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This Week's Topic Making Your Computer Work for You It pays to have a well-organized computer hard drive. This week we will discuss how to protect your electronic data files and keep them neat and tidy. This Week's Tips Organizing Data Files (Monday) Developing and maintaining an organized file structure on your hard drive will help you find files easily. Visualize your file directories as filing cabinets. (Visit the Download Depot for an example.) Consider using one directory with subdirectories for all of your data files. Write down the directory structure (e.g., C:/My Documents) and tape the note on your monitor to remind yourself. Don’t give in to the habit of saving a file "just anywhere."
Naming Files (Tuesday) When saving your files, use an “intelligent” method for naming them. Keep the extension (e.g., .doc) that the software program adds; don't change this or you may not be able to open the file. Include the term, course name, and/or year. Keep the length of filename under 30 characters (e.g., econ102fall.doc). To avoid having two files with the same name but with different cases, use only lowercase letters. Backing Up Data (Saving Your Work) (Wednesday) Protect your files by regularly backing them up. Backing up involves saving your files on a separate storage device, in case your hard drive breaks down. Here are some guidelines worth considering: Use a reliable storage medium, such as zip disks or CD-ROMs. Schedule a weekly back-up appointment. Rotate two zip disks, CD-ROMs, etc., in case one of them goes bad. Back up only your data files. (You can reinstall software programs.) Finding Lost Data Files (Thursday) For easy of access, keep all of your active files on one device (computer hard drive, etc.). Try these tips when hunting for a lost file: Use a wildcard symbol (*) to find partially recalled filenames (e.g., *fall.doc). Make use of advanced search options to find files based upon date created and last modification date. Save Internet files or e-mail file attachments to one directory (e.g., C:/My Downloads). Avoid Getting Sick: Computer Viruses (Friday) Protect your computer from software viruses. Your computer can pick up viruses from files that do not originate from your hard drive (e.g., e-mail attachments, file downloads, diskettes, etc.). Here are a few quidelines to remember: For protection against new viruses, install anti-virus software that’s updated regularly via an online subscription. Keep your anti-virus software on, except when specifically directed to disable it. Open e-mail attachments cautiously; attachments may contain Internet viruses. |
