What Is A Folder?

Folders are special files that can hold multiple documents. They allow you to organize information. Folders can hold both files and other folders (subfolders). For example, you could put all of your letters to Aunt Mary in a folder with her name on it; or you could put the Aunt Mary folder into the General Correspondence folder, that holds many other files and folders.

What Is An Extension?

The last three letters (suffix) of a file name designate an extension. An extension identifies the format of the file. It is preceded by a period. Every file is in a specific format. There are many different formats. By naming a file with an extension, you tell the computer which format the file is in. That way the computer knows what format to use each time you want to work with that file.

What Is A File?

A file is a collection of information, with a unique name, stored in your computer or on a removable disk. Your checking account could be in one file. A single letter could be in another file or a collection of letters could be in one file.

What Is The Difference Between The (A:), (C:), and (D:) Drives?

The (A:) drive is the floppy drive. Older computers used to have two floppy drives, and the second one was the (B:) drive. The (C:) drive is the hard disk drive. This drive is non-removable. The (D:) drive is usually the CD-ROM drive. Sometimes it is the (E:) drive.

What Is A Pointer?

A pointer is the arrow you use to choose things on screen. Since the Shortcut is simply a pointer to a specific program or file, you can delete the shortcut or remove it from the Desktop without actually deleting the program or file.

What Is An Icon?

An icon is a little picture that represents a program, command, or a file. For instance, the My Computer icon looks like a small computer. Icons that have a small white arrow in the lower left corner are Shortcuts. The arrow indicates that the icon is a shortcut that points to a program, folder, or other item. A shortcut is a quick way to open a program or file.

What Is The Taskbar?

The taskbar is the horizontal bar along the bottom of the Desktop. It has the Start button on the left. Displayed in small rectangles near the middle of the taskbar are the programs that are running. Near the right side, you will see the programs or tasks that start automatically when you start Windows. On the far right, you will see the time displayed. The taskbar allows you to start your navigation process through all of the computer files.