Introduction to Computers: Session 3 Files, Folders and Windows

(1)

Introduction to Computers: Session 3

Files, Folders and Windows

Files and folders

• Files are documents you create using a computer program. For example, this document is a file, made with a program called Microsoft Word (notice the blue, capital W in the icon).

• Folders are used to organize your files. Folders can contain other folders or individual files.

(2)

File management

• File storage in the Windows Operating System can be likened to a “file cabinet”.

• The “file cabinet” is likened to a drive on the computer, such as a hard drive, a CD or a Flash Drive.

Organizing folders and files in the “file cabinet”

(3)

2. Inside that folder are individual folders for each class session, along with folders for other related documents.

(4)

Follow the path to find out how you got here!

A “path” on a computer is the sequence of folders leading from the computer’s drive to a specific file, or in reverse from the file back to the “root” of the drive. Here is the path in the address bar above, leading to this document:

C:\Users\fmeeusen\Desktop\Intro to Personal Computers\Session 3\Introduction to computers session 3 files and folders.docx

In general terms, the path above looks like this:

Drive:\Folder\Sub-folder\Sub-folder\Sub-folder\Sub-folder\Document

Creating a Folder

There are two ways to create a folder in the Windows Operating System.

A) Secondary Click method:

1. In the empty space of either a folder or your Desktop, Secondary Click with your mouse

2. On the menu that opens, select New and then Folder

3. Immediately a new folder appears, with the default name “New Folder”

B) Menu selection method (same as above, but a different way of getting there):

(5)

C) Toolbar method:

(6)

Managing a window

A “window” in the Windows Operating System has various tools to help you control that windows size and position on your screen.

Minimize button:

a) The minimize button, when clicked, hides the window,

b) sending it to the task bar.

Maximize button:

(7)

Close button:

It does just that, closes the window!

Moving a window:

The top frame of a window is called the Title or Control bar. You can

click and drag on this bar to move

(8)

Resizing a window (manually):

1. Place your cursor on any edge or corner of the window you want to resize. Your cursor will turn into a double-headed arrow:

(9)

Scroll bars: Scrolling in a window – 5 methods:

1. Click and drag any of the scroll bar handles up, down or sideways to view the hidden areas of window.

2. Click any of the arrows at either end of the scroll bars to move the window view up, down or sideways one line at a time.

3. Click in the light gray area between the scroll bar handle and the end-arrow to move the window view up, down or sideways one screen at a time.

4. With the window active (click on the Title bar to make sure the window is active), press the Page Up and Page Down keys on the keyboard to move the window up, down or sideways one screen at a time (just like #3 above)

(10)

Creating a File

We first need to open a program to make a file with. For this exercise, we’ll use Microsoft’s WordPad, which is included in every version of the Windows Operating System.

How to open WordPad:

1. Click the Start Button

2. Click the “All Programs” button

(11)

4. Click “WordPad”

Saving a File

(12)

Saving your File to your Computer’s Hard Drive

Since you are saving your document directly to your computer’s internal Hard Drive, you do not need to insert a CD or Flash Drive into your computer. The file cabinet is already located inside your computer and ready for you to save anytime.

1. Click on the File tab. This will open the File menu.

2. Click on Save.

(13)

4. Give your file a name by clicking in the File name box. Type in the new name of your document.

(14)

Opening a document from your Computer’s Hard Drive

1. Locate the folder that contains the file you want to open.