PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
How do I copy images from hundreds of folders?
Q I keep all my images and videos organised into yearly subfolders within a single parent folder. Each year folder contains folders for individual days. I use this system to store images dating back all the way to 2001. Now I’d like to copy all my images to an external drive so I can view them on a larger screen. Could you explain how I can find and select them all at once so I can copy them?
Paul Brennan
A Windows provides a couple of ways to do this. The first is a simple method that works perfectly well and has a few benefits. The second is marginally more complicated but may be helpful, depending on what type of screen you’re using to view your images.
The first method is simply to copy your entire image folder using a straightforward drag-and-drop operation in File Explorer. You probably know how to do this, but in case you don’t, begin by pressing Windows key+E to open File Explorer. Look for your parent folder, then click it and, while holding down the left mouse button, drag and drop it to your external drive. This will copy the entire folder exactly as it is, with all your photos in their respective folders.
We assume the ‘larger screen’ you mention is a television. Many modern smart TVs offer rudimentary tools for navigating folders. If so, this simple method gives you the best of both worlds, because it copies the photos to your external drive ready to view on your big screen, while keeping your folder structure intact, so it’s easier to find specific images as you browse using your TV’s remote control.
However, it may be that the TV or other device you’re using to view your images doesn’t offer folder navigation, or its system is so cumbersome that sifting through folders is a pain. If so,
