PC printing Q: How do I print a list of files from Windows Explorer?

Factual Questions
1

GIVEN: I’ve ripped a lot of my audio CDs into MP3 format and burned these files onto CD-ROMs so I can take 'em into the field and listen to 'em on a laptop.

GIVEN: I have 14 CD-ROMs full of these things. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 9.8Gigs of music.

GIVEN: I have a less than perfect labelling system (i.e. Trip’s Music I, Trip’s Music II etc. . . .)

NEED: I can view all of these files easily in Windows Explorer (with the windows key - “e” function), but I need to print them so I don’t have to flip through 14 CD-ROMs just to find one particular freakin’ song.

Is there a trick or some feature that will allow me to do this? I really want to catalog my music in a printout, so I don’t have to waste my time. . .

Tripler
Now if I can just find the CDs to begin with, but that’s another problem.

2

There are a lot of programs out that work pretty well try this one http://www.stgsys.com/fpp.asp one of the few shareware programs I’ve actually bought.
If that is not what you are looking for you can always try editing the registry. http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,14312,00.asp

3

When I want to print out a directory, I drop down to dos to pipe a directory command to a text file. eg;

DIR C:\MP3 /B >list.txt

(The /B switch is for “brief” output-- filenames only, no extension or details.)

Then just open the text file with whatever WP proggy you use, edit it if you want to, and print.

4

Oh yeah, the > pipes to output to a text file, which you can name whatever you want, I just picked “list.txt” at random.

If you are unfamiliar with DOS, you can get more detail on the DIR command here. If you don’t have a shortcut to DOS on your desktop/start menu, select “RUN” from the start menu and enter COMMAND to get a DOS prompt.

5

Larry,

I’m pretty familiar with DOS. Up until 5 years ago, I was still using DOS 2.06.

Anyway, I assume I have to run the command within the directory of all the songs? Is there a batch command to cover multiple directories, or will this suffice?

Tripler
I’m gonna try it right now. Thanks!

6

not sure if this would work for the type of print out you want, but with win explorer open to the files, you can press alt+prnt screen to capture the window. Open up word and do a paste command. Then Print as usual.

7

Oh. My. God.

**Larry, ** I can use this. I just found that if I export it into a text file like you say, I can cut and paste it into Excel, aphabetize it, and do what I like.

My next step? Importing it into Access so I have a single, solid database.

You sir, are my new hero. :: salute ::

Tripler
My geek powers are no match for any mere mortal.

8

DIR /S /B will list files in the sub-directories as well as the current directory. Maybe that’ll be enough?