Managing Files on your Computer - WebCT Info

Managing Files on your Computer

Managing Files

File Types, Renaming Files

The software you are using will automatically save your file as the type that applies to your current
application. For Microsoft Word documents, for example, will end with the extension .doc.
Therefore, if the name that appears in the Word Save dialog box is "myfile", then the actual name
of the file will be "myfile.doc". Look at the Save as type or File Type box when you save a file - it
will either tell you the actual file extension that will be used or the kind of file.

There will be times when you will want to change the file type. To do so:

q select Save As from the File menu
q Hold the mouse down on the arrow in the Save as type/File Type box.
q Make your new file type selection from the scrolling list that appears.

This process will create a second copy of the file with the new name. Warning - Microsoft Word
may keep the new file in it's window. If you make changes to the file after you have changed the file
type - those changes will be saved as a part of the new file and won't be a part of the original file. If
you are not aware of this, you stand the chance of losing track of new work.

How Files Get Named

The first time you save a document, you will be shown the Save dialog box. Some software will
automatically give the file the name "Untitled". Microsoft Word will automatically will pick the
beginning words of the document as the title. If you do not change the name that your software
presents - it will be named as such. If you don't pay attention to what your file is named, you might
have trouble finding it again, especially if you are attaching your file to a message or uploading it as
an assignment.

How to Rename your File

There are several ways to accomplish this. First find your file by using your system's Find File
software, or by looking on your desktop or in your computer's windows or in the file save or open
dialog box. Then, use one of these methods:

q Click the filename once. Wait until the box appears around the file name. You do not need to open it.
When the file name becomes highlighted, make your file name changes. Then click outside the file
name.

q On a PC, after you find your file, right click it and selet Rename from the pop-up menu.

q On a MAC, after you find your file, highlight it and select Rename from the File menu

q In the software you used to create the file, like Microsoft Word, open the file. Select Save As from the
File menu. Save the file with a new, appropriately constructed name. Make a note of where your file
is stored.

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Managing Files on your Computer Sharing Files in
WebCT
Sharing Files
You can attach your file
You may have a need to give a copy of a file that you created to a Mail message or a
to someone else - to faculty as part of an assignment, to a Discussion Topic
colleague working on a collaborative project, etc. If that person message. If you have
does not have the software you have used to create the file, he been placed in a
or she may not be able to open and use your file. discussion group, you
can share files with fellow
If you are concerned about this or have been told to provide group members by
your file in a different format attaching your file to a
message that you post to
1. select Save As from the File menu. your group's private
2. Change the File Type (see above). Select the Rich discussion topic.

Text Format (.rtf) if possible - if Rich Text Format is not
an option, select Text or Plain Text.
3. Click Save or OK.

Finding files on your computer

There are two general ways to find a file on your computer for later use.

Use your system software - on a PC, select Find from the Start menu followed by Files or Folders.

Pay attention to the entry in the Look in box - make sure you are not just looking in a specific folder - you can use the
arrow to change the starting folder.

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Managing Files on your Computer

On a Mac, select Find from the Desktop Edit menu.
In both cases, you'll need to type the name of the file you are looking for.
You may enter a part of the file name in this manner: part* - this will look for all file names that begin
with "part". For more information on truncating file names, consult your computer's help software.
If you do not remember the name of a file, you may be able to rely on the software you used to create
the file for help.
For example, in Microsoft Word, your file may be listed at the bottom of the File menu. (Other
software may have a Recent Files option on the File menu; on a Mac, you will likely have a Recent
File option on the Apple menu.)

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Managing Files on your Computer

If once you see the file name, you still don't know where the file is located, you can open the file and
the select Save As from the File menu.
Look at the Save in location by holding the mouse down on the arrow in this box. You will see the file
hierarchy and the path to your file.
If you are trying to find a file that was created by other software, or that you've downloaded from the
Web, or from within WebCT and the dialog box comes up in a place that you are not familiar, you can
use the arrow to locate your file or click the Desktop or My Documents icons to get to folders that you
use.

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Managing Files on your Computer

Keep in mind that if you are looking for a file from within a browser, the file type may default to HTML
Files. You may need to change the File Types to all files in order to find your file.

Saving Files on your Computer

A critical component in becoming an efficient Web user is learning how to save elements from the
Web to your computer's hard drive and being able to locate what you save.
No matter what software you are using, when you select Save or Save As, on a Mac or a PC, a
dialog box will appear prompting you for three critical pieces of information: where to save the file,
what to name the file, and what file type to save it as.

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Managing Files on your Computer

Where to Save the File

Whether Mac or PC, your computer's hard drive is organized as a hierarchy of folders and files. At
the top of the Save dialog box, there will be the name of the folder (or physical part of you
computer) that the Save function is currently pointing to. If you do nothing but click Save now, your
file (image, Web page, Word file, etc.) will be saved in that location, with the same file name that is
in the browser box below the location viewing box and in the same format or file type indicated in
the box below the file name. If you don't pay attention to these items, you may not be able to find
your file later on, efficiently or at all.
Hold the mouse down on the arrow next to the name of the current location that the dialog box is
pointing to. You will see the hierarchy of the current saving location.

PC

On a PC, the topmost level on this list will be the desktop, from which you
can select My Computer or files or folders that you can see on your desktop.
To get to the My Documents folder, for example, you would select My
Computer, select System (C:) and then scroll to find the My Documents
folder. If you want to locate the Floppy Drive, you would select My
Computer and then 3 1/2 inch Floppy (A:).

Mac

On a Mac, the bottom item on the list will be the Macintosh HD. To see the

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Managing Files on your Computer

Desktop - you must click on the Desktop button on the right side of the Save
dialog box. To find the Documents folder, for example, select Macintosh HD
and scroll to find the Documents folder. The Mac floppy drive will be at the
same hierarchical level as the Macintosh HD, represented with an icon of a
floppy disk and the name of the disk (which would be "Untitled" if you've
never used the disk before.).

Making New Folders within your document folder

Let's say you are using My Documents (PC) or Documents (Mac) as your standard place to save
things. You can still organize files within these folders. When you are saving a file, you can click on
any folder before saving. You can even create a new folder the from the Save Dialog box, while
you are in the process of saving the file. To do so:

click on the New Folder icon at the top of the dialog box (PC) or the New Folder button on the right side of the dialog
box (Mac).

After clicking this button, an icon for your new folder will appear in the location window, waiting for you to rename the
new folder.

You must double click this folder in order open it - to receive the file you are about to save.

Naming files and "Save As"

A basic concept that is a part of saving files on a computer is that software knows if the document
you are working on has been saved already - at least once. If you click Save for the first time for
your document, some software will automatically give the file the name "Untitled". Microsoft Word
will automatically will pick the beginning words of the document as the title. If you do not pay
attention to the name of the file that appears in the Save dialog box, you will not know how to
locate your file in the future. Also, if the software automatically creates the file name "Untitled",
there is potential for overwriting other files with the same name.

You may change the file name by typing over the name that appears in the File Name box.

The next time you click Save for this document, your software will automatically save your changes

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Managing Files on your Computer

to the same file. You may wish to protect this original file, or you may wish to make a copy of the
original before you start to make changes. To do so:

q select Save As from the File menu
q Changing the name that appears in the File Name box will create a new file that is a copy of

the document or file you are working on.
q After the Save As function is complete, you will be working on the new version - not the

original.

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