Windows Tutorial 2 Organizing Your Files

1. Windows Tutorial 2Organizing Your Files

2. Objectives • Develop file management strategies • Explore files and folders • Create, name, rename, copy, move, and delete: • Folders • Files • Work with compressed files • Work with Folder Views and File Extensions • Work with file and folder attributes New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

3. Organizing Files and Folders • A file is a collection of data that has a name and is stored on media (hard drive, USB drive, etc.) • Files are organized by storing them in folders ( Documentsis a folder example ). • Think of a folder as a container. It may be empty or it may contain files and/or other folders. • Think of a disk as a device specific container for organizing files and folders. • Storage media has a root directory identified in the operating system by a drive letter ( C:, D:, F:, etc. ) Disk Type ( device type ) Sample Drive Letter ( top-level folder name ) • USB drive F: • Optical disc (DVD) E: • Optical disc (CD) D: • Hard disk C: • 3.5” floppy disk A: • Another word for a folder which is often used is directory. • Folder | subfolder • Directory | subdirectory • Root Directory ( F:\, E:\, D:\, C:\, A:\, etc. ). This represents the highest level in the folder hierarchy. Files or top-level folders may be stored here. New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

4. Devices and Drive Letters New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

5. Organizing Files and Folders • Windows organizes folders and files in a hierarchy or file system • Windows stores the folders and important files it needs to turn on the computer in its root directory [ C:\ ] • The file system for any storage device used with a Windows system has a root directory [ represented by a single backslash ( \ ) ]. • To refer to the root directory for a specific device, Windows uses its device letter followed by the backslash ( A:\, C:\, D:\, etc ). • Folders stored within other folders are called subfolders.Remember that the terms directory and subdirectory may be used as well. These terms were more commonly used in DOS. New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

6. Organizing Files and Folders New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

7. Exploring Files and Folders New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

8. Exploring Files and Folders • Libraries contain links to folders and files that are physically stored in other locations • The My Documents folder is not stored in the Documents library, but a link to the folder appears New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

9. Using the Search Box to Find Files • The Search box appears next to the Address bar in any folder window New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

10. Managing Files and Folders • Keep folder names short and familiar • Develop standards for naming folders • Create subfolders to organize related files New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

11. Creating a Folder in a Folder Window • In the Navigation pane, click the drive or folder in which you want to create a folder. • Click New folder on the toolbar. • Type a name for the folder, and then press the Enter key. Or • Right-click a folder in the Navigation pane or right-click a blank area in the folder window, point to New, and then click Folder. • Type a name for the folder, and then press the Enter key. New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

12. Moving a File or Folder in a Folder Window • Right-click and drag the file or folder you want to move to the destination folder. • Click Move here on the shortcut menu. Or • Right-click the file or folder you want to move, and then click Cut on the shortcut menu. (You can also click the file or folder and then press the Ctrl+X keys.) • Navigate to and right-click the destination folder, and then click Paste on the shortcut menu. (You can also click the destination folder and then press the Ctrl+V keys.) New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

13. Copying a File or Folder in a Folder Window • Right-click and drag the file or folder you want to move to the destination folder. • Click Copy here on the shortcut menu. Or • Right-click the file or folder you want to copy, and then click Copy on the shortcut menu. (You can also click the file or folder and then press the Ctrl+C keys.) • Navigate to and right-click the destination folder, and then click Paste on the shortcut menu. (You can also click the destination folder and then press the Ctrl+V keys.) New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

14. Managing Files and Folders New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

15. Guidelines for Naming Files • Use common names • Don’t change the file extension • When saving a file in an application, don't type the extension, let the application provide it. • Find a comfortable balance between too short and too long • For files that will be stored on a network, use underscores instead of spaces to separate words. New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

16. Deleting Files and Folders • Click the file or folder you want to delete. (If you want to delete more than one file or folder, select them first.) • Press the Delete key. • Click Yes. Or • Right-click the file or folder you want to delete. (If you want to delete more than one file or folder, select them first.) • Click Delete on the shortcut menu. • Click Yes. New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

17. Working with New Files • Creating a File • Start a program and then save the file in a folder on your computer • Saving a File • When you save a new file, you use the Save As dialog box to specify a filename and a location for the file • The default is to save files in the Documents Library • Opening a File • If you want to open a file in a running program, you use the Open dialog box, which is a folder window with additional controls for opening a file New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

18. Refining the Organization of Files • As you create files using programs, save them in an appropriate folder and use filenames that help you identify the file contents • Sortingfiles and folders means to list them in a particular order • You can filterthe contents of a folder to display only files and folders with certain characteristics • A group displays a sequential list of all the files in a folder, grouped according to a file detail New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

19. Refining the Organization of Files New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

20. Refining the Organization of Files • Set the view to Details (if it is not already) • Move the mouse pointer over a column heading and look for a drop down arrow to appear • Click the drop down area to see what filtersare available (depends on what the contents of the folder are) New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

21. Refining the Organization of Files • Right-click in an open area of the window • choose Group By • Select at attribute to group by New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

22. Customizing a Folder Window • Organize • Layout • Folder and Search Options New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

23. Customizing a Folder Window New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

24. Customizing a Folder Window • Click the Organize button on the toolbar, click Folder and search options, and then click the View tab New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

25. Working with Compressed Folders • If you transfer files from one location to another (such as from hard disk to removable disk or vice versa, or from one computer to another via e-mail) you can store the files in a compressed (zipped) folder • Compressed (zipped) folders take up less disk space • You can create a compressed folder using the Send to Compressed (zipped) folder command on the shortcut menu of one or more selected files or folders • You can compress additional files or folders by dragging them into the compressed folder New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

26. Working with Compressed Folders New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7

27. Working with Compressed Folders • Open a compressed folder by double-clicking it • When you extract files, Windows 7 uncompresses and copies files to the location you specify, preserving the files in their original folder structure • To extract, right-click the compressed file and choose Extract All… New Perspectives on Microsoft Windows 7