Managing your folders and files is a key skill. This page walks you through the major things you should know to work successfully on your computer.
Outcomes:
When you save a file, it goes into the hard drive on your computer. This hard drive (called the C:\ on Windows) organizes files into certain locations, called folders.
All modern systems store your files in several folders:
Downloads: this is supposed to be temporary spot for files downloaded by Safari or Chrome.Desktop: files/folders visible on your desktopDocuments: where you should store your long-term filesOrganize your files: link to video on YouTube
Here is a quick guide for organizing your files, slightly more focused on the Mac. link to video on YouTube
One wrinkle is that Windows often uses OneDrive. OneDrive is an online service that syncs your local files with servers in the Internet. Files are typically still stored on your computer, but are regularly uploaded. So, if you have OneDrive turned on, typically the OneDrive Downloads/Desktop/Documents is the same as the location on your hard drive.
If you use OneDrive, be careful during exams! If you save a file to OneDrive, and your Internet connection is spotty, your file may not save correctly. So, during exams, I suggest saving files to your local hard drive. If you submit an empty or unsaved file for an assignment or exam, you will receive a zero.
You should have a folder for our class. Then, create a folder for each week or major project. Store your files inside of this folder.
Right-click in a folder, and choose New folder (or press Control+Shift+N)
Right-click in a folder, and choose New Folder
Avoid modifying any files in your download folder. Instead, download them, and then copy them to the appropriate folder.
Guide to using Files Explorer on Windows.
I suggest disabling the Force touch feature:
System PreferencesTrackpad, the Point & Click tabForce click and haptic feedbackRight-click on a file, right-click copy, go to the new place, and click paste.
Or, move a file by opening a separate Finder window, and dragging/dropping your files.
One more thing that would be helpful in our class is to turn on file extensions. This will tell you the hidden information that lives in ever file’s name. So, when you save a Word document as my stuff, it actually is saved as my stuff.docx. The .docx tells the computer to open the file in Word.
As we work with more complex files, you will find that you can not just click on a file to open it in the right program. Instead, get in the habit of opening a program first. Then, inside of the program, open the file (usually by going to the file menu and choosing open).
For Windows:
For Mac:
When you take a screenshot, you capture what is on your screen as an image file. This is useful for assignments, exams, or sharing information with others.
This website has a good summary of how to take screenshots on different devices. Below is a quick summary.
Screenshot on PC
Windows key + Shift + S to open the Snipping Tool directly.Screenshot on Mac
Command+Shift+4. This will change your cursor to a crosshair.