Help! The Computer Ate My File, Page 2

USING "Save As..."

In most Windows applications (programs like Word and Excel), the procedures for things like saving files are nearly identical. The Save and Save As... commands are always located in the File menu, along with the New, Open, Close, and Print commands and others. No matter which program you're working in, the first step in saving a newly created file is to access the Save As... option in the File menu.

The Save As... dialog box is where you specify both the name for your new file and the exact location where it should be stored. In the lower part of the dialog box is the File name: field. In older versions of Word, the name Doc1 or Doc2, etc., appears as the file name before you save a file for the first time. Be sure to type in another name, something that will give you a little more information about the document than Doc1! Remember to leave .doc as the final part of the name of your Word documents, and .xls as the extension on your Excel worksheets (in Office 97, these extensions will be added automatically. You may not be able to see them, but they'll be there).

It is extremely important to give each file a unique name. Older versions of Word, for example, automatically name the first file you create each session doc1.doc, the second doc2.doc, and so forth. If you close Word, then open it again later, it will name the next document you create doc1.doc and may overwrite the doc1.doc file that you created during the previous session, thereby wiping out the original document and replacing it with the new doc1.doc. Make sure that you type in a unique name for each file you create the first time that you save it or your work could be lost.

In Office 97, Word automatically enters the first few words in your document as the file name. Don't forget to put in a unique name for each file. If you write a lot of letters that all begin with the date line, all of your document names will be dates because that's the first thing Word sees on the page.

In the Save in: field, use the drop down list to select the drive where you want your file to be stored. If you work where I do, your documents are probably stored on drive g:\. At home, they're usually on c:\. If the correct drive is not visible in the window, click on the down arrow to the right of the Save in: text field, then use the up and down arrows on the keyboard or click on the arrows to the right to scroll through the list until you see the correct drive letter, then double-click on it.

In the center portion of the dialog box is a display of all the folders in the selected drive. Double click on the Data folder, then on the folder with your name next to it (network). Look at the display in the Save in: list; the folder with your name should be displayed there. In the illustration below, the user's name isn't visible, since a subfolder under the user's main folder has been selected. If we could see the whole path in the illustration, it would read:

G:\Data\Carney\Training\Winnt\.

The filename is Help Computer Ate File NT.DOC.

When the correct folder name is displayed in the Save in: list, type in a name for your document. Make sure that the correct information is displayed in Save as type: If the file type is wrong, use the drop-down list to select the appropriate type, then click on OK to save the file.

If the name you use for your document has been used before, a warning message will appear, asking if you want to overwrite the existing file.

UNLESS YOU ARE POSITIVE THAT YOU NEVER WANT TO SEE THE ORIGINAL FILE AGAIN, CHANGE THE NAME OF THE FILE YOU ARE ABOUT TO SAVE!

If you are saving a new file - a document that you have just created and have never saved before - change the name of your new file before you save it. If you don't, the file that had the name originally will be overwritten - which means it will be completely replaced by the new document you just created. You will not be able to get the original file back; it will be gone forever.

If you are editing a file that you created and named at some earlier time and you want to save changes you made to the original document, use Save, [Ctrl + S], or the diskette icon on the toolbar to save the changes. In this case, you do want to overwrite the existing document because you want to save the most recent changes, additions, or deletions to the file. You are merely replacing one version of the document with the most recent version of the same document. In the case of a new file that has been given the same name as an existing file, the new file will replace the old file completely.

Just remember: when you create a new document in any program, use Save As... the first time you save it, and make sure that you give it a unique name, one that you have not used for any of your other documents. If the program warns you that you are about to overwrite an existing file, change the name of the new document so that you don't lose the original file of the same name. And - if you open a file created and saved at an earlier time, use Save, [Ctrl + S], or the Save button to replace the original file with the edited version.

Saving a Copy of a File

Now that you know how to save a file for the first time, and how to specify the location for the file, it will be easy to save your work, or a copy of it, to another location. Most of the time, you'll store work in the locations discussed above - for example, on drive g:\ under data\yourname\filename or - on your home computer - on the c:\ drive in an appropriate folder.

Occasionally, you might want to make a backup copy of a file, or move or copy a file to another directory (e.g., the public directory). It's a simple matter: instead of selecting g:\ in the Save As... dialog box, just specify the drive where you want the copy to be. If you are moving a file or copying it to another directory, you may not have to change the drive, but you will have to change parts of the path (remember paths?).

