File management

File Management
Windows XP Desktop
Table of Contents
AB Computer Training
Zway Makan Yesus Church
Tel 0921361791
Zway,Ethiopia
E-Mail:-abiti.hana@gmail.com

File Management
Complied By Abenezer A. Batu/0921361791 Page 2
1 File Management: What is it?..........................................................................................3
1.1 File................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Folder ............................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Storage Media ............................................................................................... 4
1.4 Computer....................................................................................................... 4
1.5 Common Rules for naming files and folders.................................................. 5
1.6 Locating information ...................................................................................... 5
2 File Management: Why is it so Important? ....................................................................7
3 File Management: How do you do it?.............................................................................8
3.1 Windows Explorer.......................................................................................... 8
3.2 Displaying Files and Folders.......................................................................... 9
3.3 Searching for Files and Folders................................................................... 10
3.4 Selecting Files and Folders ......................................................................... 10
3.5 Creating Folders .......................................................................................... 11
3.6 Renaming Files and Folders........................................................................ 11
3.7 Moving Files Across Folders........................................................................ 12
3.8 Copying Files to Folders .............................................................................. 12
3.9 Deleting Files............................................................................................... 13
3.10 Restoring Deleted Files - The Recycle Bin .................................................. 13
3.11 Managing files and folders inside an application.......................................... 15

File Management
1 File Management: What is it?
Always remember that any information is stored in a computer as a file. File
management refers to the way you organize the storage of your information on the
computer.
File management basically answers the question: “Where is your information stored?”.
Everything is hierarchically organized: information is stored in a file that is stored in a
folder that (can be stored in another folder). These are stored on a storage media that
is stored on a computer that is eventually located on a local area network (LAN).
Always keep in mind the analogy between file management in a computer and file
management in an office: in the former, information is inside an electronic file, in the
later, it is on paper in folders in a filing cabinet.
All of the computer elements: file, folder, storage media and computer are defined below.
1.1 File
Any information in a computer is stored in a file. Computers store information as files
on disks, just as office staff store files in a filing cabinet. Programs as well as documents
are stored as files.
Naming Convention
File names consist of a primary name and an extension separated by a dot (e.g.
exam.doc). The extension, like the icon, indicates the type of the file. For example,
the extension „.doc‟ indicates that the file was created using Microsoft Word.
Please, follow the common rules for naming your file. See section 1.5.
Table 1 – File Extension Example
Extension File Type Icon
.doc Microsoft Word
.xls Microsoft Excel
.ppt Microsoft Powerpoint
.txt Text File
.exe Executable File Various
1.2 Folder
A folder is a container in which a group of related files can be stored, just as folders are
used to store files in the office filing cabinet. Folders are used to store files in
an organized way. A folder may contain both files and other folders, just as a
folder in the office cabinet may have other folders inside it.

File Management
Naming Convention
A folder usually has only a primary name (e.g. Teaching). Please follow the common
rules for naming your folder: See section 1.5.
1.3 Storage Media
A storage media (i.e. Hard-disk, floppy disk, CD-ROM, etc…) is a physical device on
which you can store files and folders. It is the top container in a computer.
Naming Convention
Besides a label name, each storage media installed in your computer is identified by
a letter followed by a colon (:) sign:
 The floppy drive is usually allocated the letter A  A:
 Sometimes a second floppy drive is present and the letter B is allocated to it  B:
 The hard drive is usually allocated the letter C  C:
 Sometimes, a computer can have more than one hard drive or the hard drive can
be divided in 2 partitions. Hence this new drive would get the letter D  D:
 The CD-ROM drive usually gets the first unused letter. E for example  E:
 Any removable media like a ZIP drive or external USB hard disk get the next
available letter. F for example  F:
1.4 Computer
All the institutions have more than one computer hence, it is also useful to be able to
identify which computer your data is stored on. For instance: the “secretary‟s computer”
or “the second computer on the left hand side of the computer centre”
This becomes even more important when computers are connected together into a local
area network (LAN) because you will then be able to access your documents from any
computer. So at the top level of the hierarchy you will need to identify the computer
where they are stored using the proper computer convention for network access.
Naming Convention
When a computer is connected to a network it is given a unique name (you can‟t
choose it, this is given by the technician who installed the network).
If you don‟t know the name of your computer, follow this procedure:
1. Right-click on “My Computer” icon
2. Click on “Properties”
3. Select the tab “Computer Name” (for Windows XP) or “Network Identification”
4. The name of the computer is displayed
When accessing a computer from the network, you have to start by a double
backslash: . For example: NETPUNE

