FILE MANAGEMENT

Working With Directories, Folders and Files

To access the Explorer: Right click the "My Computer" Icon and then left click Explore.

The following examples will not look exactly like your Explorer Window

 

Drive

Location where the folders and files are saved

Examples of Drives

 

A: Floppy Port

 

C: Hard Drive on machine

Anyone at this machine with or without a log-on can see the files on this drive

 

H: Network Standard Drive

Home drive for user files only the user logged on can see

 

S: Share for department share

 

The + plus symbol unfolds to view the folders and sub-folders

 

The - minus symbol tells you that the drive is already showing its available folders

 

Clicking on the picture of the folder opens the folder and you can then see the contents of the folder (the files) to the right 

A
Right Arrow: A

B
Right Arrow: B

C
Right Arrow: C

C
Right Arrow: C  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A  Minus > showing folders/contents of drive or folder

 B  Plus > Has more sub-folders (if available)

 C  Open Folder > Note Folder graphic is open

Showing Files/Contents to right

Creating a file structure [Folders]:

1. Click on the location (the folder or drive) that you want your folder to be a sub-category of.

2. Click on File / New

3. Click on Folder

You now have a folder on the right where the text is dark and says "New Folder". To name the folder just type and the text will replace that text that is "selected".

If you have misnamed the folder or decide to get rid of it click on it to be sure it is selected and press delete on the keyboard.

You will now see that the folder has appeared beneath the location that you selected on the left.

Continue this until you have your folders in the place you would like them.

Remember that where your folders appear depends on what you have clicked on before you made the new folder.

Be sure that when you press delete that the object you want to delete is dark.

Plan ahead. Treat it like a file cabinet. You have the cabinet (The drive) drawers (files) and file folders within the drawer (hanging folders). Your files will go within the folders just like the pieces of paper you put in a folder.

Creating a file structure [Move Files]:

Once you have your folders created you can, within the explorer, move your files to the folders you would like them to be in.

Watch closely as you move files as a + symbol will appear if you are moving them from drive to drive, rather than to folders within one drive. When this occurs the machine is making a copy of the file rather than moving it. To stop this from occurring hold down the Shift button on the keyboard while you are moving them and the + will go away.

Do not let go of the shift key until you have released the mouse button that you are dragging as it will revert back to a copy.

TIPS

__When a folder is clicked on the contents are viewed on the right.

__The user can then scroll so that the folder that the file is to be moved to is visible on the left.

Do not click it; just make sure it is visible by using the scroll bar to see it.

__Next the user can "drag" the file from one folder (the right side) to the other folder (on the left). To drag: Hold the left button down on the object and move the mouse to where you want it (without letting go of the mouse). Let go when the place where you wish to drop it turns dark.

__You can now click on the folder to see that the file is now visible on the right side of the explorer window.