Tutorial: Creating a new folder
download this tutorial as a pdfWhen you first set up home or take up a new job one of the early decisions you will have to take is where to store your correspondence, bills, newspaper clippings and photos. The same decision has to be made when you acquire a new computer – where to store all your documents and files. The answer is to keep them in folders – in fact your new computer will have been set up with a few folders like Documents, Music, Pictures etc. but these basic folders will soon become so full that it begins to get difficult to find that letter document you created last week.
Almost before you start writing letters or storing pictures I would suggest that you create a number of empty folders to contain your work.
We are going to create a number of folders with the main Documents folder so pen this folder either by double clicking on its icon on the Desktop or click on the Start button and click again on the Documents folder. Either method will bring up a window showing the contents of the Documents folder. Depending upon your own setup, there may be a few folders already held within the Documents folder or the window will be completely empty.
What we need to do is to create some individual folders especially for you. Let me show you what I mean.
Here is an empty documents folder. As usual there are a number of different ways in which you can create a new folder within the main Documents folder.
1. Right click in the empty folder area and then left click on New from the dropdown menu. Left click again on the Folder option.
2. Now you need to give the folder a name. The created folder will have been provisionally named as “New Folder” which is as about as useful as a sick headache. You will notice that the name is highlighted in blue waiting for you to change it to something more descriptive.
3. You can remove the highlighted name by pressing Backspace key or the Delete key and start typing in the new name such as Family Correspondence and hit the Enter key when you have finished.
4. Another way to create a new folder is to use the File menu on the menu bar. Click on File then choose New and then Folder as before.
5. If you are using Windows Vista you can also click on Organise and choose New Folder.
All of these methods will achieve the same end but what if you make a mistake? Perhaps you spelt the new name wrongly or left the original name of New Folder and it is no longer highlighted. The easiest way around this is to right click on the folder and choose Rename form the dropdown menu.
Go on to create more empty folders entitled Holidays, Insurance, Mortgage or whatever you feel would suit your personal lifestyle. With the aid of these folders you will find it a lot easier to retrieve that elusive claim form you sent off a month ago or the confirmation of your holiday package to Montenegro.
*Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation.
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