Files, folders, and finding what you saved

A file is one saved item: a photo, a note, a recording, or a webpage you downloaded. A folder is a container that holds files (and sometimes other folders). Think of a paper folder in a filing cabinet: the folder is not the letter; it is the place you put the letter so you can find it later.

On a Windows computer, Microsoft describes File Explorer as the tool that helps you find, open, organize, and manage files and folders on your PC (and, if you use it, in the cloud). The well-known folders Microsoft lists are Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, and Videos. In recent Windows 11 versions those folders are pinned in Quick access (also called File Explorer Home) and in the left navigation pane. Downloads is often where a file lands when you save something from a browser. