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How To Find Missing Files, And How To Avoid Losing Files
Subjects > Computers
Finding That Missing File
“My files have gone missing...” is an all too common cry that echoes
around many offices. Provided you have saved the file in some way it
will, unless the computer has ceased operating, be somewhere on
mysterious device called the hard drive. The hard part is actually
finding it.
With the vast majority of organizations using Microsoft Windows of one
form or another this article addresses how Windows stores files.
Prevention Rather than Cure
Let’s start by looking at how we can prevent the file from being ‘lost’ in
the first place. We will look at finding that missing file later.
Just as the ability to find a paper file in a filing cabinet is dependent on
how well it is organized likewise with the hard drive. If you run a small
home office you may find that simply storing your files in the top
drawer of your filing cabinet with holiday brochures in drawer two and
miscellaneous bits and piece in the bottom drawer will work. The same
goes for your computer files. One user may find that storing everything
in ‘My Documents’ will suffice. Indeed unless you tell the computer
otherwise it will store files there by default. However this will not work if
you have several hundred or thousands of files. In this case you might
want to set up a system with drawer one in the cabinet for files relating
to funding, drawer two for general correspondence and drawer three for
accounts. One advantage of the computer is that the number of ‘filing
cabinet dawers’ and folders is virtually unlimited. In time you may have
additional sub folders for each year and perhaps additional topics. Your
hard drive can be divided up in the same way. The Windows on-screen
display has the files looking like the manilla folders you already use.
Think about how you might want to store files if it were a paper
system, even go so far as to write down on a large sheet of paper the
different activities your organization is involved in and split it up into
sections. This can then be used as a guide to build your directory
structure on the computer.
Then, when you save a file, simply select the directory or sub-directory
where you want to store the file, give it a name and save it.
File Naming Tips
Although you can have file names that are over a hundred characters
long it is not a good idea to have lengthy names. While ‘letter of
thanks to David Brown regarding his gift to the endowment fund in
memory of his brother.doc’ is descriptive it is far too cumbersome.
Better to have a directory called donations that is split up into different
funds and have a simplified file name.
Temporary Files
If you open a file from an e-mail, and provided the settings have been
changed, the computer will automatically store it in an obscure
location that is buried deep in the basement of the system. To avoid
problems and frustration, whenever you open an e-mail attachment
immediately ‘Save As’, giving the file a new name and place it in the
appropriate directory.
Other Good Practices=
Always, but always, name and save your work before you have finished
typing your first sentence. Then be sure to save it frequently, at least
at the end of each paragraph. Once originally saved with a suitable
name it takes just a fraction of a second to key ‘Ctrl + S’. This will
save you hours of retyping if you have a problem. Given the nature of
computers it is sure to happen, usually when you can least afford the
lost time.
Remember that if your computers are networked, the file may be on
one of the other computers. Don’t assume the file is on your system
unless you know for sure that is where you saved it.
It is not uncommon to have in hand a letter or report you prepared a
couple of weeks ago and wonder exactly where in those 73 new subdirectories
it is buried. This can be avoided by putting the file name
and directory in very small print at the foot of the page. You may have
seen this on some letters in the past. This will prove to be invaluable
and although it takes a good deal of self discipline, once you get in the
habit the benefits far outweigh the minor inconvenience of typing the
details at the bottom of the page.
Still cannot find the file?
Windows has an excellent search facility that will scour literally every
file on the computer and list them all for you.
You can enter part of a file name, or even some words that you believe
the document contains. The latter can take three or four minutes,
longer if you have an older computer. For example *united*.doc will find
every document that contains ‘united’ in file name. Try and be specific,
especially if you do a search on a word contained in the body of a
document. The more unique the better, *sustainable* will provide a
much short list of files than *gift* or other common word.
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