My Computer
Maureen Smith, Professor
Saddleback College
Windows 98 - Unit 2
Using My Computer

Key system resources: files, folders, disks
– 2 tools for browsing, accessing, managing: My
Computer and Explorer
– My Computer is on desktop; Explorer from
Programs

Overlap--My Computer offers faster, simpler
ways to accomplish certain tasks; Explorer
offers more powerful, sophisticated ways
Files



Imaging large file drawers for paper files with
stacked papers
A file may be instructions the computer needs
to operate (program files or executable files)
A file may contain a text document that you
can read (document file)
Folders


Files are stored on disks and may be
thousands of pages; finding something may be
time-consuming so folders are helpful
Disk can be organized to have a folder that
contains only files relating to application
programs, folder for correspondence, folder
for reports, etc.
– Organize files into manageable groups and subfolders further separate groups of files within a
folder
Disks

Files, folders, subfolders are stored on disks
– Electronic filing cabinet


Disk is magnetic medium on which data are
stored
Disk drive is hardware that finds, reads,
writes information to and from a disk
– Hard disk and hard drive are one integrated unit not easily removed (fixed disk)
The Computer Window
Objects displayed in My Computer window
reflect your computer’s setup and will differ
from computer to computer
Identifying the Icons in the
Display Window


2 types of icons: disk drive icons and folder
icons
Disk drive icons identify disk drives you can
access on your system
– Drives A and B are floppy disk drives
– Drive C designates the hard disk
 May
have more than one - “logical drives D, E, F”
Setting My Computer Options


View menu lets you control the way the My
Computer windows looks and functions
Toolbars:
– Toolbars command shows submenu
 Standard
Buttons, Address Bar, Links
– Back and Froward Buttons
 Returns
to previous or next resource
– Up Button
 Takes
you up one level in system’s hieraarchy
– Editing Buttons--Cut, Copy, Paste
 Clipboard
– Undo Button--cancel last action
– Delete Button--remove selected objects from
display window
 Different
from Cut--is not placed on Clipboard
– Properties Button--display property sheet for
selected object
– Views Button--Web page, large icons, small
icons, list, details

Status Bar
– Bottom of window; indicates how many objects
appear in window

Explorer Bar
– Selecting option starts your Web browser; can
access Web directly from My Computer window

As Web Page
– Changes My Computer window to resemble a site
you might visit on the Web

Display options
– 4 options also accessible from View menu

Arrange Icons
– Arrange icons offers cascade menu that allows
you to organize contents of drive or folder by
name, type, size, date (maybe total size and free
space)
– Line Up Icons convenient when you wish to
align icons without changing order in which
they appear

Refresh
– Updates what is displayed in My Computer
window; used if contents have been changed

Folder Options
– 3 tabs: General, View, File Types
– Custom Settings dialog box
 Open
each folder in the same window--only one
window is open at a time
– Use Back and Forward buttons to move to and from
folders
 Open
each folder in its own window--new window
every time you open a folder or resource
– Previous folder will still be displayed in a window so you
can switch between them
Accessing Disk Drives


Most disk operations require you to identify
the drive you want to use
When My Computer is selected in Address
Bar, each disk drive is represented by an icon
– To select a drive, click icon and drive is
highlighted
– Error message will display is no disk is in drive or
if you forget to close door
Viewing the Contents of a Drive
or Folder
You can display the contents of a selected
drive or folder in the My Computer display
window by double-clicking the object
Identifying Object Icons and
Using the Details View

Display window shows subfolders
– Shows several additional icons, each a different
type of object
– With practice, you’ll easily identify many
– What about those you don’t? Display the window
in Details view

Screen displays 4 new columns: Size, Type,
Modified, and Attributes
– Listings under Type may be truncated
Formatting and Labeling Disks


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My Computer makes disk handling easy
Formatting prepares disk for use on specific
type of drive (imprints it with information it
needs to work in that kind of drive)
Options for formatting disk:
– Capacity: double or high density
– Format type:
 Full
checks disk for problem areas (use for new disks)
 Quick (erase) does not (use for used disks)
 Copy system files only--transfers system files to
already-formatted disk

Other options:
– Label or No label--not essential; electronic labels
are visible only when you access the drive
– Display summary when finished--report telling
you number of bytes available, bad sectors, etc.
– Copy system files--transfers appropriate system
files to disk; result is a bootable disk that can be
used to boot the system
 Takes

disk space
Format is selected from the File menu
Labeling Disks

Disk label identifies disk on the inside-electronically--with magnetic label
– Can be done when you format or after
– Can be changed



Click Properties button
Can have up to 11 characters
Viewed only on disk’s properties sheet, not in
My Computer window
Managing Disks

A trouble-free hard disk is extremely
important to Windows program
– Used for temporary storage; many programs
create temp files on hard disk
– If not in good working order, system may be
slow in responding or may have trouble running
programs and opening documents

To keep your disks in good working order,
Windows provides 2 disk maintenance tools
– ScanDisk is a diagnostic tool--reads a disk’s
“vital signs” and either warns you about
problems or fixes them
– Disk Defragmenter rearranges files on your
disk, repositioning them so the disk performs
optimally
Locating and Fixing Disk
Errors

