Digital skills for adults - Course 2 - English FF
Naming and Organising files
Choosing a logical and consistent way to name and organize your files allows you and others to easily locate and use them. Ideally, the best time to think about how to name and structure the documents and directories you create is at the start of a project.
Agreeing on a naming convention will help to provide consistency, which will make it easier to find and correctly identify your files, prevent version control problems when working on files collaboratively. Organizing your files carefully will save you time and frustration by helping you and your colleagues find what you need when you need it.
How should I organize my files?
Whether you are working on a stand-alone computer, or on a networked drive, the need to establish a system that allows you to access your files, avoid duplication, and ensure that your data can be backed up, takes a little planning. A good place to start is to develop a logical folder structure. The following tips should help you develop such a system:
Use folders - group files within folders so information on a particular topic is located in one place
Adhere to existing procedures - check for established approaches in your team or department which you can adopt
Name folders appropriately - name folders after the areas of work to which they relate and not after individual researchers or students. This avoids confusion in shared workspaces if a member of staff leaves, and makes the file system easier to navigate for new people joining the workspace
Be consistent – when developing a naming scheme for your folders it is important that once you have decided on a method, you stick to it. If you can, try to agree on a naming scheme from the outset of your research project
Structure folders hierarchically - start with a limited number of folders for the broader topics, and then create more specific folders within these
Separate ongoing and completed work - as you start to create lots of folders and files, it is a good idea to start thinking about separating your older documents from those you are currently working on
Try to keep your "My Documents" folder for files you are actively working on, and every month or so, move the files you are no longer working on to a different folder or location, such as a folder on your desktop, a special archive folder or an external hard drive
Backup – ensure that your files, whether they are on your local drive, or on a network drive, are backed up
Review records - assess materials regularly or at the end of a project to ensure files are not kept needlessly. Put a reminder in your calendar so you do not forget!
1. Navigate to the location where you want to create the folder.
2. Right-click on a blank space in the folder location. Take care with this: If you right-click on an existing item in the folder, you will get the wrong menu.
3. Select New
4. Select Folder from the contextual menu. Windows will create the new folder at your current location.
5. Enter your desired folder name to replace "New folder" and hit Enter(The following characters in folders names are not allowed: " \ / : | < > * ? ).
Select the file or folder icon.
Right-click Delete.
Copy folders
Select the file or folder icon.
Right-click select Copy.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to copy the folder
4. Right-click on white space choose Paste
Rename folders
Select folder icon.
Right-click select Rename
Enter desired name (The following characters in folders names are not allowed: " \ / : | < > * ?) .
