CEEE GirlTECH - PC Training for Girl Scouts

File Management

Using Windows Explorer

To access Windows Explorer

Click on Start, Programs, Windows Explorer
-OR- Right Click with your Mouse from the Start Menu

The window size can be changed by dragging the mouse diagonally from one of the corners of the window to increase or decrease the size of the window. You can also size each of the vertical windows within the larger one to see all of the information by dragging the mouse left or right.

Parts of Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer can be thought of as a file cabinet with folders inside filing drawers that contain sheets of paper.

Left Side of Window:

Desktop
     My Computer
          Various Drives
               Folders and/or Programs

* the indentations indicate the directory structure Right Side of Window:

Files and Folders within the folder selected at left. The selected folder on the left appears to be open with the contents seen on the right.

A minus sign on a folder means that the contents are shown below it
A plus sign on a folder means that more files are contained inside it than are visible.
When you want to see the details of your files (size, date created/modified) click on view/details. When you just want to see a list of files, click on view/list. (there is also an icon on the tool bar)

YOUR TURN

Open Windows Explorer
Click on the left side to see how the subfolders and files are shown on the right side of the window.
Use the scroll bar to move the contents in your window up and down...and left to right.
Click on the items on the menu bar to see the options provided.

Saving Files

Although you do not save files using Windows Explorer, you need to be familiar with the directory structure in order to successfully save the files you work on.

When saving files:

Click on 'File', 'Save As'

When the window opens, click on the drop down menu (the triangle button at the end of the 'Save in:' box) to display your drives.

Scroll to the drive letter (C: or A:), then double click on the folder (directory) to which you wish to save the file. You will see that folder in the the 'Save In' box.

Note: You may wish to create a new folder if a folder is not already available that seems to be a likely place to store your new file. (See Creating and Deleting Folders)

In the 'File name:' (toward bottom of screen) enter your choice of a filename.

In the Save as type:' (lower box) note the application you are using. (The file ending is usually already chosen for you. You have the option of changing it by clicking the triangle to the right of this menu).

Finally, click on the Save button.

YOUR TURN

Open Word Pad (Start, Programs, Accessories, Word Pad).
Type your name, school name, and the name of any pets you have.
Click on 'File', 'Save as'.
Go to the C: drive.
Find the 'Temp' folder and double click on it. It will pop into the box.
In the 'File name:' box, type 'test_doc' (without the ' ).
Click on the 'Save' button.
Now close the program and open it up again.
Click on the 'File', 'Open', and follow the same procedure as above to locate the file.
When you locate it, double click on the file to open it into Word Pad.
Close the program.

Finding Files

When you forget where saved your file, you can search for it using the Windows Find feature. You can locate files based on file name, a portion of a name, date, and/or the text included in a file.

Go to Start, choose Find, Files or Folders...

The find dialogue box comes up which looks like the image below.

Using a basic search, you indicate the file name or a portion of the file name (if you don't know it all) and search either your entire computer, or any drives or directories that you choose.

Here are some examples of ways of searching:

You saved a Word document to your hard drive [C:] but you can't remember the name or where it was saved (but would recognize it). The syntax for entering into the 'Named:' box would be

*.doc (this says show all files with a .doc extension)

*.ppt (this says show all files with a .ppt extension)

You want to find the file called 'budg-req. but you only remember part of the name -- 'budg'. The syntax would be budg* (this says show all files beginning with budg).

In the 'Look in:' box, click the Browse button and click on [C:] so that the search will start from the main level or root of the c: drive.

Then click on 'Find Now' to start the search.

Your search results screen will list the file or files which match your criteria. The screen functions like a window in Explorer or My Computer. Here you may open, delete, move, and copy files.

YOUR TURN

Open Explorer by clicking Start, Programs, Windows Explorer.
Open the 'Find' program by clicking on Tools, Find, Files or Folders.
In the 'Named:' box type *.doc
IN the 'Look in:' box click Browse and select C:
Click on Find Now.

You should see all the documents with the .doc extension on your C: drive (hard drive). When you find a file you are searching for, you can double click on the file name and it will launch the application and open your file.

Creating and Deleting Folders

Create folders by performing these steps:

Open Windows Explorer--Start, Programs, Windows Explorer

If your window is small you may need to enlarge it (maximize it or drag the right lower corner).

To create a folder (directory) on C: click one time on C: (on left) to highlight/select it.

Go up to the menu bar at the top and click on 'File", 'New', 'Folder'.

A folder box appears on the right. Type your desired folder name and click Enter.

On the menu bar at the top, click 'View', 'Refresh' and now you will see your new folder on the left.

NOTE: Sub folders can be created under already established folders in the same manner. On the menu bar, click one time on the folder and click 'File', 'New', 'Folder'.

YOUR TURN

Open Windows Explorer.
Scroll the left side scroll bar up until you [C:] and click once on [C:].
Go up to 'File' on the menu bar and choose 'New', 'Folder'.
Replace 'New Folder' with 'Downloads' and hit Enter. Now when you download something from the Web, you can put the file in this directory.
Click on [C:] again and make another folder called 'GirlTECH'.
Now click once on the 'GirlTECH' folder and create a folder name 'Lessons'. You may want to create another folder for another category you may want to use. (i.e. Images).

