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Location: GUIs > Windows > Chicago Build 73 - 1993



Files and links can be placed on the desktop.

The way you create links (shortcuts) is different. To create a shortcut you right click on a file and click "Link" then right click on the place you want to create the shortcut and select "link here".

The New Folder option does not seem to work and other new items can not be created from this menu.

Interestingly the right click menus on the desktop include a "Task List" option that starts the task manager.


Here is an interesting graphic that appears when "help-about" is selected in some explorer windows. (it doesn't work in some places)

The Chicago Cabinet Explorer is the "big thing" in windows chicago and later versions of  windows. It finally enables users to manage files similar to the way the Macintosh and Lisa were doing it back in 1983.

There are several names used inconsistently for "Explorer" in this version of Chicago. In some places it is "Chicago Cabinet Explorer", "Cabinet Explorer", "Chicago Explorer", just "Explorer", or "Windows Explorer".   There seems to be no relation to the compressed "Cabinet" archive files used by Windows 95 and later. In fact this version of Chicago is not compressed in to installation files. Since it is probably not clear to some people it also has nothing at all to with "Internet Explorer", which is not present at all in Chicago or the original Windows 95.

In this version of Chicago there is no Explorer.exe, it is instead a file called Cab32.exe. The documentation references a 16-bit Cabinet.exe that preceded the 32 bit version.


All the different folder views are present. The control panel is now an explorer window too but has some of the Windows 3.1 control panel items.


Printers and dial up also use a folder view. Apparently this had only just been completed as the documentation included warns to use the old Print Manager instead, but using that from control panel actually displays a message to use the printers folder instead.


Surprisingly the network is explorable with Cabinet Explorer.


"Find" is activated from the second button on tray. It mostly works like final version but there aren't any tabs for advanced search options.


The enhanced help system is present in chicago but most of the new help topics are not present.


This version of Chicago is bundled with most of the Windows 3.1 accessories such as Card file, Terminal, Write, and Paint.