Computing Fundamentals Module Lesson 10 — File Management with Windows Explorer Computer Literacy BASICS

Computing Fundamentals ModuleLesson 10 — File Management with

Windows Explorer

Computer Literacy BASICS

Computer Literacy BASICS2

Objectives

Create folders and subfolders. Recognize and distinguish between different

types of icons. Understand how to run an application or

open a document file from Explorer. Name and rename files and folders. Delete folders and restore (undelete) a

deleted folder from the Recycle Bin.


Objectives (cont.)

Manage the display and organization of files. Copy, delete, and move files from one folder

to another. Use Disk Cleanup to clear your disk of

unnecessary files. Run Disk Defragmenter to make your

computer operate more efficiently.


Vocabulary

8.3 alias Application file icons Copy Destination Disk Cleanup Disk Defragmenter Document file icons

Extension Filename Fragmented files Move Parent folder Source Subfolder


Folders and Subfolders

Folders are used to organize data on your disk. Folders are represented by icons that actually

look like file folders. When you want to create a folder to store files,

you must first decide where you want to place the new folder.

To create a subfolder, your decision is in which parent folder the new subfolder will be placed.


Creating Folders

To create a folder: Select the location where

you want the new folder. Click New on the File

menu in Explorer and then click the Folder option in the submenu.

A new folder icon will then appear in the display area.

New folder icon


Recognizing Types of Icons

Location icons are graphic images that represent drives, disks, or locations, such as My Computer.

Folder icons look like manila folders, and some folders give a clue to their contents.

Application file icons look like a miniature version of the program icon or a window.

Document file icons are represented by a piece of paper with a graphic indicating the type of document.


Application File Icons

Double-clicking an application file icon in the contents pane of Explorer will start the application program.

Or select the file icon and then click Open on the File menu in Explorer to start the application.


Document File Icons

When you create a document file, you associate that file with an application.

In Windows XP, this means you create a link between a document and an application.

The link lets you open a document file directly by double-clicking the document file icon in Explorer or on your desktop—you do not need to open the application first.


Naming Folders and Files

Files and folders use the same file-naming conventions.

DOS and early versions of Windows used a file-naming convention known as 8.3.

– The “8” part means that the file’s name could be no more than eight characters in length.

– The “3” part refers to the file extension, the three-character identifier following the period separator in a filename.

– jlscocon.doc is a filename that uses the 8.3 naming convention.


Naming Folders and Files (cont.)

Long filenames (up to 255 characters) are allowed in newer versions of Windows, beginning with Windows 95.

You can use spaces and some punctuation marks in long filenames.

– JL Smith & Company Contract is an example of an acceptable long filename.

Some long filenames also use extensions longer than three characters, such as .jpeg or .html.


Compatibility Issues with 8.3and Long Filenames

Programs designed for any Windows system prior to Windows 95 do not recognize long filenames.

For those programs, Windows automatically assigns an 8.3 alias, a short version of the long filename.

When you open a file with a long filename in a program that doesn’t recognize long filenames, the long filename could get lost.

Utility programs that back up data files may not support long filenames, and using such programs can destroy the long filenames. The backup files may not be accessible.


Renaming a Folder

To rename a folder in Explorer once it has been created and named:

Click the folder to select it, press the F2 key, and key the new name in the text box.

Or click the folder to select it, choose Rename from the File menu, and key the new name in the text box.


More Ways to Rename a Folder

Or right-click the folder name, choose Rename on the shortcut menu, and key the new name in the text box.

Or click the Folders button on the toolbar to access the My Computer tasks bar. Then click the folder to select it, choose Rename this folder in the File and Folder Tasks panel, and then key the new name in the text box.


Deleting a Folder

To delete a folder you no longer need: Click the folder to select it, and then select

Delete from the File menu. Or click the Folders button on the toolbar, click

the folder you want to delete, and then select Delete this folder from the File and Folder Tasks panel.


More Ways to Delete a Folder

Or click the folder to select it and then press the Delete key.

Or right-click the folder and select Delete on the shortcut menu.

When you delete a folder or subfolder, you also delete all the files within it.


Confirm Delete Message Box

Windows displays a Confirm Folder Delete message box to make sure you really want to delete the folder.


Selecting Files

Before you can move or copy a file, you must first select it.

To select a single file, click it. To select two or more adjacent files, click the first file

in the series, press and hold down the Shift key, and then click the last file in the series.

To select nonadjacent files, click the first file to select it, press and hold down the Ctrl key, and then click the other files to be selected.


Copying and Moving Files

Files can be easily moved or copied from their current location (the source) to a new location (the destination) on the same or a different drive.

When moving or copying files (dragging the source file to its destination), both the source and destination should be visible.

You move or copy folders the same way as you move or copy files.


Copying Files

Copying a file places a duplicate of the file in a new location; the original file remains in place in the source location.

When you copy a file or folder in Windows Explorer, you must hold down the Ctrl key as you drag the object from the source to the destination to leave a copy in the source.– In My Computer, you do not need to press any key

while dragging to copy a file from the source to the destination.


Moving Files

Moving a file removes it from its original location and places it in a new location, the destination.

