See, if you're anything like me, you routinely access the same handful of folders: one containing your family photos, another with work documents, a third with MP3s, and so on.

Of course, it's not uncommon for those well-worn folders to be scattered across your hard drive, which makes finding them a slow and inconvenient process.

Enter "favorites," Vista's way of putting designated folders at your fingertips. Here's how to create one:

1. Open Windows Explorer. (My favorite method: Tap Windows-E on your keyboard.)

2. Navigate to the folder you want to turn into a favorite.