Section 1.2 exercises

EXERCISE 1 – File and directory features

There are good and bad routines when naming and storing files. Consider or try out the answers to the following questions.
  1. Can you store your files under the following names in Windows?
    a) End project
    b) Exercise 01/12
    c) ICT licence Section 2 exercise 1
  2. How many folders are there in the following file path?
    – Z:CoursesICT licenceSection 2ExercisesExercise 1.rtf
  3. What is bad about the following file names?
    a) Excelproject 13.10.2012.xls
    b) Exer2.rtf

Before doing the following exercise, make sure that file extensions are shown in your folder windows. If they are not shown, reset your folders to show them.  NB: be careful when completing this exercise: you can look at the files on your computer, as long as you do not delete them!

  1. Open the folder C:\Windows.
  2. Change the view to Details so that you can see all the details of the files. Then arrange the files according to size, so that the largest file is on top.
  3. Check the size of the largest file. Figure out how many megabytes and kilobytes it is.
  4. Arrange the files according to date (the one modified last on top). Check the date modified for the newest file.

Acquaint yourself with different file and folder views:

  1. Open the Computer window and open the C: drive by double-clicking its icon. Go to the Windows folder and try changing the window view. Try at least:
    a) the Thumbnails view
    b) the Icons view
    c) the Details (list and details) view
  2. Practise sorting files. Keep open the Details view and sort the folders and files in the window as follows:
    a) according to file size so that the largest file is on top.
    b) according to the date of the file so that the file that has been modified most recently is on top.
    c) according to the file name so that the files are in alphabetical order.
  3. Close the window with the command Alt+F4.
  4. We hope you have read about the most common keyboard commands in the study material? If you haven’t, take a look at them now!

EXERCISE 2 – File and directory access

Usually, different access rights have been specified for files in folders in a network environment. Try to find answers to the following questions:
  1. You open a file on a web storage drive that you have not stored yourself. You have read access to this file. Can you make changes to the file or delete it? What if you have stored it yourself?
  2. If the file in a web folder has been write-protected because it is being modified by someone else, can you read the file?
  3. Do you know how ‘read-only’ access affects the handling of a file? Find out by storing the document Osoitetiedot in a temporary folder on your computer (e.g. C:\temp). Specify ‘read-only’ access for the file, open the file with a word-processing program and write your own contact information in the document. Save the document under the same name. What happens – and why? Remember to delete this document when you have finished with this exercise.

EXERCISE 3 – Good routines for storage

In this exercise, you will create folders for your work. If you are working on the web, create the folders into your own web directory. Then your information will remain, even if you move from one computer to another. If you are working on your home computer, create the folders on your hard drive.
  1. For this course, create a folder called “Student’s digital skills” and create the subfolders “Exercises” and “Other material” into it. Add a subfolder called “Section 1” into the “Exercises” folder.
  2. Create a document called “My information” into your directory. Delete this file.

EXERCISE 4 – Restoring deleted files

  1. You deleted the document “My information” in the previous exercise. Try to restore it from the recycle bin.

EXERCISE 5 – Searching for files

There are some files in your directory by now, so we can try searching for files. With the help of Windows’ own search function, search for the following files.
  1. First search your directory for all files whose names start with an m
  2. Then search your directory for all files that have been modified during the last month.
  3. From the same directory, search for all files made with the Excel spreadsheet program.
  4. Then search for all files that contain the word ‘university.’
  5. Make the previous search more detailed. Add the criteria that the file must have been made with the Word program.

EXERCISE 6 – Compression and extraction

In this exercise, you will store a compressed file in your own folder. The compressed package is actually a compressed folder structure containing subfolders and files.
  1. Store the package named Exercises from this link to the folder “Section 1”.
  2. Extract the package into the same folder.
  3. Open the extracted folder and see what it contains.
  4. Delete the file called “Contact information.”
  5. Change the name of the file Character to Logo.
  6. Create a subfolder called Logo under the folder called exercises.
  7. Move the file called Logo there.
  8. Change the name of the folder called Graphics to Pictures.
  9. Open the folder “Other material” and check the size of the file called “Writer.”
  10. Compress this file into the same folder under the name “Compressed writer.”
  11. Check the size of the compressed file, i.e. check how much smaller it is when compressed than the original.
  12. You deleted a file earlier in this exercise. See if you can restore it.

EXERCISE 7 – Solving problem situations

You have to be using the Windows operating system in order to complete this exercise.
  1. Press down the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys on the keyboard to bring up the task-management window.  Select  Windows Task Manager.
  2. Make sure that all the programs you are running are functional. If one of the programs does not respond, close that program from the task-manager window. If there are no non-responsive programs, close the task manager.
  3. Do not close the programs you are running, but get used to the idea of using dozens of programs simultaneously: calculator, memo pad, word-processing program, spreadsheet, web browser running in a dozen separate windows, image processor, etc.

ANSWERS:

EXERCISE 1 – File and directory features

  1. a) Yes (but make sure that the file name contains the file extension)
    b) No (the file name can not contain the character)
    c) Yes.
  2. Four.
  3. a) It is unnecessary to include the date in the file name, since you can find out the date from the file details.
    b) The name is very unspecific.

EXERCISE 2 – File and directory access

  1. If you have been given separate access rights for modifying and deleting files, you can do it, but in other cases, you cannot. If you have created the file yourself, you can usually modify it or delete it.
  2. Usually yes (but you cannot write on top of the original file).
  3. The operating system will suggest that you rename the file, or it informs you that the file cannot be stored because of the ‘read-only’ setting.