FILES AND FOLDERS

Topic: Files and Folders

When I am done this lesson, I will know:

 What a file and a folder is
 Icons for common file types
 How to save a file in Windows
 How to create folders and organize files
 Some tips for saving and organizing files

Pre and Post Self-Assessment

Pre Pre Post Post
Yes, I know No, I want to Yes, I know I still need
this learn this this more practice
to learn this
I know what a
file and a
folder are.
I know how to
create folders
and organize
files.

New Words and Terms

File
Folder
PDF

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What are Files and Folders?

A file is the common storage unit in a computer, and all programs and data are "written"
into a file and "read" from a file. Different types of files have different icons to help you
know what type of file it is.
Here are some common icons you may see for files:
PDF Icon
PDF is an acronym for Portable Document Format. PDF is a file format
that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks
like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically
transmitted using a PDF viewer like Adobe Acrobat.
Microsoft Word file Icon
Word is word processing software.

Microsoft Excel Icon

Excel is a spreadsheet program.

Microsoft Power Point Icon

Power Point is presentation software.

Google Docs Icon

Google Docs is word processing software you can access on Google
Drive.
Apple Pages Icon
Pages is word processing software for MAC.

Screen readers should identify what type of file is in focus after reading the file’s name.
A folder holds one or more files and can be empty until it is filled. A folder can also
contain other folders, and there can be many levels of folders within folders. Folders are
used to create a filing system online. Folders help you organize your files so you can
find them easily. All operating systems and cloud storage services allow you to create
and organize folders.
If you are using the Windows operating system there are already several different types
of folders already created:

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How to Save a File in Windows

There are generally five steps to saving a file:

1. Click “FILE” from inside the application or software you are working in. This is
usually in the upper left-hand corner of your screen.

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2. Select the “Save As” menu item.

3. Choose where you want the file to be saved.

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4. Change the file name.

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5. Click “SAVE”.

Screen reader users can usually press a keyboard command to access save and save
as options. A common one for save is Control + S, and a common one for save as is
pressing the F12 key. The dialog box that appears for saving files can be navigated with
the tab and arrow keys as usual.

Check Your Knowledge

List the five steps to saving a file:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

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Creating Folders and Organizing Your Files

Complete the tutorial to learn how https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/windowsbasics/working-

to create folders and organize your with-files/1/
files in Windows.

Source: GCFGlobal

Try this/Practice

If you have access to a computer, try creating and saving a file. Create a new folder and
move the file you created to the folder you created.

Screen reader users can create and manage files and folders from File Explorer. Here
are a few tips for navigating this app.

1. To navigate this app, use your arrow keys to move through the file and folder list, enter to
open files and folders, and the back-space key to back out of a folder. Alternatively, you can
press alt + Left arrow to back out, and Alt + Right arrow to go back into a folder. Use tab and
Shift tab to move through the various sections of the interface.

2. There is a ribbon system in File explorer that will allow you to access various
functions within the program. The Alt key will move you to the upper ribbon. Use arrow
keys to move through upper ribbon tabs. Use down arrow to get into the lower ribbon.
While in the lower ribbon you can navigate by using arrow keys, and control plus left
and right arrow keys to move between groups of items.

3. Selecting files and folders is done in several ways. Holding shift while pressing arrow
keys will select files and folders as you move, which is great for selecting a whole bunch
of files or folders that are in order. If you need to select multiple files and folders that are
not next to each other, hold down control while pressing the arrow keys, and press
space when you hear the file or folder you wish to select. Practise makes perfect here.

4. Cutting, copying, and pasting files and folders is easy. Cut is Control + X, Copy is
Control + C, and paste is control + V. Remember to select your file(s) and/or folder(s)
before using one of these quick keys. See #3 for steps to select files.

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5. Making a folder is easiest by doing the following. Press control + Space until the item
in focus says “Unselected.” Next, press the applications key and use your down arrow
to navigate to new. Next, press right arrow to open that menu, and use the up and down
arrow keys to find folder and press enter. Finally, type the name for your folder, and
press enter.

6. To rename a file or folder, press F2 when your screen reader’s focus is on the file or
folder you wish to rename. Be very careful renaming files, as you may edit the name in
such a way that the computer will no longer know what to do with the file. The
characters that appear after the period in your file name should not be changed. This is
the file extension. These extensions indicate file type or format.

Tips for Saving and Organizing Your Files

 Skip the Desktop. Never store files on your Desktop. It looks messy and
cluttered.
 File or delete downloads. Do not let files sit in your Downloads folder. Either file
them where they belong or delete them.
 File things immediately. If you wait to file things, your system may get out of
control. As soon as you create or receive a file, put it in a folder.
 Sort everything once a week. Tidy things up, delete any unnecessary files, and
generally stop things getting messy at least once a week.
 Use descriptive names. When you are naming your files, give them descriptive
names. “Wednesday” is not a great name. “Wednesday – Journal Entries -
January” is much better.
 Search is powerful. The “Search” feature within most operating systems is very
powerful. If you cannot find a file by looking, try searching for it. If you have
named your files and folders correctly, it will be easy to find.
 Do not use too many folders. Having too many nested folders gets annoying.
Each folder should have a minimum of about 10 files in it. If you only have two or
three files in each folder, you need to reconsider your filing system.
 Stick with it. Do not just give up after a few days. Commit to using your file
structure for a couple of weeks before scrapping it.

Source: Adapted from: https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-organize-computer-files--

cms-32191 (last accessed July 5, 2019).

Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework Connection

Competency Task Groups(s)
Find and Use Information  Read Continuous Text
 Interpret Documents

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 Extract Information from films, broadcasts and

presentations
Communicate Ideas and  Interact with Others
Information  Complete and Create Documents
Use Digital Technology  n/a

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