Your computer probably has one 'floppy drive' - a drive that uses removable disks, also known as floppy disks. The hard drive is located inside the computer, is not physically accessible to you, and is not removable (except by a technician for repairs or replacement). The floppy drives are also permanently installed in the computer, but are accessible: by inserting a diskette in the correct opening in the front of the computer, you can save, transfer, or copy files to the floppy disk to give to someone or to put away for safekeeping. Diskettes, or floppies, are portable; hard disks are not.

All PCs have at least one floppy drive, usually a 31/2" drive, which is shown in My Computer or the Windows NT Explorer as 31/2" Floppy (a:). The 31/2" diskettes are enclosed in a hard plastic shell. The drive has a small button just below it which pops out when a diskette is inserted in the drive. The floppy drive - when there's only one - is usually referred to as the a: drive. If you have an older computer, you may have a second floppy drive, perhaps designated as 51/4" Floppy (B:) or as the b: drive.

Newer computers may have DVD drives, most have CD-ROM or read-write CD-ROM drives. They work a little differently: A laser burns minute holes in the surface of the CD to record the data, which can then be read much the same way that magnetic media is read, but using a laser.

Handling Diskettes

The magnetic medium on which your information is recorded is very sensitive. It is similar to the tape that a tape recorder uses and works in much the same way by recording information as magnetic signals. Anything that corrupts the surface can cause a loss of data, either by the presence of foreign material on the surface (such as oil from your skin or teensy specks of dust) or from physical damage.

The most common diskettes are the 3-1/2" size, as shown at left. They are less subject to wear-and-tear than the older 5-1/4" disks, since they are fully enclosed in fairly rigid plastic jackets, and even have a little 'door' to protect them further.

The 5-1/4" diskettes (at right - now extremely rare) are only partially enclosed in a softer, more flexible plastic, making them much easier to damage. Take care to avoid touching the exposed parts of the disk itself - you will almost certainly lose or corrupt data stored on the part of the disk that you touch. When they're not in use, keep the larger diskettes stored in their envelopes. This gives them some extra protection against dust and physical damage.

And store both kinds properly. Don't throw them into your desk drawer and then toss the stapler in on top of them when you decide it's time to do a little tidying up! Storing diskettes in the original box or in a disk storage unit is best. If you don't have either of these, find a place where they will be protected from dust (and coffee!) and exposure to temperature extremes, and where they aren't likely to receive physical damage.

CDs should be handled by the edges. If they start misbehaving, they can be washed in warm water and dried with a soft cloth. I read somewhere that those nice, soft little shoe polishing cloths they put in hotel rooms are great for cleaning CDs. Store your CDs in jewel cases or in plastic sleeves - available at your friendly neighborhood computer store.

Saving a File to a Floppy Disk

To make a back-up (or portable) copy of your document, insert a diskette in the floppy drive, select Save As... from the File menu, change the drive to 3-1/2" Floppy (A:). Make sure that the drive specification is correct and that you've given the file an appropriate name, then click on OK to save it to the floppy disk.

Saving a File to the Hard Drive

Perhaps someone has requested a copy of a file you created. You can make a copy on a floppy disk, as described above, or you can use Save As... to save it to another drive and/or folder, assuming that you have rights to access that folder. Just save the file exactly as you'd save to your own directory. Find out exactly where the file should be saved, change the drive and directory as described earlier in this article, and save the document.

On a network, you may not be able to do this if you don't have rights to access the other directory. You may have to move non-sensitive files to the Public folder, and have the other party move it from there to his/her own folder. For sensitive files, call the Help Desk and request their assistance in copying or moving the file.

A better method is to save the file to your own directory, then use the Windows NT Explorer or My Computer to make a copy in a folder that both parties have access to. Ask for a copy of the Windows NT Notes for instructions on using Windows NT Explorer and My Computer to move or copy a file to another folder.

Opening & Editing a Saved File

Insert the diskette that contains the file you want to edit into the appropriate drive, then click on Open in the File menu. From the Look in: drop-down list, select 31/2" Floppy (A) to see a list of files that have been stored on the diskette. Click on the one you want to work with, then click OK to open the file. Edit and save the file as usual. To make sure that the file on the floppy disk reflects all of your changes, save your changes with [Ctrl + S] from the keyboard, Save from the File menu, or by clicking the diskette icon on the button bar.

To save a copy of the file to your hard drive, use Save As... just as you would if you were saving a brand new document: select the drive on which your folder is located, double click on your folder, and give the file a valid filename.