Windows Explorer

 Name _____________________________________________________________________________
This is Windows Explorer practice. Complete it and have the instructor grade the parts marked with (*) - be sure to have them graded during class. Before starting, pick up a floppy disk, a CD with a sleeve, and sign out a flash drive.

I. Introduction:
 A. Windows Explorer
Open Windows Explorer (select Start|All Programs|Accessories|Windows Explorer). If needed, make the Windows Explorer screen full sized by clicking on the middle icon in the upper right. Your screen should look similar to Figure 1. Now expand My Computer by clicking on the plus (+) sign. Your screen should be similar to Figure 2. Read the explanation of disk drives on Figure 2. Do not use drive C, because the files are not kept across restarts. You may use drive D, but be sure to copy your files to a floppy, a USB flash drive (covered in Part VI), or drive G (covered in Part V).

(*) B. Deleting File(s):
 In this exercise you will delete the files on the floppy disk.
 1. Put the floppy disk into drive A.
 2. Slide the scroll bar for the left pane of Windows Explorer up so that the icon for drive A is revealed.     Double left click on the icon and the contents of drive A will be revealed in the right pane (similar to      Figure 3). The contents will vary depending on the disk.
 3. To delete, left click once on a file (or folder) in the right pane and strike the delete (del) key and select     Yes in the pop-up box.
  To select multiple files:
   For a block of contiguous files, left click on the first and Shift+click on the last. Strike del to delete.
 For non-contiguous file, left click on one, then Ctrl+click on each of the other files. Strike del to delete.
These methods to select multiple files can be used to delete or copy.

(*) C. Copying File(s):
 In this exercise you will copy the file excel_lab1A.xls from directory N:\math_cs\rconnell\csc101\Spreadsheets  to your floppy disk on drive A.
 1. If needed, start Windows Explorer and put your disk in drive A
 2. Now make the source files visible in the right pane as follows:
 In the left pane:
  If needed, slide the scroll bar down so that drive N is visible.
  Left click on the + for drive N, then do the same for math_cs, rconnell, and csc101.
  Now double left click on Spreadsheet in the left pane under csc101.
  The file excel_lab1A.xls will appear in the right pane.
 Your screen should be similar to Figure 4.
 3. Now make sure Floppy (A:) is visible in the left pane. If needed, slide the scroll bar for the left pane to     make it visible, but do not click on the icon for Floppy (A:).
 4. Find excel_lab1A.xls in the in the right pane and right drag it to Floppy (A:). Select Copy from the pop-up.
  Multiple files can be copied one at a time by selecting all the files and dragging them once. (See B above.)
  Left drag will also copy, but does not show the pop-up.
  Be careful, left drag will Move the file(s) when the source and destination are on the same disk.
 

VI. USB Flash Drive:  
 A USB flash drive acts like any disk drive, but has at least 42 times the capacity of a floppy disk.
 USB means Universal Serial Bus and "flash" refers to the memory technology.
 Insert the drive into one of the USB sockets at the base of the computer. It will be drive E.
 When the pop-up appears, click on OK to open the drive. Close the pop-up.

(*) A. Copying
 Use one of the methods in I.C or II to copy country.mdb in N:\math_cs\rconnell\csc101\Access to drive E.

(*) B. Compress and Decompress a File
This method will compress a file (make it smaller). It is useful and will work on any drive (not just flash drive).
 Further, the e-mail system will block some types of files, but will not block them if they are compressed.
 If needed, open Windows Explorer and go to the USB flash drive.
 Compress the file from Part A:
  Right click on country.mdb in drive E
  Select Send To…
  Select Compressed (zipped) Folder
  It will produce a folder named country with a zipper.
 Decompress the file:
  Right click on the country folder with a zipper
  Click on Extract All Files
  Click on Next, Next, and Finish
  It will produce a folder named country containing country.mdb.

C. Close USB Flash Drive (do not simply remove the drive)
 Double click on the “green arrow” icon on the lower right.
 Click on Stop in the Safely Remove Hardware pop-up.
 Click on OK in the Stop a Device pop-up.
 If “can not stop” warning appears, click on OK.
 Click on Close and remove the flash drive.