Working with files and folders

A file is an item that contains information, for example, text or images or music. When opened, a file can look very much like a text document or a picture that you might find on someone s desk or in a filing cabinet. On your computer, files are represented with icons, this makes it easy to recognize a type of file by looking at its icon.

There are hidden files, Although you usually can t see a hidden file, it s an ordinary file in all other respects. You can choose whether a file is hidden or visible by changing its attribute feature of its properties to become hidden. If a file is hidden and you want to display it, you ll need to show all hidden files to see it. You can hide rarely used files to reduce clutter, but remember that hidden files still take up space on your hard disk. Although you can hide confidential files so other people can t see them, you shouldn t rely on hidden files as your only means of security or privacy
A folder is a container you can use to store files in. If you had thousands of paper files on your desk, it would be nearly impossible to find any particular file when you needed it. That s why people often store paper files in folders inside a filing cabinet. On your computer, folders work the same way. Here are some typical folder icons:

Folders can also store other folders, a folder within a folder is usually called a subfolder. You can create any number of subfolders, and each can hold any number of files and additional subfolders.
From the Computer folder, you can access locations such as hard disks, CD or DVD drives, and removable media. You can also access other devices that might be connected to your computer, such as external hard drives and USB flash drives. A common reason to open the Computer folder is to view the available space on your hard disks and removable media. If you right-click an item in the Computer folder, you can perform tasks such as ejecting a CD or DVD, viewing the properties of a hard disk, and formatting a disk.
Each time you turn on your computer, Windows keeps track of the way your computer starts and which programs you commonly open. Windows saves this information as a number of files in the prefetch folder (PF). This Windows prefetch folder is a specific location within the Windows operating system (subfolder of the Windows system folder) that contains small files detailing the startup activities and frequently-used application programs. Prefetching is beneficial to the Windows operating system because a typical Windows startup involves a multitude of files that often must be opened multiple times. This multiple-access behavior can take considerable time and slow the boot-up process, whereas the next time you turn on your computer, Windows refers to these files to help speed the start process. The prefetch folder is self-maintaining e.g. Windows maintains the prefetch folder automatically, and there s no need to delete it or empty its contents. If you empty the folder, Windows and your programs will take longer to open the next time you turn on your computer, this will not damage the OS, but it will force Windows to re-create the prefetch files for the operating system and applications.
Using libraries to access files and folders
Library is a collection of items, such as files and folders that are assembled from various locations, the locations might be on a computer, an external hard drive, etc. You can use libraries to access your files and folders, and arrange them in different ways. In libraries, you can include folders from different locations so that you can see the files in one place. This is a good way to keep your files organized so you don t have to search multiple locations to find what you re looking for. In some ways, a library is similar to a folder. For example, when you open a library, you ll see one or more files. However, you can t store files or folders in a library. This is a subtle, but important, difference between file and library.

There are four default libraries:
• Documents library: Use this library to organize and arrange word-processing documents, presentations, and other text-related files. By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Documents library are stored in the My Documents folder.
• Pictures library: Use this library to organize and arrange your digital pictures, whether you get them from your camera, scanner, or in e mail from other people. By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Pictures library are stored in the My Pictures folder.
• Music library: Use this library to organize and arrange your digital music, by default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Music library are stored in the My Music folder.
• Videos library: Use this library to organize and arrange your videos, such as clips from your digital camera, or video files that you download from the Internet. By default, files that you move, copy, or save to the Videos library are stored in the My Videos folder.