Using your personal computer

 

Hilton Head Island Computer Club

File Management

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During the recent APCUG (Association of Personal Computer User Groups) held before Comdex in Las Vegas I talked to another attendee about file management.  She told me she taught that to all their new novice members.  As we discussed it she commented on the need to use Windows Explorer to get that done.  I personally use Windows Explorer almost every time I use my computer.  Most of the users I meet do not use it regardless of their level of experience with Windows.  Windows Explorer and My Computer are and can be the same but the default look is different.

 

File knowledge is important because it is how windows works.  A typical computer today has somewhere between 30,000 to 60,000 files.  The actual number that is created by you could be as little as 10 to 100, or after a long period, into the few thousands.  After the last dot/period there are 3 or 4 alphanumeric characters.  This indicates the type of file and you can see there is the ability to have thousands of different types.  Your knowledge of 30 to 50 types will be about all you will need to know. 

 

By default, Microsoft does not think you should know about files.  In all versions prior the Windows ME, 2000 and XP,  Windows Explorer opened in My Computer.  Since then it opens in My Documents.  You see, Macintosh always was document oriented and is perceived to be easier to use.  However that does not change the fact that Windows is file oriented.  The file extensions are not shown by default and little is shown concerning the path to the files.  In any file system you have file cabinets, file drawers, file hangers and file folders.  So to find a particular item you need all the information relating to the document location.  It is exactly the same in the computer.  Originally they called them directories and now call them folders.  But you need to know the path to get to a file and we create shortcuts so that we do not need to write the path each time we want to get to a program, a document, a URL or even a folder. 

 

Many individuals I have encountered do not know where their individual documents/files are in the computer.  For that reason it is difficult to back them up and they generally do not know how much space (file sizes) and the approach to backup. 

 

My goal is to show you how to set up Windows Explorer and then to briefly show you how to use it.

 

Let us begin by putting a Windows Explorer shortcut on the Desktop.  Click Start->Programs->Accessories and right click on Windows Explorer.  And select Send To and then Desktop (create shortcut).  In Windows 95 and 98 you will find Windows Explorer under Programs.  If you can not find it on your Start menu, do this: Right click on an empty space of your Desktop.  Then select New and shortcut.  In the box with the blinking cursor type explorer.  Click next and then name the shortcut Windows Explorer and click Finish.

 

Now we begin to change how it will appear when open.  Right click on the icon we have added and select Properties.  It should open a dialog box with the Shortcut tab selected.  We want to click in the Target area just after the highlighted area.  Do not type anything yet or you may erase the whole target.  This is what the Target looks like for Windows XP: %SystemRoot%\explorer.exe.  In older versions it may show C:\windows instead of %SystemRoot%.   Enter 1 space after the exe and /e,/select,c:\ and then click on apply and then OK.  Then double click on the icon and open Windows Explorer.  I prefer to keep the open window in the normal window mode and size it so that I can see the information that is important.  When we have finished I will tell you what I consider important.  First, I would like you to click on View and select Details.  Next select Tools and then Folder Options.  In the General tab select Use Windows Classic Folders and then click on the View tab.  First any items that start with the word Display and you should have a check mark in the select box.  Next click in the circle area to select Show Hidden Files and Folders.   Finally uncheck in the box any item that starts with the word Hide.  In some versions of windows you will get a warning about un-hiding some system files but do it.  Now click on Apply in the lower right corner.  Next click in the Apply to all Folders and then Yes.  Do not click on OK.   We are finished setting up the way Windows Explorer will open.