Delete

Select the file or folder and click the delete icon on your toolbar.
Select the file or folder and press the delete key (del)
Right click the file or folder nad choose delete.
Drag the file and drop it in the recycling bin on your desktop.

YOUR TURN

Close one of the Explorer windows if still open.
Click on A: to reveal your files on the right side
Left click on one of the files to select it
press your Delete key on the keyboard.
Now select another file on A:
Copy that file to your Temp directory (according to instructions above).
Double click on the Temp folder to see the file.
Now left click on that file to select it.
Drag the file to the 'Recycle Bin'. Remeber, that file is not really gone yet. You can retrieve it. But once you empty the bin it is history! Also, only files deleted from your hard drive can be retrieved from the Recycle Bin.

WARNING: When you delete a folder, you delete all files in that folder. Before deleting a folder, be sure that it does not contain files you wish to keep!

Copying and Moving Files

Copying Files

You can use several methods for copying (and moving) files:

right clicking,

clicking a toolbar icon,

clicking edit, copy on the menu bar,

pressing 'control c' on your keyboard, or

dragging your files to another location.

As you gain more experience and confidence, you will probably use the dragging option more frequently. Initially, you may prefer the other options.

Basically when copying files from one directory or drive to another, you are going to select the file, then use one of these methods to copy it to another location.

YOUR TURN

Try the following ways to copy files using the different methods:

RIGHT CLICKING

Put a disk with at least 3 expendable files to play with in your A: drive.
Open Windows Explorer
Click once on [A:] to reveal all the files on your disk (A: drive).
Right click on one of the files and choose copy.
On the left side click on C: and navigate down to the Temp folder.
Right click on Temp and choose Paste (left click).
Check it by double clicking on the Temp directory folder to see it displayed on the right side

MENU BAR

Click once on a file on your disk (A:), on the menu bar choose edit, copy.
Navigate to the directory folder where you wish to place your file(Temp). Select it by clicking on it once.
On the menu bar choose edit, paste.
Check it by double clicking on Temp to see it displayed on the right side.

KEYBOARD

Select a file on you A: drive (disk) by clicking on it once, press Ctrl C (hold down control while you press the letter c). Then release it--you have just copied it.
Navigate to the directory where you wish to place your file (Temp). Select it by left clicking on Temp once.
Press Ctrl V (hold down control while your press v).
Check it by double clicking on Temp and see it displayed on the right.

DRAGGING

NOTE: You need both directories visible to use this option. Or you can open up Explorer again and move the windows around for good viewing.

Then in one window locate the file to be copied .
In the 2nd window scroll to the desired target drive and folder so that it is visible.
Then click and hold the left mouse button on the file in the first window and drag it to the 2nd window to the desired folder:

Drop it precisely on the folder to which it will go. A small box will be visible around the selected folder, so that you can drop it within that folder. If you miss, check the folders above and below your selected folder to see if the file landed there. Otherwise, you may have to search to locate it.

TIP: You can copy several files at a time by

Left clicking on 1 file, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while you select the other files
Release the Ctrl key and on any one of the selected files drag to desired location.

YOUR TURN

Perform these copy maneuvers:

Click on A: to reveal your files on the right side.
Right click on one of the files and choose Copy.
On the left, scroll down to the Temp folder, right click on it, choose Paste. See how easy!
Repeat the same steps, but this time select the file and click on Edit on the menu bar, then perform the copy and paste.

Now let's try another copying maneuver. You are going to copy several files from one drive to another using 2 windows:

Open Windows Explorer
Open Windows Explorer again
On the task bar at the very bottom of the screen, find an open spot, right click in that space and choose 'Tile Windows Horizontally'. Now you have 2 windows open.
In the top window, click on A: to reveal your files on the right side.
In the bottom window, click on C: and scroll to the Temp folder.
In the top window, select 3 files by

Left clicking on 1 file, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while you select (left click) 2 other files. Now you see 3 highlighted (selected) files.

Release the Ctrl key and on any one of the selected files drag to the bottom window to the Temp folder. All 3 files were copied.

Moving Files

The process of moving files from one place to another is essentially the same. When right clicking, or choosing Edit from the menu,

Select your file.
Choose cut instead of copy
Then go to the drive or directory where you want to move the file and select paste.

Note: Dragging files only copies files -- they remain in 2 places. Also, remember you can move multiple files in the same manner as described under 'Copying Files'.

YOUR TURN

Try moving a file by doing the following:

On the left, click on A: to reveal your files on the right side.
Right click on one of the files and choose Cut.
Then scroll to your Temp directory on the left, right click on Temp and choose Paste.
Now click once on that same file in the Temp.
Click on Edit on the menu bar and choose Cut
Now click on A: and on the menu bar choose Edit, Paste.

This material was adapted from the original version written by Susan Boone.

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This website is maintained by Hilena Vargas (hvargas@rice.edu)

Updated: February 16, 2006

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