Windows Beginner’s SIG

Sun City Texas Computer Club     

Creating and Managing Your Files/Folders - Part 1

By Barbara Resnick

How do you use your computer?

E-mail,    Write Documents,    Financial Statements,    Greeting Cards,  Music

Photos (Stills and Animations),   Record Keeping,   Presentations, other uses?

How do your Files get saved on your computer?

· You create files using applications designed for documents, cards, etc.

• Microsoft Office (Word and  Excel and others) always saves files you create in the folder  MY DOCUMENTS

• Corel Suite ( Word Perfect and Quattro Pro) always saves files you create in  the folder MY FILES

• Other applications may set up their own special folders for files created with the application – Quicken , Paint, Greeting Card Programs, Photo Programs e.g.

· The application will provide a window for you to indicate where the file will be saved and what name you want the file to have.

· Files are also stored on your computer when you download or install an application.  Folder locations for storage are predetermined.

How are they saved in the right places?

The folder in which the file is stored is controlled by your filling in the proper information in the correct spaces on the Save As screen

After you create the file, Click File, Save As (first time) or Save

1.  Save in:  Indicate  where your file will be saved.  (at the top)

2.  File Name: Type  a descriptive  for name your file.  (near the bottom)

3. Save as type:  Normally, the computer decides this one. Do not change it.  (at the bottom)

Suggestions for Organization

Make one folder in MY DOCUMENTS for each category of file

you are likely to create. (See below for How to Create a folder)

Examples:

• Make a Photos folder for photographs

• Make a Financial folder for finance information

• Make a folder for Animations

• Make a folder for Family

• Make as many folders as needed to group like files together.

• Sub folders can be created within folders.

Creating folders to Organize MyDocuments
(Double click a folder to open it OR right click the folder and click Open)

	Do This Action	To this
1.	Double Click	My Documents ( on the desktop)
2.	Click	File  (on the Menu)
3.	Move cursor to	New
4.	Click	Folder
5.	Type	Your folder name (identifying category)  over             the blinking  blue characters
6.	Press	Enter
7.	Repeat	For each folder you want to create.

Review

• Create all folders as sub folders in  My Documents

• As files are created, store them in appropriately named folders.

• Any files already created but stored in an inappropriate place may be moved to an appropriate folder at anytime. (covered in Part 2)

Retrieving your Saved Files

	Do this action	To This
1.	Click	Start,then All Programs
2.	Click	Your application name (Word,Paint,etc.)
3.	Click	File, then Open
4.	Double Click	Folder name where file is stored (if visible)
5.	Click	The file name
6.	Click	Open

Review

• Create your  folders ( in My Documents) to group like files

• Create your file and  Save it in a folder meant to contain this kind of file.

• When you need to find that file again, you will know where it is.