Files, folders and Windows skills: organise, find, copy, zip and back up your work

"Where did I save that document?" "My flash disk is full of shortcuts!" "I deleted it by mistake!" Managing files is one of the most practical computer skills for students, office workers, cyber café attendants and freelancers. This unit teaches Windows file management step by step: folders, file names and extensions, copying and moving, searching, zipping, the Recycle Bin, flash drives and backups, plus essential Windows settings.

Files, folders and drives

Folders inside folders create a tree, like a filing cabinet with drawers (drives), hanging files (folders) and papers (files).

File Explorer

Open it with Windows key + E or the yellow folder icon on the taskbar.

Details view is the most useful for work: click column headers to sort by name, date modified, type or size (great for finding the latest version or the biggest files).

File extensions: what type is this file?

The extension is the part after the last dot. It tells Windows which program opens the file.

Show extensions (do this now)

File Explorer → View → Show → tick File name extensions (Windows 11), or View tab → tick "File name extensions" (Windows 10).

Naming files well

Good names save hours later:

Tips:

• Describe the content; add dates as YYYY-MM-DD (they sort correctly): 2026-10-02-minutes.docx.
• Use versions (v1, v2) instead of "final".
• Avoid special characters: \ / : * ? " < > | aren't allowed in Windows names.
• For websites and sharing online, use lowercase and hyphens instead of spaces.

Organising folders

A simple structure:

Documents
├── School (or Work)
│   ├── 2026 Term 1
│   └── 2026 Term 2
├── Personal
│   ├── ID and certificates (scans)
│   └── Receipts
├── Business
│   ├── Clients
│   └── Invoices
└── Projects

Rule: one place for each thing, and don't leave everything on the Desktop (a cluttered Desktop also slows some PCs and isn't always backed up).

Everyday file actions

Copy vs move: copying leaves the original and makes a duplicate; moving (cut + paste) relocates it. Dragging a file to another folder on the same drive moves it; to a different drive (e.g. a flash disk) it copies.

The Recycle Bin

Deleted files go to the Recycle Bin (desktop icon) until you empty it. To recover: open the Recycle Bin → right-click the file → Restore. Files deleted from flash drives or with Shift+Delete usually skip the Recycle Bin.

Finding files

1. Search box in File Explorer: type part of the name; it searches the current folder and subfolders.
2. Start menu search: press the Windows key and type.
3. Sort by Date modified to find what you worked on recently.
4. Quick access / Recent files in File Explorer's Home.
5. In Office apps: File → Open → Recent.

Search tips: *.pdf finds all PDFs; kind:document; datemodified:this week.

Zipping and unzipping

A ZIP file packs many files into one compressed file: easier to email, upload or share, and sometimes smaller.

• Create: select the files/folder → right-click → Compress to ZIP file (Windows 11) or Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder (Windows 10).
• Extract: right-click the .zip → Extract All → choose a location.

Always extract before editing files; editing directly inside a zip often fails to save.

Flash drives and memory cards

1. Plug in; it appears in File Explorer under This PC with a letter (e.g. E:).
2. Copy files to and from it like any folder.
3. Eject safely before removing: click the USB icon in the taskbar's hidden icons (^) → Eject, or right-click the drive → Eject. Pulling it out while copying can corrupt files.

The "shortcut virus"

A common infection, spread through shared flash disks in schools and cyber cafés, hides your folders and replaces them with shortcuts that run malware when clicked.

• Don't click the shortcuts.
• Scan the flash disk with Windows Security (right-click → Scan with Microsoft Defender) or another trusted antivirus.
• Your files are usually still there but hidden: in File Explorer, show hidden items (View → Show → Hidden items) to see them; antivirus tools and some command-line steps can restore normal attributes. If unsure, ask a technician (see the malware cleanup lesson).
• Prevent it: keep Windows and antivirus updated, scan flash disks before opening, and don't open unknown .exe or shortcut files.

Backups: protect your work

Hard drives fail, laptops get stolen, phones fall in water. If a file exists in only one place, it's not safe.

The 3-2-1 rule: keep 3 copies of important data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy offsite (e.g. the cloud).

Useful Windows skills

Settings worth knowing

• Windows Update: Settings → Windows Update. Keep it updated for security.
• Display: brightness, scale (make text bigger), night light.
• Storage: Settings → System → Storage → Storage Sense to clean temporary files.
• Default apps: choose which app opens PDFs, photos, etc.
• Accounts: set a password or PIN; use Windows Hello if your laptop supports it.

Practice tasks

1. Turn on file name extensions and hidden items in File Explorer.
2. Create a folder structure for your school or work with at least 3 levels.
3. Rename 5 badly named files using the naming tips (with YYYY-MM-DD dates).
4. Zip a folder, email or upload it, then extract it elsewhere.
5. Set up a backup: OneDrive folder backup, Google Drive, or a weekly external drive copy.

Summary

• Files live in folders on drives; a path is a file's full address.
• Use File Explorer's Details view and sorting; show file extensions to spot fake files.
• Name files descriptively with YYYY-MM-DD dates and versions.
• Master copy/cut/paste/rename/delete shortcuts; restore mistakes from the Recycle Bin.
• Search with the search box and Start menu; zip files for sharing and extract before editing.
• Eject flash drives safely, beware the shortcut virus, and follow the 3-2-1 backup rule.