9/3/2013. Storage Media. Storage Media

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1 File Management TECH 1010 Dan Kohn University of Memphis Engineering Technology Department Storage Media A computer file is a named collection of stored data An executable file contains the instructions that tell a computer how to perform a specific task A data file is created by a user Storage Media Magnetic media Hard disk Tape Floppy 1

2 Storage Media Optical storage device CD DVD CD-R CD-RW CD-ROM Storage Media Flash memory Flash memory cards USB flash storage device USB drive (flash drive) Files and Folders Windows organizes folders and files in a hierarchy, or file system Windows stores the folders and important files it needs to turn on the computer in its root directory Folders stored within other folders are called subfolders 2

3 Hierarchy / Directory Tree Organizing Files Type of disk you use to store files determines how you organize those files Storing files on removable media allows you to use simpler organization The larger the medium, the more levels of folders you should use My Documents folder You should have a backup, or duplicate copy, of important files Organizing Files 3

4 Well Organized Files File Path The file path is a notation that indicates a file s location on your computer F:\FM\Tutorial\Holiday.bmp F: is the drive name FM is the top-level folder on drive F Tutorial is a subfolder in the FM folder Holiday.bmp is the full filename with the file extension What is a folder? A folder is basically a box or container in which files are held. Folders are used to group together related files Folders are somewhat like drawers in a file cabinet. On a computer, a folder is used to contain all like files together, such as music in one folder, documents in another, and so on. Thus, organizing files in this manner, files can readily be found without sifting through a plethora of files to find the one you want. 4

5 What is a subfolder? Subfolders are simply folders which are placed within another folder. In theory, subfolders are similar to folders within folders in a filing cabinet. The cabinet is the main folder which holds all the folders, or files, but each folder is a subfolder and is responsible for storing specific types of files. You can create subfolders within subfolders. File Names A file name is made up of two parts: the name of the file the file extension You may name a file anything you wish, but you should probably name a file something you are likely to remember later. Use only letters and numbers in your file names -- Special characters like *", "/", "&", must be avoided in the file name. Try to avoid spaces in file names when sending to others. File Names The second part of a file name is the extension. In the file Holiday.bmp, Holiday is the file name bmp is the extension. A period always separates the two. The extension identifies what kind of a file you have. 5

6 8.3 vs Long File Names Back in the old days, file names could only have a name up to 8 characters long and a 3 character file extension after the period Long file names were created so you could have more descriptive names. Sometimes the long file name is translated to a 8.3 file name by truncation EG: file TextFile.Mine.doc becomes TEXTFI~1.DOC Things You Should Know How to get your Free Disk Space How to create a folder How to create a Shortcut on your desktop Difference between Copy and Move Creating Zip Files (Folders) How to show file extensions How to change file associations (launch the correct program by clicking on a data file) Show Free Disk Space Easiest way is to go START COMPUTER and it will give you something like this: 6

7 Create a new folder Open Windows Explorer 1. You can create a new folder by right-clicking a blank area in a folder window or on the desktop, pointing to New, and then clicking Folder. 2. You can also create a new folder under FILE on the main menu (Alt to show menu), then NEW, then FOLDER Desktop Shortcut Easiest way to create a desktop shortcut is to browse to the file you wish to create a shortcut for right click Send To Desktop (create Shortcut) Shortcuts are NOT the original file, but a pointer to a file. Indicated by a little arrow Note: Deleting a shortcut does NOT delete the file. Copying vs. Moving When using the drag-and-drop method, you might notice that sometimes the file or folder is copied and at other times it is moved. Why? If you are dragging an item between folders that are on the same hard drive, then the items are moved so two copies of the same file or folder aren't created on the same hard drive. If you drag the item to a folder that's on a different hard drive or to removable media like a CD or flash drive, then the item is copied. That way the file or folder isn't removed from its original location. 7

8 Working with Compressed Files Files stored in a compressed (zipped) folder take up less disk space Allows you to transfer files and directory structures as one file Extracting a file creates an uncompressed copy of the file in a folder you specify, while the original file remains in the compressed folder Created the same way as creating a new folder, except you select Compressed (zipped) Folder New Perspectives on Microsoft Office PowerPoint Turn On File Extensions Open Windows Explorer Press ALT key to turn on menu bar (Win7) From the main menu bar, click on Tools > Folder Options Click on the View tab Scroll down until your see the option Hide extensions for known file types Make sure this option is UNCHECKED! Turn on File Extensions Make sure Hide extensions for known file types is UNCHECKED! 8

9 Setting File Associations To set what program will automatically open a data file: Control Panel Programs Default Programs Set a file type or protocol with a specific program Bibliography New Perspectives on Microsoft Office 2007, First Course, Windows XP Edition Class Notes for CGS1100, Prof. Robert W Janson, Florida Community College Managing Your Computer Files File Management Basics for Managing your Files, Elaine Drain 9