Managing Files and Folders in Windows 7: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Windows 7 Introductory Chapter 2 Managing Libraries Folders, Files and Using Search

2. Objectives • Copy Files From a Removable Storage Device to the Hard Disk Drive • Navigate by Using Windows Explorer • Create, Name, and Save Files

3. Objectives • Create Folders and Rename Folders and Files • Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Delete Files and Folders and Use the Recycle Bin • Search files and folders

4. Copy Files from a Removable Storage Device to the Hard Drive • File –collection of information that is stored on a computer under a single name • For example: text document, picture, program • Stored in Folders • Subfolder –folder within a folder

5. Copy Files from a Removable Storage Device to the Hard Drive • Libraries • Allow an easy way to find files quickly; one click away • Permit adding new locations like external hard drive • Prohibit other users from accessing the content • Can be used as default location for storing files within an application

6. Copy Files from a Removable Storage Device to the Hard Drive • Where should you store your files? • Removable devices • Flash drive – able to carry your files from one place to another • Hard drive – many are pocket size; can be included in a library; easily searchable • Network Storage • Server on which you can acquire storage space, such as Microsoft’s Windows Live SkyDrive

7. File Management with Computer • Ask & answer these sequential questions in saving and opening files: • What drive? (default: Library – Documents) • What folder and subfolder? • What file name? • What file type? • If lost, check default location or do a search • Hands-on demo in creating and moving files and folders under Library-Documents or USB drive.

8. Navigate by Using Windows Explorer • To manage your data efficiently, become familiar with the following • Windows Explorer–programwithin Windows 7 that displays windows in a folder window (i.e., Control Panel, files and folders on your computer) • Folder window–shows the contents of a folder

9. Create, Name, and Save Files • GUI: Graphical User Interface • Enable programs to have a consistent appearance and behavior • essential GUI navigation tools(i.e., navigation pane, toolbar, address bar, Search box, and column headings in which you can sort, group, and filter)

10. Create, Name, and Save Files • Save versus Save As • If saving something for the first time Save and Save As commands are identical • Save As dialog box will display if you click either one

11. Create, Name, and Save Files • Save versus Save As • After having named and stored a file, Save command will save any changes to the file without displaying a dialog box • Save As command will display a dialog box, allow renaming, and save a new document based on the original file

12. Create, Name, and Save Files • Rules for Naming Files • Cannot be longer than 255 characters • Cannot use the following characters: \ / ? : * “ > < | • Must be unique in a folder (i.e., two Excel files cannot have the exact same name) • Can contain spaces

13. Views: Folders and Files • Details view –displays a list of files or folders and their most common properties • Properties –descriptive pieces of information about a folder or file (i.e., name, date modified, type, size)

14. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Selecting a consecutive group of files or folders • To select all the items in a consecutive group, click the first item, hold down Shift, and then click the last item in the group • Deselect –click in a blank area of the file list to cancel the selection

15. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Selecting a nonconsecutive group of files or folders • Select a file, hold down Ctrl, and then select another file • Can select more than two files if necessary • To cancel the selection of individual items within a selected group, hold down Ctrl and then click the unneeded items

16. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Selecting all the files or folders in a file list • Click any single file or folder • Hold down Ctrl and press A • Alternatively, on the toolbar, click Organize, and then click Select All

17. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Copy –make a duplicate of the original item (file or folder) using Ctrl + C • Places a copy of your selected item in the Clipboard where it will be stored • Clipboard–temporary storage area for information that you copied or moved • Clipboard can only hold one piece of information at a time

18. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Copy –make a duplicate of the original item (file or folder) using dragging file into folder • Hold down Ctrl (engages Copy command) • Places a copy of the file at the location where you release the mouse button

19. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Using two windows to copy or move files or folders • Can be used to copy or move to different folders or different drive locations • All commands can be used like drag and drop or copy (or cut) and paste

20. Select, Copy, and Move Files and Folders • Compress –reduce the size of a file • Takes up less storage space and can be transferred to other computers • Useful for e-mail messages and graphic files (pictures) • Typically have a .zip file name extension • Unzip/Extract zip files

21. Delete Files and Folders and Use the Recycle Bin • Deleted files or folders • On a hard disk drive, are not immediately deleted • Deleted items are stored in Recycle Bin • Remain in Recycle Bin until emptied • Restore option • On removable storage devices, are immediately deleted and cannot be recovered from Recycle Bin

22. Search From the Start Menu • Drilling down – navigating downward through multiple levels of your folder structure to find what you are looking for • Word wheel – lookup method in which each new character that you type into the search box further refines the search

23. Search From the Start Menu • Index – collection of detailed information about the files on your computer • When searching for something, Windows searches summary information in the index instead of searching your entire hard disk drive each time • Provides instant search results

24. Search From the Start Menu • Indexed files • All files in libraries are indexed • Documents, pictures, music • E-mail • Offline files – files from a network that have been copied to your hard disk drive for easy access when you are not connected to the network

25. Save, Reuse, and Delete a Search • Search specifications • What folder to search • What search criteria to match • Not saving the actual search results • Each time you open the search folder, the search is re-executed