Windows File Management

Vic Laurie

Ewing SeniorNet Learning Center

I. Introduction to How Windows Organizes and Stores Information

n Computers are all about the processing of information

n The information has to be organized in a systematic way

Where Is the Information?

n Computers have several types of storage places where information is put

n The main permanent storage area is the hard drive (or drives) located inside the computer (C: and any partitions)

n Also have portable storage media

· A: drive for diskettes (floppies)

· CD-ROM and CD-RW

· Zip drives, tapes, thumb drives, etc

What’s on the Hard Drive (C:)

n Operating system

· Windows 95/98/Me

· Windows XP

n Programs or application software

· Microsoft word, Quicken, etc

n Data or created files

· Documents, financial records, databases

Operating System

n Runs the computer

n Carries out basic functions

n Manages files

n Acts as overseer, coordinator, administrator, traffic cop

n Also does some built-in applications

How Is Information Organized?

n Everything is grouped into collections of related information called files

· Data, operating system, software

n Files are organized in folders (or directories)

· Folders can have sub-folders

Naming of Files

n Most Windows filenames have two parts

· Myfile.ext

n Section after dot is called the “extension”

· Extensions are usually, but not necessarily, three characters

· Extensions define file type and are very important

· Windows should be configured to always show extensions (Details at http://www.vlaurie.com/computers2/slides/showextensionslide1.htm)              

Full Name of File

n Devices such as disk drives are assigned letters with a colon such as A: or C:

n Full address of a file is something like C:\Myfolder\mysubfolder\myfile.ext

n The part C:\Myfolder\mysubfolder is called the “path”

The Two Principal Classes of Files

nText Files

· Use a limited well-defined set of common characters. Can be read on any computer

· Sometimes called “ASCII files”

· For straight text and specialized uses

n Binary Files

· All program files, word processor, spreadsheet, multimedia

· Formats vary- require specific software

Different Formats

n Each application program creates binary files in a particular format

· A set of instructions telling the computer how to create a letter or a picture, etc

n Different programs may not be able to read each other’s files

· For example, the same photo or letter can be in different formats

II. Basic Operations and Properties

Right versus Left Click

n The left double-click causes the default action for a given file type

n Left single-click selects file for further action (as yet unspecified)

n The right (single) click opens the “context” menu- a list of possible actions and other information

File and Folder Operations

n Copy

o Create a duplicate file

• Same folder, different name

• Different folder, same name

• Different folder, different name, same content

o Entire folders can also be copied

o Original still in same place

o Many ways to make a copy

· Right-click menu

· Task pane

· Send To

· Folder or Windows Explorer Edit menu

· Drag and drop

n Move

o Put the file in a different folder

o File removed from original folder

o Many ways to move a file (or folder)

· Right-click menu

· Task pane

· “Send To” function 

· Folder or Windows Explorer Edit menu

· Drag and drop

n Delete

o Can be done a number of different ways

· From menu

· From Tool bar

· From right-click menu

· With “Delete” key

o Normally file (or folder) goes to “Recycle Bin”

· To skip Recycle Bin, hold down “Shift” key

n Rename

o Use right-click menu

o Another way is to use F2 key

o Be careful not to change extensions for file names

n Create new folder

o Right-click menu

n Create new files of certain types

o Right-click menu

Drag and Drop

n Left-click drag will by default either copy, move, or create a shortcut

o Action depends on context

o No choice unless Ctrl or Shift key also used

n Right-click drag gives a menu with choices

How We View Files and Folders

n There are two basic formats for the interface used to display the contents of the computer

o The single-pane view used for most folders and “My Computer”

· Shows one folder with its files and sub-folders

· Contents can be represented in several different ways- tiles, icons, list, details

o The double-pane or Windows Explorer view

· A tree-like view which can show the entire computer

· Contents can be represented in several different ways- tiles, icons, list, details

· A folder normally opens in single-pane view when clicked but will open in Explorer view if “Shift” key is held down while clicking

File Attributes

n All files can have one or more properties named “attributes”

n There are four common attributes

· Archive (A) Used by backups

· Hidden (H)

· Read only (R)

· System (S)

n NTFS formatted systems may have others

  III. File Operations in Application Software

File menu

n Most applications have a “File” menu

o Common entry is “Save”

· Used to update contents of existing file or to create new file

· Overwrites an existing file (if there is one) with the contents of the currently open version of the file

· If no file currently exists, creates a file with a default name and address or offers a dialog box with the default name and location

o A related but different entry is “Save as…”

· Uses contents of open file to create a copy with a different name and/or location

· Original file is left with previous contents and in previous location

· Used to create copies or different versions of a given file

  IV. How Windows Manages Files

File Extensions

n Extension is very important in Windows

o Details at  http://www.vlaurie.com/computers2/extensions1.htm

n Tells Windows what type the file is

n A list of file types is kept in the Registry. The Registry contains

o What actions are possible for each file type

· Open, Edit, Print, etc

o Which software to use for each action

o Where that software is located

File Associations

n Software that is assigned to do something with or to a particular type of file is said to be “associated”

n Many file types may have several possible actions, often using different software

n  All file types will have at least one possible action called the Default or “Open”

n Details at http://www.vlaurie.com/computers2/associations1.htm

The “Open with…” Option

n Context menu can be used to access “Open with..” action

n Different software can selected to open a file

n The default action can be changed

n To get “Open with…”

o Select (one left click) file of interest

o Hold down “Shift” key

o Right click on file

o Context menu will now include “Open with” (for this one time only)

  V. The Power of the Right-click

Contents of the Context Menu

n Software operations

n Basic file management functions

n Send To

n Properties

n New

n Print

Send To

n Has several very useful functions

n Can move or copy a file to a new location

n Can open different software applications involving the file

n Can create Desktop shortcuts 

Properties Sheets

n Almost any “object” can be right-clicked and a properties sheet opened

n Files, folders

n Special objects- Desktop, Start|Programs, Taskbar, My Computer, and others

n Information available will depend on object