Help for When You Can't Locate Files
Also see: Books on Computer File Management from Amazon.
What to do when your file, document or picture is nowhere to be found?
Losing track of a file is not unusual. It can happen when you're editing a letter or article in word processing, like when the power goes out, or for some reason the screen freezes. Or it can happen by saving the file accidentally to the wrong folder. Luckily a "lost" file is not always gone for good.
If you have named the file already, you can do a search for it in the Windows search box near the lower-left of your screen, to the right of your Start icon or immediately above the icon when clicked.
If your computer is set to index file contents, sometimes you can find the file by typing in a unique word or phrase that is unlikely to appear in any other file.
Either way, if you find the lost file listed from doing either type of search, it's a good idea to hover your cursor over the name of the file before opening it. Hovering the cursor overtop usually will display a balloon window identifying the folder location of the file. Then simply click on the file name to open it.
Preventing Misplacement of Files
A useful trick for avoiding file misplacement is to make frequent use of the File "Save As" feature, instead of simple "Save". The "Save As" feature will display the folder where the file will be saved, and gives you the option to change the folder if it's wrong. The feature also gives you the option to rename the file.
Windows usually will save your files by default to "Documents" (or "My Documents"), Downloads, or Pictures. A misplaced file may accidentally have been saved to one of these instead of the other.
However, if you save your files to folders you have created yourself, some Windows programs remember the last folder where you saved a file and apply that assumption to the next file you save.
If you choose "Save As" instead of "Save" when saving a newly created or edited file, then you'll see the target folder indicated and can change it if necessary.
Organizing Files to Track Them More Easily
Your main tool for locating files where you can find them easily is a built-in Windows program called File Explorer in Windows 10. It's called Windows Explorer in previous versions of Windows, but I'll just refer to File Explorer here - these tips apply to all versions.
(Take note - the program called "Internet Explorer" has nothing to do with this topic. It's an unrelated webpage browsing program which unfortunately has a similar name and thus can be confused.)
File Explorer is symbolized by the icon that looks like a yellow file folder with a blue bookend, usually located in the lower left area of your task bar. If you don't see it, you can open up the program by right-clicking on your Start icon and left-clicking "File Explorer" or "Explore".
File Explorer gives you hierarchical access to every file on your computer, including any connected drive or cloudspace. It's like a complex outlined list of files by drive, folder and subfolder.
Most of your files are in the Documents, Downloads and Pictures folders, and you'll find shortcuts to these near the top of the left-hand column and right-hand display area when File Explorer is open.
Organizing your files simply involved creating folders with suitable names, and moving files from where they've piled up over into folders that identify them more clearly.
This is one area where 1-on-1 tutoring and practice time can help computer users more than any other area.
Using "Cut" "Copy" "Move" and so forth seems hard for a lot of computer users because of the fear of making a mistake.
A bit of supervised learning can be a big help.
Once you get comfortable with using File Explorer features, you begin to really "own" what's on your computer.
Online Tutorials for File Explorer
Besides 1-on-1 help, online video tutorials can be a great way of learning - or at least getting more familiar with computer features like those mentioned here.
YouTube has some pretty good video tutorials on using File Explorer. These range from brief "tips" that run less than five minutes to fuller lessons that run 30 to 45 minutes. If you go to youtube.com and type "windows 10 file explorer" in the search box you'll get a sampling of these.
I've found it helpful to do a search like that and then click to "subscribe" to the channel listed for a particularly good video. Some of the channels I found relevant to windows 10 and file organizing this past year were:
TeachUComp
Professor Adam Morgan
Computer Skills, Simply
JAGTutorials
Sali Kaceli
FlippinWindows
Old Guy Geek on Windows
There probably are others that are even better for each person's individual computer learning styles.
If you type a channel name in youtube's search box, you'll get a link to the channel page, and from there I suggest clicking on "Playlists" (in caps near the top of the page) to view various topical compilations of videos offered by that channel.
Take note - YouTube is owned by Google - so if you have a Gmail address or create one, then you can be "signed in" when you go to YouTube. When you're signed in, you'll be able to save channel and video links to return later. Even if you don't use the Gmail address for emailing, you can use it as an ID with youtube, and turn youtube into a super personal learning tool for yourself.
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