When files are saved, they are assigned file names so that users can identity them later. Filenames have two parts: A name, and an extension. One may think of them as first and last name. The name is chosen to identity the file later. For DOS, a user has to use limited number of characters for the file name. However, a user can use long, descriptive filename in newer operating systems.

The extension is separated from the name by a period. Its purpose is to identify the file format or the application that created it. For example, a .DBR extension means the file is a database and .doc often means a word processing document.

Folders: A folder contains related document together. A well planned file cabinet uses hanging folders to group associated documents. It a further breakdown is needed, manila folders are place in the hanging folders. It is simple then to locate and pull out the documents needed. The same is true of hard drives. To master computing, one needs to know the concept of folders and their use for grouping together related files. A folder is also known as directory.

Drives: Most of the computer systems have more than one drive. Drives are assigned letters for identification. For example, a drive into which user can insert a floppy disk may be drive A or B. A computer looks to hard drive called C when user turns it on. Additional drives might be D and E. As the member and type of drives vary from system to system, so does the letter or name of each.

Floppy drive	A & B
Hard drive	C
CD-ROM drive	D
Zip drive	E

Trees: A tree is one of the ways to illustrate the organization of folders on a drive. In this view, all folders branch off from the drive. If a folder contains other folders, those folders are shown as a second branch from the first.

When using a tree, one can expand and collapse the entire tree or any branch. This allows a user to alternate between a summary or the drive’s contents, and details of each file. On windows, the plus sign indicates that a branch has been collapsed and it contains hidden folders. The minus sign indicates that the branch has been expanded.

Paths: A user has to follow a "path" to get files stored in folders on a disk. For example, if a file named varsity.doc name Letters or drive C, the path to that folder is C:\Letters\ varsity.doc. If varsity.doc is in a folder named Imran, the path is C:\Imran\ varsity.doc. The drive specification in a path is C: and the folder’s name is separated from it by a backlash.

Path to a file in a folder: The backlash is also used when a user has folders within folders. If the Letters folder contained a folder names Delowar, the path to it would then be C:\Letters\Delowar\ varsity.doc.

Path to a file in a subfolder: In most cases, a user does not need to type paths. Most new programs and operating systems let users to use a mouse to open folders to find a file.

File managers: Operating systems include a separate program that a user can use to explore drives, folders, and files. There are a variety of these but they all allow users to display the folders on a drive arranged like a tree. Clicking any of the folders displays a list of its contents.

When browsers and search engines were first developed for the Web, people soon discovered they could locate and get to a document anywhere in the world more easily than they could locate and get to one on their own system. As a result, browser technology is now being put to use in file management. Microsoft’s Active Internet Platform technology allows users to browse documents as well as the Web. In fact, a document on a local hard drive looks the same as a page anywhere on the Web.

Search engines on the Web keep track of millions of documents by searching them out and listing words they contain in an index. When a user searches a word, the search engine looks it up in the index and lists the name and address of every document in which it can be found. A user can go to the document just by clicking its name. The search engines make looking for documents so easy that personal versions are available for users own system.