In My Computer, you must hold down the Shift key as you drag the file to move it without leaving a copy in the source location.– In Windows Explorer, you do not need to press

any key while dragging to move a file from the source to the destination.


Copying and Moving Files

An alternate method of moving and copying files is to drag the file using the right mouse button.

When the file is dropped in the destination, a shortcut menu appears.

You can then click on your preference in the menu: Copy Here or Move Here.


Confirm File Replace Message Box

If you attempt to copy or move a file to a destination where an identically named file exists, Windows displays the Confirm File Replace message box. Click Yes to replace the existing file; click No to cancel the copy or move.


Deleting Files

You delete files using the same methods you learned to delete folders:

Select the file and then press Delete. Or right-click the file to open the shortcut menu

and then click Delete to quickly delete a file. Or use the Delete command on the File menu or

the Delete this file task on the My Computer tasks bar to delete a file.


Confirm File Delete

You will see a Confirm File Delete message box when you delete a file, just as you do when you delete a folder.

Click Yes in the dialog box to continue the process of deleting the file.

But if you delete a file by mistake, remember you can still recover it from the Recycle Bin.


Restoring a Deleted File

Files in the Recycle Bin can be restored if they were deleted in error.

You must restore a file before the Recycle Bin is emptied.

Emptying the Recycle Bin deletes the files and folders permanently. Once the bin is emptied, files cannot be recovered.


Using the Recycle Bin toRecover a File

To restore a file in the Recycle Bin: Double-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop

to open the Recycle Bin window. Then right-click the file or folder you wish to

restore and choose Restore from the shortcut menu.

Use the Restore all items option on the Recycle Bin task panel to restore all the files and folders in the bin to their original locations.


Hard Drive Management

Windows uses your hard disk for temporary storage, and many application programs create temporary files on the hard disk.

A hard disk may have many files that are not needed.

Your system may be slow in responding or you may have problems running programs and opening documents if you do not maintain your hard drive.


Disk Maintenance Tools

You can regain disk space using system tools designed to eliminate unneeded files.

Windows comes with system tools to help maintain your hard disk drive, including– Disk Cleanup– Disk Defragmenter

You can open both of these programs from the Start menu.


Disk Cleanup

To open Disk Cleanup from the Start menu, point to All Programs, select Accessories, choose the System Tools option, and then click Disk Cleanup.

The Disk Cleanup dialog box opens and provides information about how much disk space you can gain by cleaning up the disk.


Deleting Unnecessary Files

The Disk Cleanup program searches your drive and then shows you temporary files and unnecessary program files you can safely delete.

You can direct Disk Cleanup to delete some or all of those files.

The More Options tab in the Disk Cleanup dialog box provides more suggestions about files you may not need on your system.


Use Disk Defragmenter toEliminate Fragmented Files

When you save a file, Windows may split file data among clusters (or allocation units on the disk) that are not next to each other to optimize available disk space.

This creates fragmented files. Fragmentation can slow down the disk’s read

and write times and reduce disk efficiency. Use Disk Defragmenter to rearrange disk files so

they are stored in contiguous clusters.


Disk Defragmenter

Select Disk Defrag-menter from the System Tools submenu to open the Disk Defragmenter dialog box.

Select your hard disk and then click the Analyze button to let Windows check the hard disk.


Defragmenting a Hard Disk

When Defragmenter is finished analyzing the disk, you can view the Analysis Report.

If the analysis shows that the hard disk is not heavily fragmented, you may not want to proceed.

– Defragmenter gives you the option to continue to defragment the disk or quit without defragmenting.

If you continue, Disk Defragmenter begins to reposition the files.

While Defragmenter is working, you can see a graphic display of the program’s progress.


Summary

Folders are used to organize files on a disk. Subfolders can be created within parent folders to build a hierarchy of folders for optimal file organization.

An application file icon may look like a miniature version of the program icon, or it may look like a miniature window.


Summary (cont.)

It is easy to run an application or open a document file from Explorer by double-clicking an icon.

A document file icon looks like a piece of paper with a graphic on it. You can open an associated document file from Explorer without opening the application first.


Summary (cont.)

You can assign descriptive names up to 255 characters long to folders and files; however, only Windows 95 and higher can accommo-date long filenames. Windows will assign a short filename, called an alias, to each of these files so they can be used with programs that don’t support long filenames.

You can easily rename folders.


Summary (cont.)

Files are moved or copied from a source to a destination. The source is the file to be copied, and the destination is the location (folder or disk) where the moved or copied file will be placed.

When you copy a file, you duplicate the original. When you move a file, it is removed from its original location and placed in a new location.


Summary (cont.)

Deleting a folder or subfolder deletes all the files within the folder as well. Folders deleted from a hard disk are transferred to the Recycle Bin. Folders deleted from a floppy disk are deleted permanently.

You can restore a deleted folder from the Recycle Bin with the Restore this item option on the Recycle Bin Tasks panel or File menu.


Summary (cont.)

You can use Disk Cleanup to clear your hard disk of unnecessary files.

Disk Defragmenter rearranges the files on a hard disk so the disk performs optimally.

Documents

Computing Fundamentals Module Lesson 10 — File Management with Windows Explorer Computer Literacy BASICS