PILLAR OF SUCCESS

TRAINING INSTITUTE
HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT

INTRODUCTION TO BASIC
COMPUTER SKILLS
 BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS

UNIT 4: MANAGEMENT OF FILES AND FOLDERS

BY

PILLAR OF SUCCESS - 2023

Unit 4: Management of Files and Folders
4.1 Learning Outcomes

 Upon successful completion of this lecture, learners will be

able to:
1. Define the concept of files
2. Explain how to create a file and save a new file
3. Demonstrate how to delete a file
4. Identify and define what folder is
5. Explain how to create a folder and how to save files in a
folder.
6. Describe how to delete a folder
7. Explain how to copy files and folders into a drive
4.3 File Management
 File management - is the process of placing, naming,
and organizing files and folders in a seemingly logical
manner.
 File management on the computer is similar to how
someone would arrange documents and important
papers in a filing cabinet.
 Related papers and documents are placed into an
appropriately named folder and that folder is then
placed into the appropriate level or section of the file
cabinet.
 Similarly, on the computer, file management would
consist of sorting and arranging a group of files into
specific folders so that similar or related files are located
together.
 We are going to learn:

• The difference between a file and a folder.

• The difference between “save” and “save as.”
• To recognize file types by their icons.
 4.4: Definition of Files
 Files are collections of related data, programs or
information which are stored under a single name.
Computer stores information in files.
 There are different types of files namely text, graphics or
sound.
4.4.1: WHY MANAGE FILES? 9
 Locate files quickly
 Keep related documents together
 Move groups of data easily
 Facilitate file sharing
 Backup important data quickly
4.5: File Organization
 Windows stores files in a flexible hierarchy with three basic
levels .

Level Definition Examples

Drive Physical place to store files  Floppy disk

 Hard drive

Folder Electronic place to store files  Folder for files of an

application program
Documents  Folder for all letters
related to a project

File Collection of computer data with  A letter

a common purpose  A picture
A. Storage Media

 Hard drive
 External hard drive
 USB flash
 CD/CDRW
 DVD/DVD-RW
B. Typical File Types
 C. Standard Filename Extensions
Extension Type of Document Application

.doc or .docx Word processing document Microsoft Word

.xls or .xlsx Workbook Microsoft Excel

.ppt or .pptx PowerPoint presentation MS PowerPoint

.accdb Database Microsoft Access

.gif, .jpg, .png Images Windows Image Viewer

.mp4, .mp3 Videos, audio Windows Media

.zip Compressed file WinZip
.pdf Portable Document Format Adobe Acrobat

.htm or .html Web page Hypertext Markup

Language
 D. Applications and Files

 Most applications that create files have a file menu

 Choices will include Save and Save As.
• Save saves using same filename, if has been saved
once already.
• Save asks for new name if it has not been saved
before.
• Save As asks for new name and saves new copy of file.
 Rename – allows you to change the name of the current
file .
4.6: File Explorer

 File Explorer (also known as Windows Explorer) helps you

manipulate files and folders in the following ways:
• Rename
• Copy
• Move
• Delete
 Windows offers a set of preconfigured personal folders,
such as My Documents and My Music, for storing your
personal data files. You can make subdirectories in these
too!
4.6.1: Windows Explorer

 NOT the same as Internet Explorer.

 Windows Explorer is a file manager which:
a) shows files in different views.
b) Shows files’ information: name, date modified, type, size
and others you can set (Turn menu bar on, then View
then menu choice Choose Details).
c) Uses Graphical User Interface to let you move files
around, copy them, erase them.
A. Units for measuring file sizes

 One byte = one character, pretty small

 1 Kilobyte = 1024 bytes, about a page of text
 1 Megabyte = 1024 KBs, a 1000-page book
 1 Gigabyte = 1024 MBs (more than 1 billion bytes),
about 1000 books, a library!
 1 Terabyte = 1024 GBs (more than 1 trillion bytes),
over 1000 libraries
 1 Petabyte = 1024 TBs (more than 1 quadrillion bytes),
over 1 million libraries
B. Relationships of units

 1024 = 512 * 2
 1024 = 256 * 4
 1024 = 128 * 8
 1 Gb = 1024 Mb
 So 0.5 Gb = 512 Mb
 And 0.25 Gb = 256 Mb
 If I had seven 512 Mb files and a 2 Gb memory stick,
would they all fit? How much space left over? How much
more needed?
 C. File Sizes and Dates
 A file contains data, stored as a group of bits.
• File size is usually measured in bytes, kilobytes, or
megabytes.
 The file date indicates the date that a file was created or
last modified.
D. File Sizes and Dates
 Why is the file size important?
• Memory and Storage Capacity
• “How many songs can I fit on my MP3 player?”
• “How many pictures can I take with my camera?”
• "Did all my data get saved?“
• “Did I submit a file for the lab test that was
empty?”

