# Easy(?) computer Q **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507 "2004-11-18T18:43:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/1 "2004-11-18T18:43:24Z")
How do I print a listing of a directory in XP 😕 a buddy wants a list of all my (legally obtained :rolleyes: ) mp3’s… but I can’t figure out a way to print out the directory (short of typing it all out in a text file or ‘print screening’ 30 times… :smack: ) … Can anyone help? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/2 "2004-11-18T18:53:06Z")
if you have Winamp - go to the playlist/misc options/generate html playlist. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/3 "2004-11-18T18:53:50Z")
You can open a DOS prompt window by typing “command” in the Start-\>Run: dialog, and then redirect the output of the **dir** command using the greater-than sign, as follows: ```auto **C:\MP3\>** dir > songlist.txt ``` Also, many software packages like WinAmp can also generate a playlist as a .TXT or HTML file. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/4 "2004-11-18T18:58:49Z")
To add to what **Jurph** said, do “dir /?” to get options of how to display, hide or sort various details. ---
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/5 "2004-11-18T19:10:32Z")
> [@Jurph](#): > > You can open a DOS prompt window by typing “command” in the Start-\>Run: dialog, and then redirect the output of the **dir** command using the greater-than sign, as follows: > > ```auto > > **C:\MP3\>** dir > songlist.txt > > ``` > > Also, many software packages like WinAmp can also generate a playlist as a .TXT or HTML file. that did the trick, Thanx! 🙂 … I ~was~ using Winamp 3 :smack: …upgraded to Winamp 5 seconds ago… however… I could not find a way to save the playlist as a .txt file or .html file… the file it saves it as IS readable w/ Wordpad… but your method makes a much easier to read file. Thanx again! ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/6 "2004-11-18T19:51:51Z")
At [karenware.com](http://karenware.com) there is a freeware directory printer. That works well, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/7 "2004-11-18T20:28:38Z")
There is also a great free program called, “rjhExtensions” that gives you to ability to right click on a folder and select “print directory list”. It will also give you options for saving the directory list as well as renaming multiple files into sequential order, file encryptor, file duplicator, file shredder, dos prompt (to the folder you are in) and path to clipboard. It’s a great little utility and highly configurable. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/8 "2004-11-18T21:18:02Z")
Another way to do it with DOS: C:\whatever\music \> tree /f \> files.txt It’s like dir, but a more purty. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/9 "2004-11-18T21:21:49Z")
Hey, wow, I never knew about that command! That’s fantastic!!! (and boy does it send me back to reminiscences of messing about with ASCII codes to make pretty lines & boxes…) ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/10 "2004-11-18T22:09:36Z")
How about printing other lists in Windows? Your Favorites, the dropdown list of recent site visits at the Address line in the browser, etc. Can’t use the Printscreen key, can’t highlight and copy–can’t search either. Signed, grumpy prior DOS user ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/11 "2004-11-19T02:13:41Z")
Favorites lists are shortcut files on yor harddrive. Look under the Documents And Settings folder and your name, and you should find them. Then you can use the redirected dir technique. The bare switch is a winner: C:\Music\>Dir \*.mp3 /b \> List.txt ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/12 "2004-11-19T02:16:15Z")
Sure you can! Dropdown list of recently visited URLs is in a registry key; go into **regedit** and use the search function to find the string you’re looking for. You can export a group of registry keys as a .TXT from the file menu. Your favorites are stored at \*\*C:\DOCUME~1\USERNAME\FAVOR~1\*\*, where I’ve assumed “C” is your system drive. Typing “tree” gets you a list of your favorites (although they’re sorted by the name you give them, not by the address they point to), and from there you can pipe ( \>, not | ) them to a file. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easy-computer-q/275507/13 "2004-11-19T02:31:02Z")
> [@MaryEFoo](#): > > How about printing other lists in Windows? Your Favorites, the dropdown list of recent site visits at the Address line in the browser, etc. Can’t use the Printscreen key, can’t highlight and copy–can’t search either. IE stores its favorites in a folder. In WinNT/2K/XP type **cd %userprofile%\favorites** then run the dir commands other people have posted. In Win9x use **cd c:\windows\favorites** or equivalent. The address dropdown list is stored in the registry key **HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs**. You can dump this to a text file with the command **regedit /E c:\list.txt "HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs"**