Windows and File Management

Lesson 9

Computer Concepts BASICS

Files, folders, & disks are your key system resources

Windows provides 2 tools for browsing, accessing and managing these resources: My Computer & Windows Explorer

File Management

File Management: the process of organizing and keeping track of your files

Foundation of tools: files, folders, & disks Files: Can include a wide range of objects.

Can be instructions for the computer to operate (executable files or program files)

Can be a text document you read (document file) Can contain an image

File Management

Folders: a container used to store & organize your files. Are stored on a disk & can also have subfolders

Disks: where files, folders, & subfolders are stored. Can include floppy disks, hard disks, CDs, DVDs,

Zip disks, PC Cards, and mobile storage devices (USB flash drives, memory cards or sticks)

The GUI for Windows XP

When you turn your computer on, a symbolic desktop is displayed. Icons represent folders, files, programs & other objects.

The Graphical User Interface allows you to click icons to execute commands

The Windows Desktop

Taskbar: Displays all current “tasks” being used

Desktop Start Button:

Allows access to My Computer & other programs/files

Icons

The My Computer Window

You start My Computer from the Start Menu on the Taskbar.

My Computer Window: contains 2 document folders: Shared Documents & a User Folder

Shared Documents: are available to other users on the network.

User Folder: Your personal folder on the network

The My Computer Window

My Computer Window has 2 types of icons: Disk drive icons & Folder icons

Disk drive icons: identify drives available on your system

Label:•Title Bar•Menu Bar•Toolbar•Address Bar•Disk Drives•Network Drive

The My Computer Window

Common Terms: Arrange in Groups: allows you to group files by

detail, name, size, type, or date modified. Thumbnails: files/folders displayed as a small

image with name underneath Tiles: files/folders displayed as a large icon Icons: displayed as a small image List: displays the contents of folder as a list with a

very small icon to the left of the name Details: contains all information related to the file

(name, type, size, date modified) Filmstrip: Pictures appear in a single row of

thumbnail images

Managing Folders & Files

Use folders to organize all of your files All files & folders must have a name

Make it easy to remember & have it relate to content

Filenames: can have up to 255 characters! Also have 3-letter extensions

Extensions: identify the type of file .doc for MS Word document; .xls for MS

Excel; .ppt for MS PowerPoint

Managing Folders & Files Creating folders:

File, New, Folder Click Make A New Folder link in File & Folders

Task Pane Rt. Click in Window: New, Folder

Rename: Rt. Click, Rename Deleting folders/files:

Rt. Click, Delete Deleted Folders also delete any files inside of it All deleted folders/files go to the Recycle Bin. If Recycle Bin is emptied; it is permanently gone If you want to restore file from RB, you can.

Copying & Moving Files

Source: the file to be copied Destination: the location where the copied or

moved file will reside Copying a file: allows you to create a

duplicate of it in a different location. Original version stays in original location.

Moving a file: allows you to move a file/folder from its original location to a new location.

Expanding & Collapsing Drives & Folders

In Windows Explorer, the Folders Pane displays the folders on your computer in a hierarchy.

The Contents Pane displays the contents of the disk or folder selected in the Folders Pane Folders Pane, Contents Pane, Folders

Getting Help & Support in Windows

Windows provides you with online assistance Windows also provides The Help & Support

feature to assist you with troubleshooting problems

To Access: Start, Help & Support Start, Control Panel, Help (Menu Bar), Help &

Support