Can use ScanDisk with hard or floppy disks
but not with CD-ROMs
– Finds and fixes variety of problems associated
with data structure of a disk, as well as physical
problems (bad portions)
 Doesn’t
actually repair a disk; avoids storing data in
any problem area
Defragmenting a Disk

Hard or floppy disk stores data in clusters
– Group of 128 bytes


When you store files on newly-formatted
disks, Windows writes each file’s data in
adjacent clusters (contiguous clusters)
When you delete a file, you empty clusters
and make them available; to optimize disk
space, Windows uses these now-empty
clusters as you save new files
– Splits data among clusters that are not
contiguous--fragmented files


Fragmentation does not harm a disk, but can
slow down read and write times, reducing
hard disk efficiency
To enhance disk performance, use
Defragmenter or similar program
– Rearranges disk files, storing each file in
contiguous blocks


Disk Defragmenter cannot be used with
network drives or read-only drives
First Defrag looks at your disk and tells you
what percentage is fragmented
– If not heavily fragmented, may not want to
proceed

Do not run Disk Defragmenter on your hard
disk unless your instructor asks you to do so
Working with Folders and
Subfolders

Number of options for working with folders
Creating a Folder

Select New from File menu
 To
create a subfolder, double-click folder where you
want subfolder to appear
Naming Folders and Files

DOS and older versions of Windows used a
file-naming convention called 8.3
– No spaces or special characters could be used

Windows 98 allows long names (up to 255
characters) for folders and files, as well as
spaces, punctuation, etc.
– But only application programs designed
specifically for Windows 95/98 allows long file
names--programs that don’t support long file
names use a 8.3 alias as the file’s name

Be extra careful working with programs that
don’t recognize long file names:
– If you copy a folder/file with a long name to a
system that doesn’t support long file names, the
system will use an 8.3 alias
– When you open a file that has a long file name
in a program that doesn’t recognize them, the
long file name could get lost
– Backup and restore programs that don’t support
long file names will destroy the long file name


Renaming a folder--simple process
Deleting a folder--use delete key/button or
delete from File menu
 You
also delete all the files in a folder or subfolder
 Folders deleted from hard disk are transferred to
Recycle Bin from which they can be recovered
 Folders or files deleted from floppy disk are gone!

Undeleting a folder--use Recycle Bin to
restore folder to its original location on hard
disk
Working with Files
My Computer permits you to control how
your files are organized on a disk by
assisting you to move and copy files
between disks and folders and to delete
files. The first step is to select the files.
Selecting Files



To select a single file, click it
To select two or more files that are adjacent
to one another, click first, press and hold
down Shift key, click last
To select files that are not adjacent, press and
hold down Ctrl, then click each of the files
Changing the Order of Files
Listed in the Display Window

Arrange Icons option allows you to see all
files of one type grouped together
– By Name--symbols first, then numbers, then
letters; subfolders are always before files
 Names
are cash sensitive
– By Type--application, bitmapped image; folders
are first
– By Size--ascending order
– By Date--most recent to oldest

Can be used in combination
Copying and Moving Files


One of key advantages is ease with which you
can copy or move files
You move or copy files from a “source” to a
“destination”
– Source is file to be copied and destination is
location (folder or disk) where copied file will then
reside

In My Computer, make source and destination
windows visible at same time in own window



When you copy a file, you place a duplicate
of the file in a different location and original
file remains in place
When you move a file, you remove it from its
original location and place it in the
destination window
If you try to copy or move a file to a
destination where identically-named file
exists, Confirm File Replace message
displays
Running Applications from My
Computer

To start an application, double-click icon or
select icon and choose Open from File menu
– Only certain icons will start applications
Recognizing File Icons

My Computer’s display window shows 2
basic file icons--application and document file
– Application icon starts an application; may look
like miniature version of program icon or
miniature window
– Document file icons show piece of paper with
superimposed graphic
 You
can open document file directly--do not need to
open application first

One of easiest ways to start an application is
to use Open command from File menu

Starting an application using an application
file icon
– Rather than using the Open option, you can
double-click an application file icon in My
Computer’s window

Starting an application using a document
file icon
– Double-click any document that is associated
with an application
Using the Run… Command

Another way to start applications and open
file/folders
– Run… command on Start menu

Reopening a document
– Commands you key on Open line in Run dialog
box are stored on drop-down list--shows up to
20 of most recently used Run commands

Opening a folder using the Run… command
– Can also use Run command to open folder
windows without actually running any program
Using Shortcuts

If you use particular programs or documents
frequently, might want to create shortcuts
– Shortcut functions as a pointer to an application
or document file, wherever file is located
– When you double-click shortcut icon, you’re
opening the actual item to which shortcut is
pointing

Shortcut icon on desktop is identified by
small arrow in lower left corner


Can create a shortcut by dragging a file to the
desktop or by using the Create Shortcut
command on the File menu
If you can display an item in the My
Computer window, you can create a shortcut
for it by dragging and dropping
Assigning a Shortcut Key to a
Shortcut

A shortcut key is a keystroke combination
that runs a program or opens the dialog box
to which it is linked
– Assigned in the shortcut’s Properties dialog box


Can activate a shortcut by double-clicking
the shortcut icon or issuing the shortcut key
Shortcuts can be deleted
– Deletes only the shortcut, not the file that the
shortcut points to