# Open a folder and find your file

Open one project folder and inspect a file without starting an agent turn. The useful result is a confirmed workspace root, an open tab, and recognizable file contents—not merely an editor window.

## Before you start

Use an already installed, running copy of Mandarin and a folder you are authorized to inspect. Preserve existing unsaved text and needed agent review material before changing folders. You do not need a microphone or model connection for this walkthrough.

## Choose the workspace

1. Open **Workspace / Files** in the workbench sidebar.
2. Choose **Open folder** and select your project.
3. Read the displayed root. Check enough of the location to distinguish this project from another checkout with the same folder name.
4. Expand the relevant directory in the tree and select a text file.
5. Read its tab label and a recognizable passage in the editor. Do not send an agent request to establish whether the file opened.

If the sidebar is hidden, press **Command B** on macOS or **Control B** in other supported keyboard configurations. A constrained window can retain the icon rail instead of a full labelled sidebar; this is not evidence that the workspace disappeared.

## Find a passage

With the intended editor tab active, choose **Find in file** (**Command F** on macOS or **Control F** in other supported keyboard configurations). Enter text present in the active file. **Enter** advances to the next match; **Shift Enter** moves to the previous one. **Escape** closes the strip. Verify the active tab before using replacement: this search acts on that file, not every file in the folder.

## Check and recover

Confirm the root, tab, and expected passage together. No agent answer or tool trace should be necessary. If the file cannot be read, retain the error and check the same file in your operating system's file manager before changing permissions. Do not overwrite a file merely to test whether the editor can open it.

Next, read [the editor/agent boundary](/docs/mandarin/editor-and-agent) or use the [keyboard reference](/docs/mandarin/keyboard-reference) for workbench navigation.

For the full replacement workflow, see [find and replace in the active file](/docs/mandarin/find-and-replace-in-the-active-file). Before changing projects, [preserve the old workspace](/docs/mandarin/switch-folders-without-discarding-needed-work).