Computer Files and File Management

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Computer Files and File Management
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Why Is It Important to Manage Files?

• Stop wasting time looking for saved files
• Can find files more quickly
• Helpful in keeping file storage space clean and
  organized
• Enables one to free-up space when more space is
  needed
• Protects against getting a computer virus
• Allows the instructor to find your assignments
• Indicator of a proficient computer user

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File Storage Places on a PC
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File Storage Space at the University

• Every student has file storage space on the
  university mainframe computer
• This space can be accessed from any computer lab
  on campus
• You can also access this space from any computer
  hooked up to the Internet anyplace in the world
  (more later).
• If you access this space from a campus computer
  lab, this space is known as the k drive

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The www Folder on the Drive

• In this class you will save all your assignments
  to a specific folder/directory
• The name of this directory/folder is www.

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Folders/Directories

• What would you think of someone who filed papers
  in a filing cabinet but didnt use any file
  folders?
• All the papers were just stuck in drawers!
• That would be pretty stupid!!!!

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Folders/Directories

• You should create folders/directories on you
  storage media (hard drive, USB drive, K drive,
  etc.)
• This will help you manage your files.
• I have folders for each class, research projects,
  personal files, professional organizations, etc.
• Note the word folders is commonly used today in
  the earlier days of computing, folders were
  called directories. These terms are used
  interchangeably in this class.

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Creating Folders

• Many software programs give you the option of
  creating a new folder when you save the project
  on which you are working.
• Or, there are a couple of programs that come with
  your computer that allow you to create, move,
  rename and manipulate folders.

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File Management Programs

• Windows Explorer
• Start
• Programs
• Accessories
• Windows Explorer
• My Computer
• Start
• My Computer

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My Computer
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Windows Explorer
The Search function is a powerful tool for
finding files that you might have lost.

• A screen shot of Windows Explorer

Double Clicking on the top of any column will
arrange the files alphabetically, by size, etc.
Click here, then click Details to get detailed
information about the files.
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Microsoft Hides File Extensions!!

• Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, has hidden
  the file extensions.
• So, in Windows Explorer or My Computers, you have
  to turn this option back on. Go to
• Tools
• Folder Options
• View
• And uncheck hide file extensions of known types

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Creating New Folders

• In Windows Explorer click on File, then New, then
  Folder, then give a name to the new folder

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File Naming Conventions

• Originally, because of the limitations of
  computer operating systems, file names were
  limited to 8 characters (or less), followed by a
  period, and a 2-3 character extension.
• Smith.wps
• Hawkins.db
• No spaces were allowed in file names

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File Names

• Walker3.doc

Extension
File Name
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File Naming Today

• Today a file name can have up to 256 letters with
  a 3-4 character extension.
• Spaces are allowed in file names (more later).
• There is a commonly used scheme found in using
  file extensions.
• Software programs often assign commonly agreed
  upon letters as file extensions

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File Extensions

• In managing files, it is very, very helpful to
  know common file extension
• By looking at the extension you can tell if the
  file is a sound file, word processing file,
  spreadsheet, movie, etc.
• The first test will have several questions where
  you match a file extension with the type of file
  it is

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Word Processing File Extensions

• .doc Microsoft Word Document
• .docx Microsoft Word Document (2007)
• .wpd Wordperfect Document
• .wps Microsoft Works Word Processing Document
• .txt a plain jane file stripped of most
  formatting
• .rtf another text file but some formatting
  remains
• .dot A Microsoft Word template (or dotx for
  Word 2007)

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PowerPoint File Extensions

• .ppt an editable PowerPoint presentation
• .pptx an editable 2007 PowerPoint presentation
• .pps a PowerPoint self running show (.ppsx for
  2007)
• .pot a PowerPoint template (predesigned master
  slides for a presentation)
• .thmx a PowerPoint theme (replaces .pot)

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Video/Movie File Extensions

• .avi audio video interleave
• .wmv Windows Media Video
• .rm real media

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Image File Extensions

• .jpg (can also be jpeg) typically a photograph,
  an actual image (JPEG stands for Joint
  Photographic experts Group)
• .gif an image that is often a drawing or clip
  art instead of an actual picture (but it can be a
  picture)
• Animated graphics on the web are gif files
• GIF stands for Graphical Interchange Format

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More Image Extensions

• .wmf Windows Meta File, a vector based image,
  typically drawings or clip art
• .psd a file created in Photoshop