File Management
1.5 Common Rules for naming files and folders
When creating a file or a folder, it is important to give them a meaningful name. Using a
name that describes the content of the file makes it easier to retrieve in the future.
Naming rules:
 In a folder, file and folder names must be unique
 File and folder names can be a maximum of 255 characters
 Spaces and dots are allowed
 * | < > ? / “ : are not allowed
 File and folder names are not case-sensitive
1.6 Locating information
The main reason for file management is so that you can locate files and information
easily. Each file is stored in a specific location on the computer. To locate a file, you
need to know its path, also called location or address.
On a standalone computer A file path is composed by: a letter representing the storage
media, the names of the folders you have to go through and the name of the file. Each
field is separated by a backslash „‟.
Example: D:TezerraTraining MaterialsWindowsCourse1.doc
On a networked computer: A file path starts with a computer name, then the name of
the network folder, the names of the folders you have to go through and the name of
the file. Each field is separated by a backslash „‟
Example: NEPTUNEDTezerraTraining MaterialsWindowsCourse1.doc
Remember about the analogy between the office and the computer?
 In an office environment you would have the following discussion:
You to the secretary: “Where is the form to fill out student grade?”
The secretary to you: “In the 2nd
filing cabinet, 1st
drawer, a folder called student
grade, the form is the green one”
 In a computer environment you would have the following discussion:
You to your colleague: “Where is the 1st
semester mathematics exam sheet?”
Your colleague to you: “In the computer called MATHS, on the D: drive, in the
folders Tezerra, Exams, and the name is semester 1.doc”
Or
“Its path is MATHSDTezerraExamssemester 1.doc”
Below is a summary of the office analogy:

File Management
Table 2 – Office Analogy
Real World Computer World Examples in Computer world
(using naming convention)
An office room A computer center
A filing cabinet A computer on the LAN NEPTUNE, ASELLA-01
A drawer A storage media
or a network drive
C:, D:
DOCUMENTS, D
A folder A folder Tezerra, Exams, Training Materials
A paper A file Course1.doc, semester1.doc, marks.xls

File Management
2 File Management: Why is it so Important?
Why file management is important? Why should I keep my file in a specific place? How
can folders be useful to me? What is the need for giving my document a proper name?
Answer: To enable you to find things easily and keep the disk management more efficient.
Always keep in mind the main reason why you are using a computer:
 Ability to store: A computer can store an incredible amount of information in a
very limited space.
 Ability to reuse: At anytime you can reuse an old piece of information and
correct it or amend it and make a new document very quick
 Ability to share: It is very easy to exchange information stored on a computer,
especially through a network or the Internet.
You can get those 3 benefits only by using file management properly!!
Do not under estimate File Management because you will have to use it every time you
are going to use a computer. Whether you are writing a document to prepare a lesson,
keep student grades and figure out their GPA or browse the Internet for research
material.

File Management
3 File Management: How do you do it?
Files are created using a specific application, depending on the nature of the document
you want to create: Word creates a typographic document, Excel creates a spreadsheet
document, etc… By using the Save As… command, you will store the newly created file
in a specific location. See section 3.11 Managing files and folder inside the application.
File management is achieved with Windows Explorer. This is the program that will
allow you to display all your files, create folders, copy, move, delete, rename them, etc…
3.1 Windows Explorer
Files and folders on your computer can be represented as a tree-structure where disks
are roots, folders are branches and documents are leaves. This is the way Windows
Explorer presents the information stored on the computer.
3.1.1 Starting Windows Explorer
1. Click the Start Button
2. Click the Programs to display the programs menu
3. Click Windows Explorer
Figure 1 – The Explorer window
3.1.2 Left Pane – The folder hierarchy
This pane displays the tree structures of the disks and folders stored on the computer
starting from the Desktop.
This icon represents a Folder
Left Pane:
Folder Hierarchy
Right Pane:
Folder content

