Beginner’s & Beyond SIG

Sun City Texas Computer Club     

Presented January 10, 2008

By Barbara Resnick 

Creating and Managing Your Files/Folders - Part 2

  How do those files get organized on your computer? 

 

A.  Relocating existing files

B.  Backing up important files

C.  Creating Desktop shortcuts to frequently used files

D.  Cleaning up unwanted files on the Desktop

 

Preparation I – Doing Windows

• Open any folder by double clicking it to see a window showing the files and folders inside.

• Resize any window by using the double pointed arrows at the edges

• Move any window by ‘dragging’ it by the blue title bar.

• Close any window by clicking on the small  X  in the upper right hand corner.

• If two or more windows are open, the one on top (or the window with the dark blue title bar) is the active window.  Click anywhere on an inactive window to make it the active window.

 

Preparation II – Taking a trip through your computer

1.  Opening Windows

•   Double Click MY COMPUTER icon

•       Double Click  c:\  Drive

•       Double Click (open) folders or drive designations ( Like C:\, D:\,etc.) until you reach the destination folder.  More than one window may be visible but only 1 window is active

•       CAUTION !!  If  you  are using a removable storage drive like a flash drive, REMEMBER to use the REMOVE HARDWARE SAFELY ICON at the bottom right of your screen to safely disconnect the external drive.  No external hardward should be removed without doing this if it appears in the Remove Hardware Safely window.  Files could be lost or the drive damaged.

 

2.  Using Explorer

• Double click any folder to Open
• On the menu bar, click Folders
• Blue Windows task bar is replaced by  complete list of folders and all removable media storage hardware
• The left side of Explorer is always a list of folders or drives
• The right hand side of Explorer is always a list of file and/or folders which are the contents of the highlighted folder or drive on the left.

 

 

A.  Moving Day – Moving/copying files from one folder to another

1.       Open the folder containing the ‘source’ file or folder

2.   Click the folder button to open Explorer

3.   Locate the ‘target’ folder on the left hand side of Explorer (If the target folder    is a sub folder, click the plus sign to the left of its parent folder)   

 

One Way:

                                I.       Right click  the source file / folder) on right hand side of Explorer

                              II.       Click COPY (to duplicate) or CUT (to move) from the drop down menu         

                            III.       Right Click the target folder on the left hand side of Explorer.

                           IV.       Click Paste from the drop down menu

 

        Another Way:

       Drag (press and hold down right mouse button)   file or folder from its current  location on the  right hand side of Explorer to the target folder  on the left hand side of Explorer. 

 

Release right mouse button and select  Copy Here, Move Here, or Cancel

 

Using the Right Mouse Button

A file or folder which is copied will create a duplicate of the original in the dropped folder. ·          A file or folder moved  will delete the file or folder from original location and put the file or folder in the dropped folder.

Using the Left Mouse Button

A file or folder  which is dragged and dropped with the left mouse button  from on place to another on the same drive will be moved. A file or folder  which is dragged and dropped with the left mouse button  from on drive  to another drive will be copied.

.

 

Moral:  Always use the  right mouse button.

 

B.  Backing Up Important Files  or  Saving  your files in a safe place.

 

Backing up a file or folder is COPYING the file or folder to an external location (floppy, zip, CD, thumb drive)  - not on your computer.

 

Transferring files to a CD or  DVD  MAY require special software

 

Copy files as outlined above to an external storage device – use Explorer or any method which gets the important files or folders copied. 

 

•       Folder/files will be duplicated on the backup disk

•       Remove the storage device safely

•       Store the back up disk in a safe location

•       In case of a hard drive crash or you purchase a new computer, stored files can be recreated on the new hard drive

 

C.  Taking a Shortcut

1.       Double Click            My Documents (on the desktop)

2.       Locate an often-used file.  Select it (one click)

 

3.       Right Click, then Click FILE, SEND TO …

4.       Click DESKTOP (shortcut)

5.       Close all windows.

 

6.       Find shortcut on desktop

7.     Double click the shortcut to access the file

 

D.  Cleaning House - the desktop ( What to do when you cannot see a menu bar)

·          Create folders on the desktop

·          Select Desktop Icon (No Menu Bar)

·          ‘Drag’ the icon into the target folder and ‘drop’ it  (Use left or right mouse button)

·          Icon will move (if you use left click) and may be copied or moved( if you use right click)  from desktop into the folder

• Make a folder for any unused or unknown but questionable icons on your desktop.  Move the icon into the folder and if over a period of time, the computer never asks you for that icon, it can most likely be safely deleted – or just left in the folder where it is out of sight.  If the computer is looking for that icon on the desktop, just drag it back out of the folder with cut and paste or Explorer .

 

Overall Review

•       A.  Reorganize existing files by moving into appropriate folders 

•       B.  Back up files that are important to you

•       C.  Create shortcuts to make your life less ‘ clicky’

•       D.  Clean up the Desktop so you can see what you are doing