Organizing Files

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Electronic organization is just as important as physical organization. After using a computer only a few times, you will probably start to accumulate files, and the more files you have, the harder they are to locate. Computer folders are the solution for organizing and grouping your files. A folder can be empty, hold one file, multiple files, or even other folders. Folders within a folder are often referred to as subfolders. Folders can be added, deleted, renamed, and stored in whichever way best suits your needs. For instance, you have hundreds of digital photos you want to share, but you don’t want to share different photos with different people. Organizing with folders can help you with that. First, you create one main folder for all your photos “My Photos.” Within that folder you create subfolders: “Family,” “Friends,” “Pets,” “Landscapes,” and “Holidays.” Within each of those subfolders, you create more subfolders by date or by subject matter. You want to share all of the photos with your mother, so you share the main “My Photos” folder with her. You only want to share family photos with your brother, so you share the “Family” subfolder.

Tips and Techniques for Electronic Organization

  • Create a folder for each project
  • For additional organization, you can create sub-folders within each course for each assignment
  • Take the time to accurately title each file
  • Mark drafts and final versions appropriately
  • Save your files or folders in multiple locations – on your PC, on the cloud, and on a portable drive. If something happens to one, you’ll still have several ways to retrieve your hard work. A good rule of thumb is to save to the cloud and backup to a drive once a week.

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