Practical PC, 7 th Edition Chapter 5: Organizing Files and Folders
Dec 27, 2015
Organizing Files and Folders
• FAQs:– What’s in the File Explorer window?– How are files categorized?– How do I navigate to various folders and storage
devices?– Can I create my own libraries and folders?– How do I change the name of a file or folder?
Practical PC, 7th Edition 2
Organizing Files and Folders
– How do I keep my files organized?– How do I delete files and folders?
• Technology: USB Flash drives
3Practical PC, 7th Edition
What’s in the File Explorer window?
• Files are stored in a hierarchical arrangement of folders and subfolders– Folders group files to keep them organized– Folders can hold other folders (subfolders)– Windows groups folders into libraries• Documents• Music• Pictures• Videos
Practical PC, 7th Edition 4
What’s in the File Explorer window?
• File Explorer has several components– Navigation pane– File list– Toolbar– Details pane
• View tab – Contains options to change the way the file is
displayed: List view or Details view– Hidden files are not displayed in the list
Practical PC, 7th Edition 5
How are files categorized?
• The navigation pane categorizes devices and folders for easy access– Select a device, folder or library from list– Contents of the item are shown in file list
Practical PC, 7th Edition 8
Figure 5-2
How are files categorized?
• Navigation pane is divided into categories– Favorites– Libraries– Homegroup– Computer– Network
Practical PC, 7th Edition 9
How are files categorized?
Practical PC, 7th Edition 10
– Favorites• Fast access to frequently
used folders
– Libraries• Virtual folders containing
links to folders and files
– Homegroup• Offers access to shared
folders, files, and printers on a home network
Figure 5-3
How are files categorized?
Practical PC, 7th Edition 11
– Computer• Access to folders on all
devices connected to your computer
– Network• Provides a link to folders
stored on local area network file servers
Figure 5-3
How do I navigate to various folders and storage devices?
• Windows displays a unique icon for each type of storage device– Each local storage is identified by a unique device
letter
Practical PC, 7th Edition 12
Figure 5-4
How do I navigate to various folders and storage devices?
• Some hard disks are divided into sections– Each section is called a disk partition– Each is treated like a separate drive• Drive C might contain the operating system• Drive D could house the data files
– When partitions exist, user needs to know what files are stored where
Practical PC, 7th Edition 13
How do I navigate to various folders and storage devices?
• Folders in navigation pane are arranged in a hierarchy– Expand or collapse by clicking or touching a device
or folder icon to displays its contents– Double-click (touch or hold) an icon or select the
small arrow to display additional levels of folders in the navigation pane, rather than the file list
– Select the angled arrow to hide levels of folders
Practical PC, 7th Edition 15
How do I navigate to various folders and storage devices?
• A device letter, folder, file name, and extension specify a file’s location– Often referred to as a file path
Practical PC, 7th Edition 17
How can I create my own libraries and folders?
• To create a new folder:– Right-click a folder– Select New– Select folder– Enter folder name
• Libraries – Contain links to files stored elsewhere on your hard
disk– Windows has four predefined libraries: Documents,
Pictures, Music, Videos
Practical PC, 7th Edition 19
How can I create my own libraries and folders?
– A library is not a “real” location• It is like an index in a book
Practical PC, 7th Edition 20
Figure 5-7
How do I change the name of a file or folder?
• There are several ways to rename a file/folder:– Right-click the file name, select Rename from
shortcut menu, and type the new name.– Another way is to click the file name, then click it
again. After a brief pause, you can set the new name
– Select the file name, then select the Rename button on the Home tab
• Be careful not to change file extensions
Practical PC, 7th Edition 22
How do keep my files organized?
• The key is to create a clearly structured set of folders– Use descriptive names for files and folders– Always store data files in a folder– Store files in your personal folders: My
Documents, My Music, My Pictures, etc.– Create subfolders of your personal folders – Avoid storing data files in application software
folders– Delete unnecessary files and folders
Practical PC, 7th Edition 25
How do I keep my files organized?
• Files can be moved from one folder to another– Drag and drop– Cut and paste• File is removed from its original location, temporarily
placed on the Windows Clipboard, and then pasted in its new location
Practical PC, 7th Edition 26
How do I keep my files organized
• Files can be copied– Copying a file creates a duplicate of the original– Copied file is sometimes modified and saved
under a different name– Can be copied to another location on the hard
drive, a USB drive , or to an internet-based cloud storage site
Practical PC, 7th Edition 29
How do I delete files and folders?
• Steps for deleting files:– Select desired file and click Delete button on the
Home tab– Right-click desired file; select Delete from shortcut
menu– Delete a folder using the same procedure• Deleting a folder removes all its contents
– Use the Ctrl key, Shift key, or Select All to delete more than one file or folder at a time
Practical PC, 7th Edition 32
How do I delete files and folders?
• To free up disk space:– Empty the Recycle Bin– Uninstall software that you no longer use– Delete data files you no longer need
Practical PC, 7th Edition 33
Technology: USB Flash Drives
• Compact and portable solid state storage drives
• Also referred to as UFDs, thumb drives, keychain drives, and jump drives
Practical PC, 7th Edition 35
Technology: USB Flash Drives
• Range in size from 16MB to 256 GB• Contain no mechanical parts– Use solid state technology, which holds data in
erasable, rewritable circuitry, rather than on spinning disks
– Immune from mechanical failures that affect CD, DVD, and hard disk drives
• Require only a small amount of power from the computer
Practical PC, 7th Edition 36
Technology: USB Flash Drives
• Plug into USB ports on a computer– The USB port is a rectangular socket on the front,
side, or back of the system unit and are typically labeled with the USB symbol
– When inserting USB drive, make sure it is correctly aligned with the port.
– When ready to remove USB drive: • Click the eject icon in the notification area• Wait for Windows to display the Safe to Remove
Hardware message
Practical PC, 7th Edition 38