Adding the Print Directory Feature to Windows Explorer

Adding the Print Directory Feature to Windows Explorer

From time to time we all need to dig into some directories to find a file, or see if a file has been added or deleted, and sometimes it would be real handy to be able to click on a folder (directory) and print out its contents for closer review. With this little tweak, you can do just that. Why Microsoft didn’t automatically add this feature to Windows Explorer is unknown, but it will make your directory and file comparisons a lot easier. Below you will find a step-by-step method to add the print directory feature, and enable printing of a directory listing from within Windows Explorer.

To add the print directory feature to Windows Explorer, follow these steps:

1. Open Notepad, and then copy and paste the following text into Notepad:

         @echo off
         dir %1 /-p /o:gn > "%temp%\Listing"
         start /w notepad /p "%temp%\Listing"
         del "%temp%\Listing"
         exit

2. Save the file as “Prin.bat” (without the quotation marks) in the Windows directory, and then close Notepad.
3. Start Windows Explorer, click Tools, and then click Folder Options.
4. Click the File Types tab, and then click File Folder.
5. Click Edit, and then click New.
6. In the Action box, type “Print Directory Listing” (without the quotation marks).
7. In “Application used to perform action”, click Prin.bat, and then click OK.
8. Click OK, click Apply, and then click OK.
9. Open Windows Explorer, right-click the folder that you would like to print a directory listing of, and then click Print Directory Listing.

Notice: Windows® 95, Windows® 98, Windows® NT, Windows® 2000 and
Microsoft® Office are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation.