List of files in a directory

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?

--
Tim Slattery
tim at risingdove dot com

Tim Slattery wrote:

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I should clarify that requirement. She needs a list of filenames that
she can paste into a text editor or other program. Just displaying the
filenames in Windows Explorer doesn't do the trick. PowerShell is nice
because once the list is displayed, youi can easily select and copy
it, then paste it whereever it's needed.

What I'd like to see - but what doesn't exist - is, say, an option on
the right-click menu you get when you click the directory name that
would put a list of filenames on the clipboard.

--
Tim Slattery
tim at risingdove dot com

on 10/6/2014, Tim Slattery supposed :
My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

At the START screen just type "cmd" (without the quotes).

"Tim Slattery" wrote in message
...
My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?

--
Tim Slattery
tim at risingdove dot com

There's a free program I use on an XP system called "rjh Extensons".
Right-click on a folder and one of the option is to "Save Directory
List" which will create a text file in that directory with a list of all
files in the directory. Search for the program and see if it works on
your Win8 system.

On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:21:56 -0400, Tim Slattery
wrote:

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.


Sure it does. Press Windows key + R, and type CMD.



No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?


Here are five ways that work in all recent Windows versions:

1. Select all the files, press and hold the shift key, then
right-click and select Copy as path.

This copies the list of file names to the clipboard.

Paste the results into any document such as a txt or doc file & print
that.

2. Go to a command prompt and issue the command
dir [drive:folder] c:\tempfilename (you can use any name and put it
in any folder you want)
Then open notepad, open tempfilename, and print it from there.

3. Write (for example in Notepad) a 1-line text file:
DIR %1 /O LPT1:
Save it as "printdir.bat" in the "Send To" folder.
Then, to print list of files in any folder, right-click that folder
and select Send to | printdir.bat
To include subfolders, change the command to DIR %1 /O/S LPT1:

4. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q321379 and
follow the instructions there.

5. Download and use any of the several freeware/shareware utilities
that can do this, such as the popular
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptdirprn.asp

On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:48:04 -0400, Seth
wrote:

on 10/6/2014, Tim Slattery supposed :
My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

At the START screen just type "cmd" (without the quotes).

Lest Tim reply that he should be allowed to call it by the name that he has
always known, going to the START screen and typing "command prompt" will
also make it available. In fact, on my system, it's already visible in the
list of results after typing "com", and it becomes the only application
result at "comm".

On 10/06/2014 12:21 PM, Tim Slattery wrote:
My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?

Bare with me, I get long winded sometimes. :-)


I've had this for years and got it from some google search but my poor
documentation practices provides me no URL to point you to. So the only
way to give it to you is to do it manually here.

If you know how to do this, it's simple. Paste the following lines
between the dashes into a text file and call it "Directory_Print.reg":
----------------------------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Directory Listing]
"Icon"="C:\\Users\\Alan\\My Icons\\WYSIWYG\\source.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Directory Listing\command]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\printdir.bat \"%1\""
----------------------------------------------------
Note: you have to change the path to a valid icon. Remember to
maintain the double backslash and not singles.

Now paste the following lines between dashes into a text file and call
it "printdir.bat"
------------------------------------------------------
cd "%1"
dir /on "%temp%\printdir.txt"
start notepad "%temp%\printdir.txt"
-----------------------------------------------------
And save this file in C:\windows.


Note that when you save these files you more than likely right-clicked
somewhere and doing a new-textfile, so when you save these and give
them the indicated names you should get the warning that you are
changing the extension. And yes, you do want to. They should not be
called printdir.bat.txt

Once the printdir.bat is copied to c:\windows, just double click the
..reg file you first created and it will install that registry addition.

You should now be able to right-click on any folder and it will give you
a listing for that folder.

This is not brain surgery, the .reg files creates a rightclick entry in
the right spot, named 'Directory Listing' (that last part of the
registry key), this makes the right click launch the printdir.bat and
you can read what it does. It moves to the folder you clicked on, does
a dir command into a text file and then opens notepad and displays it.
You can now clean it up, print it, save it etc. But remember you use
the same temp file on every directory print, so save as a new name in a
better folder as temp is cleared by some utilities. And you can't do
two at a time since they would both use the same file and goodness knows
what that would do. (well I do but let's skip that part).

You can edit the printdir batch file too.
dir /s /on will display subdirectories too.
dir /b /on will display only the bare file names.

As is the /on sorts on name single folder.

It's just that simple. Bad side of this is: it's not flexible to a
novice user to change output. I guess you could tweak the batch file
to do prompting and then print out in different formats. I just don't
use this enough to make it worth my time. This patch started on my
windows 7 machine and as I'm typing this in Linux I can't tell if it's
installed in my win8.1 machine (dual boot and all). I can only see
that it's in the "reload win 8" folder in my docs. So I guess I
installed it.

Have fun.

