How to Print a File List in Windows XP

Sometimes, you may want to see exactly what you have in a directory stored in Windows XP. Doing so is easy: just open the folder and take a peek. If you want to show that list to someone else, who doesn't have access to the directory, you may want to print a file list. There are a few ways to do this, but each will yield the same result.

Things You'll Need

• Windows XP
• Administrator privileges

Instructions

Use a Command Line to Print a File List in Windows XP

1. Start Windows in your normal fashion.

2. Click "Start" and "All Programs." Follow up by clicking "Accessories" and "Command Prompt."

3. Begin by typing "cd\" (don't include the quotation marks) at the command prompt and pressing "Enter." This will return you to the root directory for the entire hard drive (most likely "C:>").

4. Type "cd\" again, but this time follow the cd\ command with the name of the directory from which you want to print a file list. For example, you would type "cd\Windows" to open the Windows directory.

5. Type "dir > filename.txt". Feel free to change the word "filename" to whatever you'd like to name your file list.

6. Note that you can set the file list you print to show only the file names by using the "/b" command line parameter. In this way, directories, extensions and file sizes would be omitted from the final output.

7. Return to Windows from the command prompt and head to the directory in which you produced the file list. It will appear in the same directory in which you wanted to have a file list created.

8. Double-click on the text file to open it.

9. Press "Ctrl-P" to send the file list to the default printer.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that you can always email text files from one user to another without having to worry about producing a true hard copy. This is valuable for when you need to troubleshoot problems and assistance isn't nearby.

• Be very careful when working on the command line if you don't know what you're doing. There is the potential to cause some glitches in the software with mistakes in the commands you enter. While it's unlikely to occur for smaller modifications, it is better to be safe than sorry.

Resources

• Advanced Windows topics at WindowsDevCenter.com