Getting a printable list of files in DOS

Computer Basics, Tips and Tricks

Question: Could you help me find a way to print a list of files in a Windows folder? I have about 800 MP3 files in a folder, and I want to create a printable list of them. There was a way of creating a text document of all the files in a folder, but I can’t remember how to do so. – J.N.

Answer: The only way to print so many files is through DOS.

DOS, for those new to the Microsoft world, means Disk Operating System. It is a “behind the scenes” access to your computer. You can access DOS by going to the Start button, and navigating to the Programs menu, and then to the DOS Prompt (or Command Prompt) applet. That will open a window on with a black background. Next…

  1. Once in DOS, go to the directory where the files exist. If it is called MP3 and is located on the Windows desktop, type cd windows/desktop/MP3. CD is DOS lingo for “change directory”.
  2. The DOS prompt should now look like this: C:/WINDOWS/DESKTOP/MP3>
  3. Now type the following: dir > mp3list.txt (DIR is DOS lingo for “list the files” and the “>” symbol means “create a new file with the screen output”.) I’ve used mp3list.txt as the filename, but you can call it anything you like.
  4. Press the Enter key. That text file, mp3list.txt in this example, will appear in the folder. Print it with Notepad or a word processing program.

There’s also a piece of software called Directory Printer 3.0 that does a great job of this for you. You can download a 30-day demo of the product from this page.

Another software title is Godfather and this one is free. It is great for organizing, renaming and listing your music collection.