 Why is the file date important?

• History of File Creation and Last Modification
• “Which one is the latest version of my paper?”
• “Did I submit my lab test on time?”
 4.7: What is a Folder?
 When you start using your computer, first, you create files
which are seen on the desktop screen.
 As you continue to create the files, there will be a time
when the files will be numerous or many on the desktop
screen.
 You will ask yourself, how do I organize these files so that
I can easily retrieve or bring similar files together?
 The only answer to your question is creating a folder.
 So, a folder is defined as a directory or special casing use
in storing or organizing files. Folders are “file manager.”
Picture of a folder
 Vista A. Working with Folders
folder XP folder

 Folders are electronic locations to store groups of related

files
 Create new folders at any time whenever they are needed.
 Windows XP automatically creates a My Documents folder.
 Windows Vista automatically creates a Documents folder.
B. Naming Files and Folders 25

 Use meaningful, easily recognizable file and folder

names
• 2008-budget-proposal.xlsx
• Brown Act.docx
• ABC-conf-May08.pptx
 Special considerations
• Dates
• Underscores
• Spaces
 Be consistent
 C. Renaming Files and Folders
 Rename a file or folder after you have created it.

A right-click on any
filename displays the
Rename command

• You can also rename a file by clicking the name once,

waiting about one second, and clicking again to select the
name. You can then type a new name.
D. Organizing Files and Folders

 Group files and folders

 Name each group
 Create and delete folders
 Move files and folders
E. Organising Files
 The management of computer files and paper files has
much in common. If all the paper documents accrued in a
house or business were stored in a single drawer without
using paper folders, it would soon become impossible to
find anything
 A well organised house will have some filing system to
segregate electric bills from telephone bills and from bank
statements etc. Files on a computer should be managed in
a similar fashion
 A good practice is to use a Personal Folder to organise
files. This is the equivalent of a filing cabinet in paper filing,
it can be created in the My Documents folder or in the C:
Drive of the computer.
 This folder is the Root Folder of the filing system.
Subfolders can then be created for subject areas etc Within
these, further subfolders can be used to organise the files
within each subject. An example is shown below:
• Create a Root folder in My Document
F. Subfolders
 Create Subfolders within the root folder for subject
areas etc.

• Create further subfolders within the subject area folder

  Continue the process until the required level of
organisation achieved

 This organisation will make files easier to find and backing

up your files will involve copying the root folder to the
backup device
4.8: Methods of Creating Folders
 Folders can be created by a number of methods:

Method 1:

• Browse to where you want to create the folder

• Click the File menu, choose New and then Folder.
• The folder is created
• Type a name for the folder and press Return or click
away from the folder to complete
Method 2:
 Browse to where you want to create the folder
 Right-click within the window choose New and
then Folder

 Complete as for method 1

 Method 3:
 A folder can be created while saving a file in a computer
application

• In Word 2007, click the Office button and choose

Save As and Word Document.
• Browse to the required folder and click the Create
New Folder button
• Name the folder and Double-click it to open it. Save
the file in the new folder
 4.8.1: Managing Files and Folders
 Files and Folders can be Selected, Copied, Pasted,
Moved, Renamed and Deleted

Selecting Files

 To select a single file, just click it. It changes colour on

selection
• To select consecutive files, click the first file, hold
down the Shift key and select the last file. The files
in between are automatically selected
  To select non-consecutive files, hold down the Alt key
and select the files in turn
 To select all the files in a folder, click the Edit
command and choose Select All
Note: The above procedures apply equally to groups of folders.
A: Copy and Paste Files

 First select the required file/s. Then right-click

the files and choose Copy. The files are copied an
area of memory called the Clipboard.
 Browse to the destination folder, right-click it
and choose Paste
 B. Moving and Renaming files

Moving Files Rename Files

• The procedure is similar to Files must be renamed
copy and paste except that individually.
instead of choosing Copy, To rename a file, right-click it
you choose Cut . and choose Rename.
Type the new name and press
Return or click away from the
file.
4.9: How to Delete Files and Folders

1. Select either the file or folder.

2. Press on the Delete key on the keyboard .
3. If you are using Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, the file or
the folder will be deleted immediately .
4. But if you are using widow 7 a dialog box will pop-up asking
you if you are sure that you want to delete the file.
5. When you click Yes, it will go to the Recycle Bin but when
you choose “No” the action of deleting the file or folder will
be cancelled.

OR
a) Right click on your mouse and hold it.
b) Select Delete from the right click menu.
 The file or folder will be deleted immediately if you are
working with windows 8.1 and 10; Window 7 will always
ask you a question if you are sure that you want to move
the file or folder to the Recycle Bin.
 A. Deleting files and Recycle bin
Deleting Files The Recycle Bin
 Select the files to be  Files and folders deleted from
deleted. the computer are placed in the
 Right-click any selected recycle bin. They are not lost
file and choose delete until the recycle bin is emptied.
from the menu. Click
the Yes button in the •In the example below, the
dialog box. folder is right-clicked and
Delete is chosen
 The folder is sent to the recycle bin and the bin icon
changes from empty to full.

