces: Boldface type is used to identify the names of icons, agendas and URLs. Sans serif type shows the names of files and the names of commands and instructions that users should type into the computer.

 

 

PRINT THE CONTENTS OF ANY DIRECTORY 

I archive my computer files onto CDs, and I would like to print a list of the files so I can catalog them easily. But I can’t figure out a way to print a directory listing from Windows Explorer. Can that be done?

In the old days—that is, the old DOS and early Windows days—you could easily print a directory, but, alas, operating system “improvements” have stripped out that convenience. But all is not lost. There are ways to reprogram Windows Explorer to perform the chore, but they are complicated. However, there is a nifty free utility, the Directory Printer, that not only does the job fast and easy but the printout is very customizable. To download the file go to www.karenware.com/powertools/ptdirprn.asp. The utility is loaded with all sorts of bells and whistles that let you print a directory in a wide choice of configurations as the screenshot below shows.

For example, not only can it print the name of a file, it also can include its size, date and time of last modification and attributes (Read-Only, Hidden, System and Archive). And it can even sort the list in any of those choices.