File Management
The plus (+) sign on the left of some folder names indicates that it contains
subfolders. Click on the plus (+) sign to expand the view of this folder and
display its subfolders.
Note that the plus (+) sign is then replaced by a minus (-). By clicking on the
minus (-) sign, the current folder is collapsed and the previous view is
restored.
Click the folder name or icon in the left pane to display its contents in the right pane. The
selected folder name in the left pane is highlighted and its icon has changed to an
opened folder. The status bar displays the number of objects (files and subfolders) and
the total storage space occupied by them.
This icon represents an opened Folder
3.1.3 Right Pane – The content display
This pane shows the folder contents that is selected in the left pane; all the files and
subfolders.
The right pane is divided into columns that provide various details about the files and
subfolders in a folder:
Table 3 – Column details of Windows Explorer right pane
Column Name Description
Name Name of the file or folder and icon representing its type
Size Size occupied by each file on the storage device
Type Type of the file
Modified Date and time the content of a file or a folder were last changed
You can sort the files and folders by name, size, type or modified date by clicking on the
desired column name.
3.2 Displaying Files and Folders
Using the left pane
1. Click on the + sign to open a folder and display its subfolders
2. Click on the folder name or icon to display its content into the right pane
Using the right pane
1. Double click on a folder to display its content. Note that the left pane is updated
and the open folder has changed.
Navigating around using the toolbar
Use this button to come back to the previous view
Use this button to display the content of the parent folder

File Management
3.3 Searching for Files and Folders
Click this button in the toolbar to launch a search. You can also run a search
from the Start Menu.
The following window is displayed:
Figure 2 – The Search window
3.4 Selecting Files and Folders
Windows explorer allows you to perform various operations on a file. To perform any
operation on one or many files, you first need to select them.
3.4.1 Single file selection
Click on the filename or icon in the Window Explorer right pane to select a single file.
Note that when you select a file, its name is highlighted and the status bar displays its
size.
3.4.2 Multiple file selection
There are different ways of selecting more than one file.
Note that when you select multiple files, their names are highlighted and the status bar
displays the total size of your selection.
Continuous file selection
To select a group of files which are displayed consecutively in the right pane:
1. Click on the first file of the list
2. Press and hold the shift key
3. Click on the last file of the list

File Management
Discrete file selection
To select a group of files which are not displayed consecutively in the right pane:
1. Click on the first file
2. To add to the selection press and hold the Ctrl key while clicking its name or icon.
Select All
To select all the files and subfolders of the folder currently displayed:
1. Open the Edit Menu by clicking Edit on the menu bar
2. Click „Select All‟
Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+A.
3.4.3 Deselecting files
To deselect files that have been selected, click any blank area in the right pane
3.5 Creating Folders
By creating folders, you can store all the files that contain similar information in the same
folder and organize the data on your disk in order to retrieve them easily.
To create a new folder with Windows Explorer:
1. Select the place you want to put the new folder by selecting the relevant disk or
folder in the left pane
2. Open the File Menu by clicking File on the menu bar
3. Point or click to New
This will display a submenu with a choice of objects to create
4. Click Folder
A new folder called New Folder is displayed in the left pane. Note that there is a box
around the name, which is highlighted, and the cursor is positioned at the end of it.
5. Type a new name and press enter
Alternatively, you can use a contextual menu by right clicking on the left pane once you
have displayed the contents of the destination folder.
3.6 Renaming Files and Folders
To rename a file or folder:
1. Select the file or folder by clicking on its name or icon in the right pane
2. Open the File menu by clicking File on the menu bar
3. Click Rename
Note that there is a box around the name, which is highlighted, and the cursor is
positioned at the end of it.
4. Type a new name and press enter
When you change a filename, its primary name changes while the extension remains
the same.
Alternatively, you can use the contextual menu by right clicking on the file or you can
also click on the filename once the file is already selected.
Note that if you want to cancel the operation in the middle, you can always press the
Esc key.
If the filename extension is displayed, make sure you don‟t change it! Changing the
extension may make a file unusable in the application in which it was created.

