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File Management |
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What exactly is file management? Doesn't a computer do that automatically? Well, I suppose it does but Bill Gates' idea of file management is not necessarily the same as yours or mine. File management means keeping your virtual office, which is what your computer is, in a logical order so everything you create is easily found when you want it, easy to update and backup and easy to retrieve if you ever have a computer break down. New computers assume certain file handling defaults and will guide you to save your work into various places but this is not necessarily the most efficient way to work. It will pay you many times over to organize your computer in your own fashion, as you would your office. A few terms: Your hard disk is the hardware device within your computer on which all your information is saved. It's divided into different physical areas into which you place the documents you create or receive (your letters, invoices, spreadsheets, saved e-mails, etc.). These areas are called folders (the older term is 'directories'). The design concept was to mimic the office file cabinet drawer which has titled folders into which you put documents that are related. On the computer, you also have folders which you name and in which you can store computer generated documents (referred to as 'files') which are logically related. You can name and arrange the folders (and files) in which you will save your data, as you like. Just as in real life, on the computer the object of file management is to keep similar things together. In your office you wouldn't store paid phone bills with letters to your mother - it just wouldn't make sense and you'd never be able to find what you want. You would have separate folders for these things. The file management window in Microsoft Windows® is called the Windows Explorer (formerly, File Manager). On a MAC® it is the Finder®. Here you can view all your folders and files and see their hierarchical order and how they relate to each other. You can also move them around, create new folders, delete folders and files, do searches for files who's whereabouts you may have forgotten, etc. Get to know this window well. This is your primary file management tool. The computer is even more flexible than a real-world filing cabinet in that you can nest folders within folders, almost interminably. This means you can create a comprehensive hierarchy of folders that are logical and will make things easy to locate. Design a folder structure that will work for you and then create it on your machine. Afterward, you will start storing your files in these folders. A few examples: Note: On today's computers you can use long file and folder names. Use this facility to make your names clearly descriptive while remaining concise. You might want to include the creation date and/or client code in the file name.
Each of the above bulleted items is a folder. You can store multiple (as many as you like) documents (files) in each folder. The folder hierarchy, when written out, looks essentially like an outline with each item being a container for related files. Once you have set up your folder structure, you can start saving the documents you create into their logical places. Now, when the application you are working on (your word processor, spreadsheet application, photo editor, etc.) asks you where to save your document, you can proudly point to it's proper folder and know you will be able to find it in an instant the next time you need it. David Goldberg |
