How to print Kindle folder-list on a Windows system - Update

UPDATE 8/4/09 - to original post dated 8/3/09, 2:14 am.
  At the bottom is an addendum due to a question in the Comments section re making the scrolling Kindle-contents list accessible on the Kindle itself -- and also I've added a way to list sub-folder contents of the Kindle for those who make sub-folders for viewing on their PCs, despite the Kindle screen still showing all documents at the top.  The Kindle folders (done while connected to the PC) can help you organize your files in the device even if the Kindle doesn't show the folders.

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The guide below is to a simple and free way to print contents of your Kindle 'documents' folder if you are using Windows.  I verified that this works on my Windows XP.

Windows Explorer file manager doesn't support the printing of a directory/folder listing directly but here's a simple way to do it though you will need to run a DOS statement from Windows.  But that's not difficult.

  Be sure to see if a slash is a backward one "\" or a forward one "/" ... Direction is key.

1.  Connect your Kindle to a computer USB port with the USB cable that is part of the Kindle's power cord.
2.  Use Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer), or whatever file-manager/utility you prefer, to find out what Drive Letter your Kindle is assigned by the system.  Mine is sometimes F:, sometimes G:
  Keep that drive letter in mind.

3.   Go to 'Start' at left-hand bottom corner and click on 'Start'
4.  Then click on "Run"
6.  Type into the resulting box, "cmd" (this runs commands in the DOS window)
7.  You'll see an old-fashioned DOS window and a 'prompt' that looks like "C:\"

In that DOS window:
8.  Type in the Kindle drive-letter (such as F: IF that's what it is).
9.  In other words, you'd type merely F: and press the Enter key.
10. That'll put you in the Kindle drive at the 'root' or top.
11. Type dir and press Enter key just to see folder/directory names.

We're going to create a list of Kindle documents in alpha order.
(I can update this later to show how to do other sort-orders if anyone wants.)

12.Type
  Dir documents  /on > kindlelist.txt  /d
  and press Enter key

That makes an alpha list of your Kindle documents, filenames only.

(Explaining above 'command' -- "/on" means "Order this list by Name" -- and ">" means "Get this listing and put it into a file.")

You can also get Date, Time, and Size but only before the file name:
OPTIONAL: Type
  Dir documents  /on > kindlelistmore.txt
  and press Enter key

So you now have a file of filenames only, or you have two files, one with more info.

At this point, just run whatever editor you use -- Notepad, Microsoft Word --
and then Open f:\documents\kindlelist.txt

  If you made a file with more info, open that one later too.

(Again, this is if  "f:"  is the drive.   It could be g:  or  i:
Make sure you type the drive letter assigned to the Kindle in all of this.)

And now you should see your listing (or first of two separate listings).

From your editor, you can print it.
  You can even copy/paste it into Excel.  Printing will be as normal.

That's it.  You can keep the file on the Kindle or delete it.
  Before you disconnect the Kindle, be sure to click on "Safely Remove" via that green icon at bottom right of your screen and click on 'Stop' the Kindle drive, to be sure your data stays safe.
  You should also close that DOS window too.


TIP: To avoid doing all the above while getting much more flexibility, try Calibre.  It takes a little time to install and set up but will be much more rewarding.

I hope this is useful.  Drop me a comment if something doesn't work for you.
Or even if it does :-).  You can use this for regular Windows directories of course.
 I wish I had a Mac way to do this but maybe Mac users already have that.

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Should work with:
  Kindle DX,  Kindle 2, and  Kindle 1.

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ADDENDUM 8/4/09

You can read the Kindle-list file on the Kindle, if you move or copy the kindlelist.txt file to the 'documents' folder (the filename you choose might be different).

So, once you're done, the last thing in the DOS-window typing sequence above would be:
Type
/>   copy kindlelist*.txt documents
and press Enter key.

That's it!

  An additional idea: Users comfortable with file-handling via Windows Explorer can make folders on the Kindle, via (File) Explorer, and be able to see everything on the Kindle in a more organized way in the Explorer file-manager, but the Kindle Home Screen will still show all of them together.

To make a file listing that also shows any subdirectories/folders under the Kindle's 'documents' folder that you might choose to create -- and their contents -- you'd add a "/s" to include subdirectories:

Type
  Dir documents /on > kindlelist.txt /d /s

And for the FULLER listing with Date/Time/Size, it would be:

Type
  Dir documents /on > kindlelistmore.txt /s

That's assuming those are the filenames people choose to use. Otherwise they substitute the filenames they actually chose.