Media Type by Ted

Information can be created or collected and kept in files in many forms from many sources.

These are typical contents of file types :

     writings, articles, books, photos or drawings, video, sounds, music, lectures, etc.

Things you can see or hear, still, static or moving, can be created, copied to and or kept in digital files.

Digital files must have a first name: Book1, Camp Song, Race Car Movie,

and a last name: doc, tif, pdf, vob, ...

Files can be kept in a root director of many devices: CD, DVDs, thumb drives, etc.

Files can be kept in folders. Folder can be kept in folders.

File types are important.  If my last name were Smith, then I am not related to or am different then the Jones family.

File last names tell the content of the file: doc, jpg, txt, pdf.

When your computer or device clicks on a file, the computer/ device first loads the appropriate program to read the file. If it is a document, the device will load your word processor or document reader.  If you don't have that program or application, then you can't load that file to view or edit on that computer / device.

You can copy files to and from a thumb drive, smart phone, computer or tablet,
but you can only read the file if you have the application that can read that file type.

If you change the last name of a file, then you are in trouble.

Say you have a picture: Rose.jpg    and you rename it    Rose.pdf

The computer will try to read the Rose.pdf as if it were words.  It can't and it will fail.

You must not change the file's last name unless you know hat you are doing and want to hide the contents.

These are some common media types, that will hold files & folders:

- CD, DVD (they are write only - you can't change or add or rewrite to them)

- thumb drives SD & Mini SD chips, the size of a fingernail.
     (You can add or change things on these media types).

Your computer/ device must have a slot to insert an SD chip, or you can get a USB card reader, and put the chip in the reader, and connect the reader to your computer via a USB cable.

They your computer should be able to see the chip on the card reader.

Since information is kept in files and folders, it is good to know how to search, find, open, display, edit and or copy, rename or move files & folders.

Total Commander is a file management program that lets you do just that.

www.abodia.com/l/tc    tells more.

If you do not have a program like Total Commander, then you will get confused if you have more then100 or more then 1,000 files.

I have about 1/2 million files on my computer, but I can find and use them quickly as I use Total Commander and Index Your Files.

Many people never learned how to find, & use files, or folder, or applications.

They can only use their computers in limited ways.

If you take the time to learn basic things, then you can do more, faster, easier.

Learning changes your future.  Don't be afraid, read, learn, practice.

You may learn anything, but if you don't practice it, you may soon forget it.