Working with files
Understanding how to work with files and folders is an important part of using your computer.
Once you understand how files and folder work, you'll use them all the time. In this lesson, we'll show
you the absolute basics of working with files, including how to open files, move your files into
folders, and delete files.
What is a file?
There are many different types of files you can use. For example, Microsoft Word documents,
digital photos, digital music, and digital videos are all types of files.
What is a folder?
Windows uses folders to help you organize files. You can put files inside a folder, just like you
would put documents inside a real folder. In the image below, you can see some folders on the desktop.
File Explorer
You can view and organize files and folders using a built-in application known as File Explorer.
To open File Explorer, click the File Explorer icon on the taskbar, or double-click any folder on your
desktop. A new File Explorer window will appear. Now you're ready to start working with your files and
folders.
From File Explorer, double-click a folder to open it. You can then see all of the files stored in that
folder.
Notice that you can also see the location of a folder in the address bar near the top of the window.
Moving and deleting files
It's easy to move a file from one location to another. For example, you might have a file on
the desktop that you want to move to your Documents folder.
Click and drag the file to the desired location.
Release the mouse. The file will appear in the new location. In this example, we have opened the
folder to see the file in its new location.
To create a new folder:
1. Within File Explorer, locate and select the New folder button. You can also right-click where
you want the folder to appear, then select New > Folder.
2. The new folder will appear. Type the desired name for the folder and press Enter. In our
example, we'll call it Zaailenghsaifah folder.
3. The new folder will be created. You can now move files into this folder.
To rename a file or folder:
You can change the name of any file or folder. A unique name will make it easier to remember what
type of information is saved in the file or folder.
1. Click the file or folder, wait about one second, and click again. An editable text
field will appear.
2. Type the desired name on your keyboard and press Enter. The name will be
changed.
To delete a file or folder:
If you no longer need to use a file, you can delete it. When you delete a file, it is moved to the Recycle
Bin. If you're sure you want to permanently delete the file, you will need to empty the Recycle Bin.
1. Click and drag the file to the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. You can also click the file to
select it and press the Delete key on your keyboard.
2. To permanently delete the file, right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select Empty Recycle Bin.
All files in the Recycle Bin will be permanently deleted.
Selecting multiple files
There are a few ways to select more than one file at a time:
If you're viewing your files as icons, you can click and drag the mouse to draw a box around
the files you want to select. When you're done, release the mouse; the files will be selected. You
can now move, copy, or delete all of these files at the same time.
To select specific files from a folder, press and hold the Control key on your keyboard, then
click the files you want to select.
To select a group of files from a folder, click the first file, press and hold the Shift key on your
keyboard, then click the last file. All of the files between the first and last ones will be selected.
Selecting all files
If you want to select all files in a folder at the same time, open the folder in File Explorer and
press Ctrl+A (press and hold the Control key on your keyboard, then press A). All of the files in the
folder will be selected.
To create a shortcut:
1. Locate and right-click the desired folder, then select Send to Desktop (create
shortcut).
2. A shortcut to the folder will appear on the desktop. Notice the arrow in the lower-left corner of
the icon.