File Management
3.7 Moving Files Across Folders
To improve the way in which your files are organized on disks, you can move files or
folders from one folder to another. Be careful! When you move a file, it is deleted from
its original location.
3.7.1 The “Move To Folder” command
1. Select the files and folders to move
2. Open the Edit menu by clicking on Edit in the menu bar
3. Click “Move to Folder”
4. Select the destination folder in the dialog box by navigating through the folder
hierarchy
3.7.2 The cut and paste method
3. Click Cut
The selected object icons are grayed to indicate that there are going to be deleted from
this location.
4. Select the destination folder by clicking its name in the left pane.
6. Click Paste
The selected files and folders appear in the right pane
3.7.3 The drag and drop method
1 Select the files and folder to move
2 Drag the selection to the destination folder in the right pane.
3.8 Copying Files to Folders
It is a good practice to maintain copies of important files. This practice is referred to as
making a backup of your files. Maintaining copies of files protects you against accidental
data loss. You can copy files from one folder to another in the same disk or to a folder in
another storage medium.
3.8.1 The “Copy To Folder” command
3. Click “Copy to Folder”
4. Select the destination folder in the dialog box by navigating through the folder
hierarchy
3.8.2 The Copy and Paste method
1. Select the files and folders to copy
3. Click Copy

File Management
4. Select the destination folder by clicking its name in the left pane.
6. Click Paste
The selected files and folders appear in the right pane
3.8.3 The drag and drop method
1 Select the files and folder to copy
2 Hold the Ctrl key and drag the selection to the destination folder in the right pane.
3.9 Deleting Files
Files that are not required any longer should be removed from the disk. Removing files
frees valuable disk space.
1 Select the files and folders to delete
2 Open the File menu by clicking on File in the menu bar
3 Click Delete
A confirmation dialog box will appear. From here you can click Yes to complete the
action or No to cancel it.
Figure 3 – The delete confirmation box
Alternatively, once the selection is made, you can press the Delete key.
3.10 Restoring Deleted Files - The Recycle Bin
When you delete a file, Windows moves it to the Recycle Bin. This is like a garbage
collection area. Files that you remove from other folders stay in the Recycle Bin until you
instruct Windows to clear it.
Then, the Recycle Bin allows you to recover deleted files if they are needed later.
Note that files deleted from a floppy disk are removed entirely and cannot be restored.
Opening the Recycle Bin
Double click on the Recycle Bin on the desktop to open it.

File Management
Figure 4 – The Recycle Bin window
In the Recycle Bin window is a list of all the files that can be restored. By default, all
recoverable files are listed alphabetically, with other details such as when the item was
deleted and its original location.
Restoring Files and Folders
1 Select the files and folders to restore
3 Click Restore
The restored files are then moved back to their original location and can be found in
their original folder, even if that folder had been deleted.
Alternatively, once the selection is made, you can drag the selection from the Recycle
Bin and drop it any other location.
Clearing the Recycle Bin
2 Click „Empty Recycle Bin‟
A confirmation dialog box will appear. From here you can click Yes to complete the
action or No to cancel it.
Note that once files are deleted from the Recycle Bin, they can no longer be recovered
by Windows.

File Management
3.11 Managing files and folders inside an application
Although Windows Explorer is the main program to manage your files and folders, it is
possible to find some of its feature inside any application using the Save As… or Open
dialog boxes. And here is what you can do:
Figure 5 – The Save As… Dialog Box
Note that selecting the file(s) and folder(s) is done the same way as in the explorer,
hence, see section 3.4 page 9.
At this stage, please make sure that the location (folders) and the filename are
meaningful.
Navigate to display folder content Search for files
Create a folder
Delete file(s)/folder(s)

File management

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