Take the blank space on the next page and think for a few minutes about the types of documents that you create, and the type of work that you do on your computer. Brainstorm a list of folder names that correspond to the types of documents that you already have (and will be creating). Think about relevant ways to “nest” folders within folders in logical ways for how you do your work.

Here are some examples to get you started.

The important thing to note is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to group your files into folders. The system that you develop should simply come from the way that YOU do your work with the computer. If you try a given system for a while and find that it frustrates you (for example, you nest too many folders too deeply to reasonably navigate and locate them when you need them), then you can easily change that system.

One suggestion: Create a meta-level folder (such as “data” or “my stuff” above), and then put ALL of your personal documents and folders in that meta-level folder. This makes the process of backing up your work easier, because you can simply drag that one folder to another drive periodically, so that the contents are duplicated in more than one location.

File Management tools

My Computer is one important file management tool. It is located on your desktop, and when you open it (by double-clicking it), you are greeted with a window similar to the following:

The role of My Computer is to provide you with access to all of the drives associated with your computer, including the contents of any floppy disk, CD, or zip disk you have loaded at the time.

By default, My Computer displays the drives in large pictorial icons, and it is thus a visually-oriented file management tool. To view the contents of a given drive, simply double-click it. When you do this, the window will change to display the given drive’s contents.

Note the View menu, because it is useful for customizing My Computer. Options under the View menu allow you to arrange the items (helpful when they get moved around and unaligned and out of order). You can also change how the items are displayed; your 4 choices are Large Icons, Small Icons, List, and Details. You can toggle between the choices to see how you like each style of display, and then settle on your favorite. You can have different preferences for each window (one can display large icons, but another can display the list view, for example).

Windows Explorer is a very important file management tool. It is arguably more powerful than My Computer, for it offers a few more options for working with files and folders. When you first launch the program (it is located under the Start menu: Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Windows Explorer. You can also simply right-click the Start Menu and select Explore.), you will be greeted with a window similar to the following:

Notice that Windows Explorer offers a 2-paned window. In the left pane, you see the hierarchy of drives and folders. In the right pane, you see the contents of a certain drive or folder (whichever is highlighted in the left pane). In the picture shown above, the C: drive is highlighted in the left pane, and hence its contents are displayed in the larger pane to the right. It is easy to stay oriented using Windows Explorer because of this approach to looking at your drives, folders, and files.

Note the little plus (+) and minus (-) signs before each drive. These are useful tools for displaying or hiding additional contents of each drive or folder.

+ means that there is more to be displayed, and clicking on the plus sign (+) expands the view and displays what is hiding underneath that level.

- means that there is nothing more to be displayed (the full hierarchy has already been expanded), and clicking on the minus sign (-) collapses the view and hides what was formerly expanded.

To change the size of either side of the window, drag the bar that separates the two sides.

Just as in My Computer, you can use the View menu to choose one of the following styles for displaying the contents of your computer: Large Icons, Small Icons, List, or Details. By default, Windows Explorer uses the “List” view rather than the “Large Icons” view, making it a more hierarchical and down-to-business file management tool.

How to create folders and sub-folders

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to create folders and sub-folders. It is probably the most under-utilized tool for managing your files! Once you have a folder to contain related documents, it is easy to save new files into that location, as well as move old, disorganized files into their new home!

Here is how to create a folder:

1. Navigate to the location where you would like your folder to reside.
2. Using the File menu, choose File -> New -> Folder.

3. Your new folder will automatically be named “New Folder,” but it will be highlighted and awaiting your new (and more relevant) name.

4. Type your desired folder name, and press return. That’s it!

* A shortcut for creating a new folder is to do the following: Move to the location where the new folder will live, and right-click the mouse in an open area. Choose New -> Folder from the shortcut menu that appears, and give your folder a good name.

Working with one file at a time

How to move a file

In order to move a file to a new location (most likely into a new folder), you need to use a file management tool such as My Computer or Windows Explorer, and you need to be able to view both the file-to-be-moved and the new destination for the file. Then, select the file and use the mouse to drag it to its new location.

A nice shortcut for moving a file, and one that doesn’t require you to be able to view both the file and its destination, involves using a shortcut on the right-click menu. Select the file, right-click it, and choose either “Cut” or “Copy.” (”Cut” will move the file from its current location to its new location, while “Copy” will leave the file in its current location while it places a duplicate in the new destination). Next, move to the destination and right-click again, this time choosing “Paste” from the shortcut menu.

