This document provides instructions for performing various file management tasks in Windows Explorer such as creating and renaming folders and subfolders, recognizing different icon types, opening and running files from Explorer, selecting and copying or moving files between locations, and deleting folders. It also discusses compatibility issues when working with both short (8.3) and long filenames as well as how to use Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter utilities.

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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 .

12. Compatibility Issues with 8.3 and 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

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

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.