Folder and File Structure
The first section is going to be targeted towards the new computer user using windows XP. If you have a Macintosh, a lot of the basic concepts will be the same.

The number one problem most people have when learning the basics is the concept of how the files are placed into the computer. So lets go over this concept first. Usually it takes a while to catch on to this concept.

If you click on start, and then click on My Computer, you will see among other things a little computer symbol and it is called Local Disk (C:). Do a double click on that and it will open a new window with C:\ in the upper left corner. I know the double click seems a little strange at first, but keep trying it.

Notice the little yellow things that look like folders? These are called “folders” and you can think of them as folders just like you have in your filing cabinet. You should see a folder labeled Program Files, another labeled Windows and one called Document and Settings.

These are the different category folders and each contain unique files. If you look at the files in Program Files you will notice the file name will have a “.xxx” at the end, this is called the association. When the computer sees the association it knows what to do with the file automatically. Looking at the file names in the Windows folder will show a different “xxx” extension. That is as far as I want to go into file structures for this discussion.

Lets go back to the filing cabinet concept for a moment. Why do you have folders in your filing cabinet? To organize your files naturally. If you just throw your unpaid bills in a drawer along with your paid bills, financial statements, and tax information you would have a mess when you went to look for them, so you write on the folders in your filing cabinet and arrange them alphabetically for the different categories. The computer does the same thing. Double click on the Program folder.
You will see some more yellow folders here which are nothing more that folders within the main folder called Programs. You can think of these as sub folders located within the main folder [labeled Program Folder.]

If you still have the Program folder open, click on view up near the top. Now find details and click on that. This will list your folders one below the other in alphabetical order. Now find a symbol that looks like a check mark down in the lower right hand corner. Click on this with your left mouse button a few times and watch what happens. As you keep clicking you will see the end of the yellow folders and the beginning of little icons. See Fig. 1
   
                    Fig. 1
These icons are names of files. You will see the names of these files along with size, type and date modified. Here is a question. Since all files must be located in a folder. What folder are these files located in? It is easy to tell just look up in the upper left hand corner and see C:\ Program Files so they are files located in the Program Folder.
       
To summarize what we have learned so far, refer to the above diagram. The first block at the top is called the main drive sometimes refereed to as the root drive. It is possible to have a different designator, but most computers have the “C” drive as the main drive. Under the “C” drive are folders labeled Windows, Program and others. Lets concentrate on the Program Folder.I only show files under this block, but when you look at it on your computer you will see the little yellow folders called sub folders at the beginning, if you have the view set to details. Remember the folders are used to store the files in, and the files give the computer instructions on what to do next. It takes a while to understand this concept so don’t panic, if this does not sink in immediately. In the next section “How To Copy Folders and Files” we will practice copying and moving some files around. This will help you cement it in your mind. When I am trying to learn a new concept I like to read several different versions and the internet has many to choose from. Here are just a few that may want to look at.

http://www.kidsdomain.com/brain/computer/lesson/comp_les7.html

http://www.aarp.org/computers-howto/Articles/a2002-07-17-folders.html

http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/win/filesandfolders/index.html

http://www.newbieclub.com/tutorials/?seetech

Hardware in my computer