How to rename a file

If you have a file whose name you want to change, you can easily do this using either My Computer or Windows Explorer. Using one of these file management tools, locate the file-to-be-renamed. Select the file, right-click it, and choose “Rename” from the shortcut menu. The old file name will be selected, and anything that you type next will replace the file name. Remember to preserve the file extension (e.g., *.doc, *.wpd) when you rename these files.

How to delete a file

If you have a file that you no longer need, you can dispose of it in one of three ways:

1. Locate the file and drag it into the Recycle Bin.
2. Locate the file, right-click it, and choose “Delete” from the shortcut menu.
3. Locate the file, left click it so that it is selected. Then press and release the delete key on your keyboard.

Copying vs. moving files

Let’s clarify the distinction between when you are copying a file and when you are moving a file.

Copying

If you want to keep a file in its original location while placing a duplicate in a new location, then you want to COPY the file. Copying an important file to a second location is a handy way to make a backup of that file. If one drive were to fail (for example, a floppy disk was lost or corrupted), you would have a second copy of the file in another location.

If you drag a file between drives , Windows assumes that you want to COPY it. In other words, the file is left in its original location, while a duplicate is placed on the new drive. You might copy a file between C: (hard drive) and A: (floppy drive), or between H: (network drive) and C: (hard drive), or between H: (network drive) and E: (zip drive).

When in doubt, if you’re certain that you want to make a COPY of a file, then select the file, right-click on it, and choose “Copy” from the shortcut menu.

Moving

If you want to relocate a file from one drive to another, then you want to MOVE the file. Moving a file actually takes the file from its first destination and places it in its new home, without leaving a copy behind. Moving a file is a good idea if you are reorganizing your files within one drive, so that multiple copies aren’t cluttering up a single drive.

If you drag a file from one folder to another within one drive , Windows assumes that you want to MOVE it. In other words, why be redundant by copying a file multiple times on a single drive unless you really mean to?

When in doubt, if you’re certain that you want to MOVE a file, then select the file, right-click on it, and choose “Cut” from the shortcut menu.

Working with more than one file at a time

If you are reorganizing your existing files, you may find that you want to move entire groups of files at one time. It would quickly become tedious, if you had hundreds of files on the loose, to move one file at a time. Windows offers you two keyboard shortcuts for working with sets of files.

Selecting several adjacent files (to move or delete)

If you want to select several adjacent files at one time (for example, in order to delete them all at once, or in order to move them all into a common folder), select the first file and then HOLD DOWN THE SHIFT KEY while you select the last file. All files in between the first and the last selected files will be highlighted as well. Now, you can use the mouse to drag the set to a new destination, or to the Recycle Bin.

Selecting several non-adjacent files (to move or delete)

If you want to select several non-adjacent files at one time (for example, in order to delete them all at once, or in order to move them all into a common folder), select the first file and then HOLD DOWN THE CONTROL KEY while you select additional files, one at a time. When you’re done, you can use the mouse to drag the set to a new destination, or to the Recycle Bin.

Change the default “save” location in Word and WordPerfect to match where you most prefer to save your documents.

When Windows is installed, a folder called “My Documents” is created on your hard drive. This folder becomes the default folder for all of your Microsoft Word documents, unless you override it.

When Corel WordPerfect 8.0 is installed, a folder called “My Files” is created on your hard drive. This folder becomes the default folder for all of your WordPerfect documents, unless you override it.

You might find these defaults helpful, in which case, leave them alone! J For example, you could decide to create your hierarchy of sub-folders within “My Documents” if you’re a Word user.

On the other hand, you may find that you would rather have your word processor look in a different location for your set of folders and files when you invoke the “Save” or “Open” commands. For example, on the Colorado College campus, you might choose to save your documents to your H: drive by default. In this case, you’ll be frustrated if you constantly have to navigate from “My Documents” on your C: drive to your H: drive every time you want to save a file or open an existing file. It might even lead you to be sloppy and let your files get disorganized! If this is the case, then here is how to change the default file location in Word and WordPerfect:

Microsoft Word

In Microsoft Word, select Tools -> Options, and choose the “File Locations” tab. Modify the “Documents” file type to better reflect your default file location (for example, H:\Data).

Corel WordPerfect

In Corel WordPerfect, select Tools -> Settings, and double-click the “Files” icon. In the window that appears next (shown below), change the default document folder.

Last revised 7/08/06

Back to Top