Keeping your computer organized is important. Not only does it make you more productive, but should disaster strike it allows you to know where to look to recover those files. I generally keep items I'm currently working with on the desktop. It is an immediate notification that something needs attention. If I'm done downloading a file, or have completed a project I move it to the appropriate location. I've set up folders for websites, work, books, music, videos, etc. Your organizational methods will vary greatly from mine (and probably be better). But that raises the question of how. How do I get those files where I want them?
That is exactly the question Terry asked:
Some of us have never learned to transfer files from one place to another with disks, external and flash drives.
My eyes glazed over 25 years ago with talk of paths and DOS.
A little background information
For those who aren't familiar with the terms DOS and path, that Terry used, let's have a quick definition:
- Path - The actual location of a file. The path to a file called myfile.txt which is currently on my desktop is c:\user\dave\desktop\myfile.txt. This is a relatively short path. They can be much longer. A file path leads you to a location, which in this case is a file. As you can see it is not something you would easily remember if you had to memorize the path to each file on your computer.
- DOS - Disk Operating System. DOS is actually an operating system that pre-dates Windows 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista. DOS is very powerful, but it isn't pretty to look at. It resembles the command prompt often referred to in the Windows version you are familiar with. In fact everything was done with text commands and paths. So now you have to remember a command and the path to the file. Sounds great, doesn't it? A simple move required a command followed by the complete path of the file followed by the complete path to the location where you would like the file to end up. If you weren't good with a keyboard simply moving a small files could take a few minutes.
DOS looked very similar to the Windows command prompt you may be familiar with!
Windows 3.1 introduced the GUI (Graphical User Interface), which adds a nice colorful screen with pictures. The most important aspect of the GUI is it replaces text commands and paths with icons and pictures, which are easier for the average user to work with. Basically, when you manipulate files and folders Windows is doing the grunt work entering text commands and file paths for you behind the scenes. That is way over simplified, but you get the idea!
The point is, though for some typing commands may be quicker, Windows is a point, click, and drag operating system. To work within Windows the user points, clicks, and drags. You do it every time you use Windows. Manipulating and moving files works the same way. A few important terms you should know are:
- Clipboard - A section of memory that Windows uses to temporarily store information for the user.
- Cut - Removes the file or object from the original location and places it in the Clipboard.
- Copy - Copies the file or object to the Clipboard, but leaves the original in the current location.
- Paste - Removes the file or object from the clipboard and places it where you choose.
These functions work in almost every program you have, so take a moment and reread and understand them.
Removable drives
The computer world was ruled by floppy drives in the 1980s and early 90s. Flash memory has changed that. You will hear words like flash drives, usb drives, and thumb drives. All refer to small, reusable, removable (not permanently connected to your computer) usb devices for storing and transporting files. These devices can take on almost any shape, but are often small devices that are similar in size to your thumb. Many of today's digital cameras and mp3 players can also function in this fashion.
A few pointers to keep in mind while using usb storage devices:
- Upon connecting a USB drive for the first time Windows will load a driver for the device, which may take a moment to complete.
- Try to use the Safely Remove Hardware feature to eject the device before removal, which is available by right clicking on the device in My Computer.
- Never (Never Ever) remove the device while it is being written to or read from. This will likely result in a loss of data on the device.
Here are some examples of common USB removable drives:
That should give you a little to think about until the next issue, when we will learn about actually moving files around your computer!
Continue on to Part 2 of this article