2.2 Files and Folders

What Is a Folder?

A folder is a defined area of a computer or drive that stores subfolders and files (Figure 2.4). Organizing files into folders and subfolders makes it easier to locate a specific file and to keep files organized for the long term. Folders and subfolders are a hierarchical way of organizing your files.

Figure 2.4 A computer stores files in the same way you might store files in a filing cabinet (although maybe a little neater). (credit: “document file, folders, carton, paper” by PPD/Pixnio, CC0)

Using and Organizing Files

As you create and use files, you will develop a system of organization that works for your needs. In some cases, the entity that you work for will have a system that is used for all employees. The goal is to gather files in such a way that facilitates finding and using those files. You could organize files by type (all Word documents in one folder), by date, or even by project. Your system will depend on how you interact with your computer and how you plan to use the files you create or download. There is no one standard way to organize files, but here are a few tips to get you started:

• Decide on an organizational system that works for you.
• Use descriptive folder names and be consistent with naming.
• Make use of subfolders within the main folder.
• When files are created, place them in the appropriate folder.
• Regularly delete or archive files or folders that you no longer need.

Opening a File

To open an existing file, locate the file wherever it is saved. It may be saved on your computer hard drive, in the cloud, or on an external drive such as a flash drive. The easiest method for locating an existing file is by using the File Explorer folder (see Figure 2.5).

To access File Explorer, either double-click the manila folder icon on the desktop or access File Explorer through the Windows menu. You can also search for a specific file name using the search bar at the bottom of the screen or the search bar at the upper-right side of File Explorer. As you can see, there are several ways to find the file you are looking for.

Figure 2.5 File Explorer shows the folders on your hard drive and the devices that are connected to your computer. The Search This PC search bar finds specific files on your local hard drive. (Used with permission from Microsoft)

Once you have located your file, you can either right-click or double-click on the file to open it.

Creating a File

To create a file, you will likely begin in the application program itself. For example, to create a new presentation file, open PowerPoint or Slides. Or you can create a new file directly from the desktop: Simply right-click on the desktop screen itself, select New, and choose the file type you want, as Figure 2.6 shows.

The new file will be created when the application program opens. Once a new file opens, you can add text, images, and other items to your file as needed.

Figure 2.6 The various application programs are listed for you to select when creating a new file. (Used with permission from Microsoft)

Saving a File

Saving files might seem like a mundane task, but it is one of the most basic skills to master in computer work. In general, there are three broad categories of saving files: Save, Save As, and AutoSave. Save and Save As both give you the option to choose the file type and the name of the file. You would use Save if you are saving a file for the first time and also, as you go along if you are saving the file to your computer, rather than to the cloud. You can use Save As to save an existing file under a different name. This can be useful if you are keeping track of different versions or revisions of the same file. You would also use Save As to save the file in a different location on your computer. Finally, AutoSave does just what it implies—saves continuously as you make changes to the file. This is a nice feature in both Microsoft and Google applications, making it easier to retain changes in a file without having to constantly remember to save the file you are working with.

Moving and Deleting a File

From time to time, you will need to move and delete files as part of good computer housekeeping practices. To delete a file, right-click on the file you want to delete and choose Delete. Once deletion is confirmed, select OK. You can select multiple files by using either the Shift or Ctrl keys. Use Shift to select files that are listed together. You would click the first file and then hold Shift and click the last file in the list you want to move or delete. To select files that are not listed together, use the Ctrl key. Click on the first file, and then, to select additional files, hold the Ctrl key and then click on each file name.

To move a file, you can use one of two methods. You can click and drag the file to the new location. This is particularly useful if you have saved a file on the desktop and now want to move that file to a designated folder. Alternatively, you can Cut the file from its current location (see the Home tab) and then Paste the file to the new folder or location. This can be tricky if you do not immediately paste the file in another spot. Use caution when totally deleting files.

Recovering a File

After you have deleted a file, you may still be able to recover it. This is not always possible, but in some cases, you can recover files that have been deleted or, at least, locate a previous version that may be saved on your computer. First, check the Recycle Bin. Generally, you will find it on the desktop. Open the Recycle Bin by double-clicking on the Recycle Bin icon on the computer desktop. When you see the file that you deleted and now want to retrieve, select it by double-clicking on the file name. Then, choose Restore from the dialog box. You can also right-click on the file name and choose Restore from there. Another strategy is to simply search for the file on your computer in File Explorer. In the search bar, type in the name of the file (even a partial name will work). You may be able to locate the file or a version of the file through the search tool.

Windows systems have another option for retrieving deleted files, which involves restoring files from the file history. This is in the Systems and Security area of your computer’s Control Panel. The easiest way to access this tool is to type File History in the search bar by the Start menu (see Figure 2.7). If you have File History enabled on your computer, you can choose Restore your files with File History to search for the file you have deleted.

Figure 2.7 File History can also be accessed through your computer’s Control Panel. (Used with permission from Microsoft)

As a final option, there are apps that you can download to help you search and recover deleted files. Several apps that serve this purpose are free and can be helpful when searching for a deleted file.

