File: Pretty much everything on your computer is either a file or a container for files (like a drive or a folder). Files are the basic way your computer stores and organizes information.

Drive: A drive refers to a specific place where folders and files (data) are stored. Drives are assigned an alphabet letter to distinguish them. For instance, the “C:” drive refers to the internal hard drive in your computer. The “A:” drive refers to a floppy disk drive. Other examples include a CD-ROM drive and a zip drive. Higher letters, such as “H:,” refer to network drives. A network drive is simply storage space on a large campus computer (”server”).

Folder: A folder is nothing more than a tool for keeping files organized. Basically, it’s just a container for files you feel need to be grouped together. *note: folders can also hold other folders

*note* It may help to think of your computer as a file cabinet. Going with the analogy, each separate drawer is a drive that contains folders which, in turn, contain files .

File Format: File format refers to what kind of document you have. For instance, if you create a file using WordPerfect, it is a different kind of document than if you had created it using Microsoft Word. It is considerably different from the format used when you create an Excel spreadsheet or a web page. The file format often changes with new releases of the same program, such that the Word 2003 file format is different from Word 2000. (This is not always the case, however; WordPerfect has kept the same file format for its versions 6, 7, and 8).

Application: Also called Programs, these files are methods of input for a computer. You use the application Microsoft Word to create files that contain text (called documents), Microsoft Outlook to manage email files, and Microsoft Windows as a graphical representation of your computer which makes it far easier to navigate.

Association: Every file created in Windows XP should have an application associated with it. This means that when you view it from My Computer or Windows Explorer, the document is seen as an icon representing an application such as Word or WordPerfect. An association is established by a “registered” 3-character extension at the end of a document’s name. Think of this association as a branding tool; it helps tell Windows XP and all other software packages that a given file “belongs” to a certain program, and should be opened by that program. Here are some commonly used extensions:

.doc	Microsoft Word Documet	Word.doc
.wpd	Corel Word Perfect Document	Corel.wpd
.xls	Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet	Excel.xls
.htm (or .html)	Internet (www) Documents	web.htm
.???	Unrecognized Extentions	huh.tuf

Opening a Document. By “opening a document,” I mean viewing a document in its entirety so that it can be modified. You can open a document by viewing it from My Computer or Windows Explorer and double-clicking it (if it is associated with an application. If it isn’t associated, then Windows will not quite know what to do and will ask you what program it should use to open the file). You can also open a document by first opening the application, such as Microsoft Word, and from within the application choosing the “open” function and selecting the document from the window that appears.

“Save” function within an application. This is your first window for viewing files, because it allows you to properly name your document and decide where to put it from the very first time you save it. The 3 most important parts of the “Save” window are:

Save In: Where your document will live
File Name: How your document will be known, or named
Save as Type: What kind of file format

My Computer. This opens a set of windows for viewing first your drives, then the folders and files within each drive. By default, My Computer will display your drives, folders, and files using large icons, but you can change these default settings. My Computer is best used for locating files, but it is awkward for moving, copying, and other advanced management functions.

Windows Explorer. This is the best way to view, move, delete, copy, and reorganize your files on all your drives. It is a two-pane window for moving files from one location to another. I introduce this tool more in File Management II.

File Management Strategies

So far, we have discussed tools you can use to organize your computer files. But the most important element of file management is you.

Here are a few recommendations to consider as you begin to clean up your files:

• Give yourself a system. Decide how you want to organize your files into folders, and stick to it. Never simply “save” a document before you know exactly where you are putting it. Organize files by content, such as “Letters of Recommendation 2004,” or by audience, such as “Budget Reports for Senior Staff.”

• Back up your important files often. Never store an important file in only one location. Most computers on campus offer you network drives (H: and I:), internal hard drives (C:), floppy drives (A:), zip drives (D: or E:), and often CD-Burners (usually E: or F:). Use at least TWO of these drives for files that you don’t want to recreate.

• Give your files “meaningful” names. (If you have many files with the old “8-dot-3″ DOS file names, RENAME them).

• Preserve the 3-character extension, or file association, of your documents.

• Give yourself control. Find out where the default save location is for all the applications you use, and make sure it is where you want it to be. It should make sense for your organization strategy. In the File Management II workshop, I show you how to change the default save location in Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect.

Give yourself time. Inevitably, documents will begin to pile up in inappropriate locations, or you will revise your file system and soon have documents in the wrong places. Or you will need to delete useless documents or move them to an archive location. Give yourself a few minutes every month to go through your folders and make these adjustments. By doing so, you will save yourself time and stress in the future, and you’ll stay in command of your files, instead of your files commanding you.

Last revised 7/08/06

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