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Sound Files

• .wav a popular sound file format, works well
  with PowerPoint
• .ra real audio, a streaming audio file format
• .Mp3 works only with PowerPoint 2003
• .mid a really old sound format

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Other File Extensions

• .xls A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
• .xlsx A 2007 Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
• .mdb A Microsoft Access database file
• .mdbx - A 2007Microsoft Access database file
• .pdf An Adobe Acrobat file that can be read on
  any computer (PDF stands for Portable Document
  Format)

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Miscellaneous

• .bak backup, some programs and people rename a
  file with a .bak extension prior to them working
  on it.
• .exe an executable file, this is what installs
  programs on your computer
• .zip a file that has been compressed. It must
  be decompressed in order to be used.

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Approved Practices in Naming Files

• In this class we strongly suggest
• Using all lower case letters in file names
• In other words dont use both uppercase and
  lowercase letters in a file name.
• This is because URLs to find web files are case
  sensitive. If you get in the habit of using lower
  case file names, you will just prevent problems
  in developing web pages in the future.

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Approved Practices in Naming Files

• Dont have spaces in file names. Use the _
  instead.
• Older web browsers cant handle file names with
  spaces in them.
• organic_beef_production.pptx not
• organic beef production.pptx

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Examples of File Names

• Bad
• Petunias.PPT
• Beef Cattle.xls
• Photo of Dog.jpg

• Better
• petunias.ppt
• beef_cattle.xls
• photo_of_dog.jpg

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Working on Files Remotely

• If you are not in a campus computer lab and need
  to transfer a file to your k drive, you must
  use a software program known as a FTP program.
• You can also download files from the university
  server using a FTP program, or if you have
  Internet access, you can just open a file from
  the K drive using your web browser

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Typical Home PC File Storage
UniversityServer
Computer at Home
A drive
USB Drive
FTP Program
C Drive
K drive
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FTP

• FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol.
• You can download a FTP program for free and
  install it on your computer.

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FTP Program

• The University recommends the WinSCP program.
• It can be downloaded from http//winscp.net/eng/in
  dex.php.
• When you install it, indicate that you want a
  Norton Interface when asked that question.

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WinSCP

• When you run WinSCP, a login screen will appear.
• To login into NCSU, the Host Name
  isftp.ncsu.edu.
• You will alsoneed to enter your unity ID and
  password.

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WinSCP
This is the screen you will see next.
The left window shows files on the computer on
which you are working
The right window shows files on the university
server. Note the www folder
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WinSCP
To move files, just drag and drop them from one
screen to the other or highlight the file to be
moved and then click on the appropriate button at
the bottom of the screen.
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Not all files are friendly!!

• Some files may contain bad stuff for your
  computer!!
• Viruses
• E-mail viruses
• Trojan horses
• Worms

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Viruses

• A virus is a small piece of software that
  piggybacks on real programs. It can do severe
  damage to yourcomputer or files or slow you
  machine way down.

This cant really happen but you may feel like it
if you computer picks up a virus.
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E-mail Viruses

• An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to
  e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by
  automatically mailing itself to dozens of people
  in the victim's e-mail address book. So even if
  you get e-mail with an attachment from someone
  you know, it could be a virus that is actually
  e-mailing you. Avoid opening any attached files
  that end in .exe, .com, .vbs, .bat, .lnk, .scr.
  It is generally ok to open data files such as
  .doc, .ppt or .xls.

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Trojan horses

• A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The
  program claims to do one thing (it may claim to
  be a game) but instead does damage when you run
  it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses
  have no way to replicate automatically.

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Worms

• A worm is a small piece of software that uses
  computer networks and security holes to replicate
  itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for
  another machine that has a specific security
  hole. It copies itself to the new machine using
  the security hole, and then starts replicating
  from there, as well.

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Protecting Your Computer

• Practice Safe Computing
• Use an Anti-Virus Program (you cant afford not
  to)
• NCSU students can download Symantec AntiVirus
  for free
• http//www.ncsu.edu/it/antivirus/

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File Compression (Zipping)

• Files can be compressed.
• This is very handy, especially for Web users,
  because it lets you reduce the overall size of a
  file so it can be transmitted faster over slower
  Internet connections, or take up less space on a
  disk. Once you download the file, your computer
  uses a program (such as WinZip) to expand the
  file back to its original size.

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File Compression

• Winzip is popular commercial file compression
  program. You can download a trial copy for free.

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