Compressing and Extracting Files

Sometimes you’ll be working with a file that is too big to send as an email attachment. In that case, you can shrink the file down. It’s analogous to letting the air out of a raft so you can store it in a tight spot and then reinflating it later for use. The process of reducing the size of one or more files by removing unnecessary data is called file compression. Compression also allows larger files to be sent faster and more efficiently. Large files usually contain lots of dense graphics or video clips or photos. With compression, no content in the file is lost; the file is simply compressed in size by the computer to make it more manageable. These compressed files are often referred to as zipped files. But be aware that in some instances, email recipients may not be set up to receive zipped files. This is a setting that is managed by their information technology (IT) administrator. In this case, you may have to send the uncompressed file or share the file with the recipient in another way.

How to Compress and Extract Files

Locate the file or files that need to be zipped. Press and hold or right-click the file to select it, click Send To, and then select the compressed folder. Locate the zipped file that needs to have files extracted from it. You can extract a single file, open it, and then drag it from the extracted folder to a new location. Or, to extract all contents of the zipped folder, you can press and hold or right-click the folder and select Extract All.

Rich Text Format (RTF)

Microsoft developed Rich Text Format (RTF), or .rtf, files in 1987 to enable other Microsoft applications to read Word output more easily. Today, the .rtf format can be used to make your .docx file more compatible so that other software can use the information in the file more readily. For example, information from a Word document that is saved as an .rtf file type can be fed into a database program. Text in .rtf appears fairly “plain”—that is, with minimal formatting. .rtf files have stayed more or less the same as when they were first released, but Word .docx files are frequently updated. To put it another way, an .rtf is less sophisticated than a .docx file and may not support all the features of a newer .docx. To save a file as an .rtf, go to the File tab, click on Export, hover over Rich Text Format, and then click Save As.

Portable Document Format (PDF)

In the business setting, you will see many documents in Portable Document Format (PDF), or .pdf. Unlike .docx format, the .pdf format is designed as a publishing platform, so .pdf documents are not easily editable. This is an advantage because it means that everyone who opens the .pdf document will see the same format, alignment of objects, font style and size, images, tables, graphs, and so on. The appearance of the document will not change across any computer, phone, tablet, or other device. The Word file format, by contrast, is designed to be fully editable, so if you use Word 2019 or Word 365 (part of Microsoft 365), for example, to open a .docx created in Word 2013 or Word 2016, you may see unintended and unwelcome changes, such as a shifted object.

Countless companies and other institutions typically release their annual reports and other public documents in .pdf format. WorldCorp publishes its annual report using the .pdf format. Local townships, public schools, and community agencies also are likely to distribute their newsletters and other information as .pdf documents. Further, many job seekers produce a .pdf version of their résumé, as Figure 2.8 shows, to prevent style or alignment changes when the prospective employer opens the file.

Figure 2.8 Saving as a .pdf file can preserve formatting and spacing in documents such as résumés and newsletters when they are shared with others and opened in other programs. (Used with permission from Microsoft)

Web Page/Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Many professionals have their own web page, featuring their professional experience, skills, contact information, and samples of work or testimonials. The content of such a website can be created in Word. For more than a decade, Word has doubled as a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) HTML editor—a web page design application that lets users make their own web pages without needing to know hypertext markup language (HTML). HTML is one of the major programming languages that web designers use to make websites. Essentially, Word lets you write the content of your web page as if you were writing any document in Word; you can add images, objects, and graphs, then Save As an .html file. However, there are better ways to create content for websites rather than using Word. We will discuss more about this later in the book.

Today, many people use packaged services such as WordPress or Squarespace to create their own websites. You may still find some people who prefer to use Word to create their website or at least to design the initial content and layout of the site. Also, note that just creating a website doesn’t make it available on the web. The website will need to be published, a domain name purchased (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com), and it hosted through a paid service such as GoDaddy.

Graphics

Graphics file formats are for pictures and moving images. In general, graphics can mean any program that allows a computer to display these types of images. But for our purposes here, it means a file format. Without going into detail that is beyond the scope of this text, these graphics file formats organize their information in different ways. You just need to be able to recognize what they are in the workplace.

• JPEG, which stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, is the most common of the formats. Its benefit is that the files can be quickly uploaded to any platform, even if the images are large. However, if the files are compressed and decompressed multiple times when sending, the images can lose quality.
• PNG files (.png) are higher quality than JPEGs. PNG stands for portable network graphics. This file type is best for images with sophisticated backgrounds, making them denser and therefore needing more storage space on the hard drive, and more time to load on your computer.
• GIF (.gif) stands for graphics interchange format. It is a file format that works well for graphics with few colors.
• PDF stands for portable document format. It is a common file format that works best for online documents that you don’t want altered. They print well, too. A PDF (.pdf) file format is not only used for text, but for images such as photos, as well as audio and video. Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Word, and Docs are some of the applications that allow you to create PDFs.
• SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file formats support digital illustrations made up of geometric shapes. SVG (.svg) file formats retain the highest quality even when resized, but they are not applicable to social media platforms.
• MP4 (Moving Picture Experts Group) is a multimedia format that stores internet videos. MP4 (.mp4) files can contain audio and subtitles. They take up a manageable amount of computer storage space and you can easily upload them on a social media channel or a website.