 To Undelete the folder, right-click the recycle bin

and choose Open.
 From the Edit menu, choose Undo Delete to restore
the folder to it’s original location. The recycle bin icon
changes back to empty.
 B. Restoring Deleted Files & Folders
 restore a file or folder: In the MS Windows desktop, double-
click the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin window is displayed.
 Right-click the file or folder to restore. A shortcut menu will
be displayed.
Restore all contents in the Recycle Bin
• Click Restore
Emptying the Recycle Bin.
• Click Empty the Recycle Bin.
C. Zipping a file or files

 Files can be compressed by removing the redundancies in

them
 Zip also archives them - turns several files into one file,
easier to move, copy, upload, etc.
 Created by Phil Katz in 1989
 In Windows, select the files to zip
 Right click on one of them
 Choose "Send to compressed folder"
 You may need to rename the file afterward
a) Select the files you want to add to the zip file
b) Right-click one of the files. A menu will appear.
c) In the menu, click Send to and select Compressed
(zipped) folder
d) A zip file will appear. If you want, you can type a
new name for the zip file
e) In Windows, once you've created a zip file you can
then add more files to it by dragging them onto the zip
file's icon.
4.10: Shortcuts

 This can create another icon which points to a file or

folder or program.
 Double clicking on it is equivalent to double clicking on
what it points to.
 But be careful! The shortcut is NOT a copy of the file!
If the original file is moved or deleted, the shortcut does
not work.
 When submitting lab tests, be careful of this! Do not
send your TA JUST a bunch of shortcuts!
 Locate and right-click the desired folder, then select
Send to Desktop (create shortcut)
 A shortcut to the folder will appear on the desktop. Notice
the arrow in the lower-left corner of the icon. You can
now double-click the shortcut to open the folder at any
time.

 You can also hold the Alt key on your keyboard, then click
and drag the folder to the desktop to create a shortcut.
 A. Selecting more than one file
 There are a few ways to
select more than one file
at a time:
 If you're viewing your
files as icons, you can
click and drag the
mouse to draw a box
around the files you
want to select. When
you're done, release the
mouse; the files will be
selected. You can now
move, copy, or delete all
of these files at the
same time
 To select specific files from a folder, press and
hold the Control key on your keyboard, then
click the files you want to select.
 To select a group of files from a folder, click the first
file, press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard,
then click the last file. All of the files between the first
and last ones will be selected.
B. Selecting all files

 If you want to select all files in a folder at the same

time, open the folder in File Explorer and press Ctrl+A
(press and hold the Control key on your keyboard, then
press A). All of the files in the folder will be selected.
 C. Searching Files & Folders

1. Click Start button.

2. In the Start menu search box,
type the name of the file or
folder to search.

• As you type, items that match

your text will appear on the
Start menu.
• The search is based on text in
the file name, text in the file,
tags, and other file properties.

3. Click the file to open or click

See more results. The Search
Results window is displayed.
D. The Search Results window is displayed.
E. Searching Files & Folders
4.11: Using a Text Editing Application

 MS Windows has
two text editing
programs:
• Notepad
• MS WordPad.
Opening MS
WordPad
1. Click Start button.
2. Click All
Programs.
3. Click Accessories.
4. Click WordPad.
 A. Using a Text Editing
Application
To save a file:
1. In the Quick Access toolbar,
click Save button. The Save
As dialog box is displayed.

2. Browse to the drive and

folder where the document file
will be saved.
3. Type a name for your
document in the File Name:
box.
4. Click Save button.
 B. Using a Text Editing Application

To close WordPad: To open an existing

WordPad File
1. Save your work. 1. In WordPad, click Open
2. Click WordPad tab. button. The Open dialog box.
3. Click Exit. 2. Browse to the drive or folder
that contains the document to
open.
3. Double-click the document
you want to open.
Conclusion
 File and folders management are vital tools for librarians in
the storage of information and records of our business,
studies and other activities for easy access and effective
retrieval of such documents for information dissemination
to the desired users.
 When any information or data stored are given a file name,
it makes it easier for identification.
 Also, folders enable us to organize similar files and store
them in a folder bearing a name that is common among the
files, just as it is done with the classification of books in the
library or information in our phones.
 Prescribed Readings

 Ravichandran, D. (2008). Introduction to computers and

communication. New Delhi: Tata McGraw- Publishing
Company Ltd. 287 – 303.
 Parson, J. J. and Oja, D. (2004). New perspectives on
computer concepts-7th ed.USA: Course Technology
Thomson learning inc, 78 – 89.
 END OF LECTURE

THANK YOU SO MUCH

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.