HP A6300f - Pavilion - 2 GB RAM, Getting Started, Page: 117 / 222

Managing Files
107
Managing Files
A file is any unit of information that is named and stored on the computer hard disk drive
or other electronic storage media, such as a CD, diskette, or even in a digital camera. A
file can be a document, picture, music, video, or other data. Almost everything that you do
on the computer involves working with files.
The computer can copy files to other storage media within component drives, such as
diskettes, memory cards, CDs or DVDs, or it can send them to output devices, such as a
printer.
Organizing Files with Folders
In Windows Vista, folders enable you to organize the files on the computer. Like paper
folders within a filing cabinet, folders on the computer provide a way to group related files
together.
A folder can contain any type of file, and it can even contain other folders. Each file within
a folder must have a unique name, but two different folders can have files with the
same name.
There are two methods for working with files and folders on the computer:
The Computer view enables you to quickly see all the files and folders within a specific
folder on the computer. It also contains links to common tasks for managing files, such
as copying, moving, deleting, and renaming.
To open the Computer view, click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar,
and then click Computer .
Windows Explorer enables you to quickly see all the folders and files on the computer.
It also makes it easy to move or copy files from one folder to another.
To open Windows Explorer, click the Windows Start Button on the taskbar,
and then click Windows Explorer .
To navigate the Computer and Windows Explorer views, double-click folders to open and
display their contents. Click the
Back arrow button to retrace the path through the opened
folders.