1 Files Introduction - Working with Computers

Information is; words, drawings, photos, sounds, music & video & more.

Information is encoded.

Windows includes a word processing program to create documents with letters & numbers.

Sample.txt uses Note Pad to open, or do new file, or save, or print.

File type is Sample.txt         txt = text (& numbers) file

Windows includes Write.exe or Word Pad.exe for word processing, as above,  but also with different fonts, bold, underline, set margins and contain graphics, photos or drawings.

File types are Sample.rtf     rtf= Rich Text Format

You need MicroSoft Word to create and read files like

File.doc Mayor.doc    More then above, it can have multiple columns.

    You need at least a reader to read the coded file.

The file's last name is it's type which describes the program that will work with that file to uncode; create, amend, and or read or print those types of files.

File Last names

*.txt text file use Note Pad, Word Pad or MS Word words & numbers

*.rtf rich text format use Word Pad, or MS Word “ + graphics or images

*.doc document use MS Word only.

Words, letters graphics, margins, multi-columns, many features.

The more complicated file, the fewer programs that can use it.

*.exe programs like MS Word, NotePad, Internet Explorer

*.dll files computer needs to run programs – do not change them !

Graphics or photos, drawings, maps, …

*.jpg, *.tif *.bmp

Video file types:

*.wmv Windows Media Video

*.avi *.mpg

Audio file types:

*.wma *.wav *.mp3 mp3 files are very small. You can get a thumb size mp3 player and put 5 to 20 hours of recorded sound; songs, or interviews, movie sound track. These cost $ 20 to $ 40, depending on features.

Then walk around, jog, go to mall, or errands, or chores in the kitchen and listen with head set. I have 500+ 1 hour mp3 files. Fascinating things, many recorded from short wave broadcast, beyond what the main stream will carry.

You don’t have to pay to get things, much is free,

Most everything takes some learning, knowledge, skill
    or someone to help you.

Open Office (is free!) It can load and work with files that MS Word, Excel, Access, create.

I have and use MicroSoft Office Suite, about $ 80-200 per copy, It includes: MS Word, Access (data base), Excel, PowerPoint, I also have about 50 or more other programs.

File types can be converted from one type to another
    with a program that converts them.

I can put 500 hours of mp3 sound files on a CD,
        or 8 times that much on a DVD.

You can copy files from a disc to your hard drive or
    directly to a thumb drive or mp3 player.

I do this weekly, then have great stuff to listen to when jogging or errands. Not boring Radio ! Total Commander makes it easy to view, copy, move any file form any place thumb drive, floppy, CD, hard drive, etc. to any other place.

Rather than work with the programs that come with windows operating system you can buy simple programs that give you many more options.

Here are some image viewer programs that let you view, rotate, print, resize, crop or correct images.

Ember by Firehand        &        ACD See

Of all programs I have ever used, 100s of different programs,

I recommend

Total Commander,  which allows me to easily find, view, edit, print, merge and or work with any of the 1/4 million files on my computer.

Even though I don't remember the file name, or the folder name, I can easily find things that I have. You can too.

Ask me if you want help.

A computer can accept commands, direction from you to do things.

It is important to know the word for what you are doing so you can talk to others, like me or any technical person.

If you don’t know the word, or command, then you can't achieve results.

When a computer is turned off, it is just a piece of metal.

When you turn it on, it looks at things written on the hard drive, reads them into memory, then brings you a desk top so you can run programs.

On boot up (loading operating system) you only land a the desk top.

Then you can talk to your computer.

You run programs, word processor, e-mail, internet from the desk top.

You can even run several programs at once.

A program runs in a window that you can make fill the screen, be a sub part of the screen, and even minimize on the bottom tasks bar.

You can open or close the program, and open or close particular files.

All things to a computer are files & folders.

The contents may be encoded words, images, sounds, etc, but to the computer it is just files and folders.

File's last name tells computer which program works with that file type.

If you write a letter Mayor.doc. with MS Word,

Then accidentally call the file Mayor.jpg

The computer will open a graphic program & read image in Mayor.jpg.

You have to change the file name to Mayor.doc for the computer to know that you need MS word to load the Mayor.doc word file.

Last names are very important

If you file or save the file Mayor.doc in the folder Letter written

Then later look in the folder Christmas gifts, then the Mayor.doc is not there.

The computer looks where you say and not other places.

You have to remember where you put things. You can get them or move them or copy them.

I use Total Commander, because no matter where I put things,

Total Commander can find them very fast.

Total Commander is a free program, download from internet

Google Total Commander, then download it.  www.ghisler.com/

Total Commander, a file manager enhancement for Windows

If you pay $ 30 fee, then you get even faster, handier use of the program,

    but just get it free to start with. It is my favorite of all programs.

You can learn from books which are portable teachers.

I have learned much by experimenting and have read many books. I have not had teachers.

Books are quicker, cheaper and handier. Most people like teachers, they like to go slow, are insecure and afraid of making mistakes.

I left that world decades ago.

Most want to do what is popular, or be guaranteed of results. I left that.

If you are stuck on anything, a word, a concept, whatever, call me.

I know this stuff in my sleep. I can help make it simple for you.

If you desire (to know & use these tips) then you can do it. I can help.

I cannot aid or force a person to do something they do not want.

I cannot create desire. But I can aid the passion of people learning.

What an incredible world for those who learn how to find and deal with it.

Sad so many are isolated, because they read newspapers and watch TV

    which closes your curiosity and your imagination, so you will never know there is more in the world then is commonly known.

.    I learn everyday, amazing things.

The computer is the window by which I pass many others I know.

People who don’t know how to use the internet, pdf files, searches, etc. inner library loan can never even consider things I think are
fundamental facts and have transformed my world.

.    Knowing how to read, think & type will get you there

(and being curious, energetic, and undaunted – take no assumptions !)

Socrates said: An unexamined life is not worth living.

Most live in a small world of assumptions.

I find when you begin to question and explore, you can find many things that will help you, that others have not told you before.

Your world is as big as you choose it to be.

Desire is the fire, to do anything that you desire.

Nothing is impossible (for you) unless you think it is in your mind.

Language, reading on a computer via the internet is cheap, fast, easy, when you learn how.

Depending on public news, library, books, is quite limiting when you begin to understand, learn how and become good at using computers and the internet.

Open Office is a free program that lets you do:

- Word Processing    - Spread Sheets    - Data Base    - Charts

The Word Processing component may let you hold graphics, and possibly multiple columns