On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:46:40 -0400, Tim Slattery
wrote in

Tim Slattery wrote:

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I should clarify that requirement. She needs a list of filenames that
she can paste into a text editor or other program. Just displaying the
filenames in Windows Explorer doesn't do the trick. PowerShell is nice
because once the list is displayed, youi can easily select and copy
it, then paste it whereever it's needed.

What I'd like to see - but what doesn't exist - is, say, an option on
the right-click menu you get when you click the directory name that
would put a list of filenames on the clipboard.

If you are going to be doing command console work regularly, take a
look at TCC/LE in the middle of this page:

http://jpsoft.com/take-command-reviews.html

it's free.
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

On 10/6/2014 12:21 PM, Tim Slattery wrote:
My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?

To get the old fashion command prompt in Windows 8.1. go to the Run
application, (you can search for it)

In the Run windows type CMD and hit enter. This brings up the
traditional command promp and it accepts most traditional DOS commands.


I work for a company some years ago that was very proud of the computer
security. I could do any thing I wanted on thier system from an old
fashioned batch file with batch commands.

On 10/6/2014 1:01 PM, Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

1. Select all the files, press and hold the shift key, then
right-click and select Copy as path.

This copies the list of file names to the clipboard.

Paste the results into any document such as a txt or doc file & print
that.


Thanks for the suggestions. While I don't do it frequently that is a
lot simpler that the old cmd dir /s text.tex

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:21:56 -0400, Tim Slattery
wrote:

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.


Sure it does. Press Windows key + R, and type CMD.



No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

Something as simple as "dir /b" doesn't work. You have to use hyphens
for the arguments, and single-letter args don't seem to be there. You
do get a list of options when you type the hyphen, which is a big
help. The equivalent to the above command is "dir -Name". To exclude
directories, it was "dir /a-d /b". Now it's "dir -File -Name".

Anyway....is there an easier way to get a listing of files within a
directory?


Here are five ways that work in all recent Windows versions:

1. Select all the files, press and hold the shift key, then
right-click and select Copy as path.

This copies the list of file names to the clipboard.

Paste the results into any document such as a txt or doc file & print
that.

2. Go to a command prompt and issue the command
dir [drive:folder] c:\tempfilename (you can use any name and put it
in any folder you want)
Then open notepad, open tempfilename, and print it from there.

3. Write (for example in Notepad) a 1-line text file:
DIR %1 /O LPT1:
Save it as "printdir.bat" in the "Send To" folder.
Then, to print list of files in any folder, right-click that folder
and select Send to | printdir.bat
To include subfolders, change the command to DIR %1 /O/S LPT1:

4. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;Q321379 and
follow the instructions there.

5. Download and use any of the several freeware/shareware utilities
that can do this, such as the popular
http://www.karenware.com/powertools/ptdirprn.asp

All good suggestions. I usually refrain from suggesting the one's that
after use end up with subsequent replies 'How do I remove the path name
and just keep the file name?"

--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps

On 2014-10-06 12:21, Tim Slattery wrote:

My wife wants to get a list of files in a directory on her new Windows
8.1 machine. Like all Windows versions, there's not an easy way to do
that.

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.

No "Accessories", it's been renamed and there's no "Command Prompt"
there. There are three versions of "Power Shell", which is
interesting. PowerShell IDE (I think) looks like a nice more-or-less
familiar environment, but...

The Command Prompt is under the "Windows System" category on that
horrible start Screen that Win8 uses...

--
! _\|/_ Sylvain /
! (o o) Member-+-David-Suzuki-Foundation/EFF/Planetary-Society-+-
oO-( )-Oo Sex is not the answer, it's the question. Yes is the answer.

On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:38:43 -0700, "...winston?"
wrote:

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Here are five ways that work in all recent Windows versions:


All good suggestions. I usually refrain from suggesting the one's that
after use end up with subsequent replies 'How do I remove the path name
and just keep the file name?"

Is there a text editor that doesn't handle that with ease?

On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 12:21:56 -0400, Tim Slattery wrote:

I directed her to the command prompt, checking it out on my Vista
machine: Start|Accessories|Command Prompt.

Doesn't exist on Win8.1.


It exists, and it is easy to open a command prompt in a particular
directory.

Hold down the SHIFT key and right-click on the directory's icon or
name. You will see an entry

"Open command window here"

in the directory's right-click context menu.



--
Kind regards
Ralph

Char Jackson wrote:
On Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:38:43 -0700, "...winston?"
wrote:

Ken Blake, MVP wrote:

Here are five ways that work in all recent Windows versions:


All good suggestions. I usually refrain from suggesting the one's that
after use end up with subsequent replies 'How do I remove the path name
and just keep the file name?"

Is there a text editor that doesn't handle that with ease?


Most text editors will perform the task, probably a higher percentage
than the per cent of users that don't know how to perform the task.

--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps