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2 2 Files and Folders
Files and Folders

Pre-Processing

• Files • Folders
• File Explorer • Working with Files and Folder
• Changing the View in File Explorer

Microsoft Windows 10 enables you to save and organise your work in the form of files and folders. To
understand the concept of files and folders, take the example of a wardrobe commonly used at home.
If you dump all your clothes in the wardrobe, it may create a mess, and you will be unable to find them
quickly. So, you must arrange them properly in separate shelves. Similarly, a computer stores information
in files, which are organised and grouped in folders.
The Windows operating system family always included a program for file and Folder
management. The earliest of these was called File Manager in Windows 3.x family.
The program was renamed Windows Explorer in Windows 95. Windows Explorer
was named File Explorer in Windows XP operating system. Successive versions of
Windows introduced new features and capabilities, and generally progressed from
being a simple file system navigation tool into a task-based file management program. File Explorer Icon
Let us understand the basics about files and folders, and learn how to manage them using File Explorer.

FILES
A File is a collection of data that has been created, named, and stored on the hard disk of
a computer or on an external storage media.
Your computer contains files that are used internally by your programs, as well as the
documents, images, spreadsheets, presentations, and other information that you create.
Filename
Every file stored on a computer has a Filename. The name given to a computer file distinguishes it from
other files. A filename can be a combination of letters and numbers followed by a period (.) and extension.

Knowledge Discovery Subject Enrichment

Always save a file with a meaningful name that relates to its content. A filename should not be more than
255 characters. You cannot use any of these special characters – \ / ? : * “ > < | – in a filename.

Filename Extensions
A Filename Extension is a set of characters added to the end of filename. It helps Windows to understand
what kind of information is in a file and which program will open it.
For example, in the filename Myfile.txt, the extension is .txt. It tells Windows that it is a text file and can
be opened by programs associated with that extension, such as WordPad or Notepad.

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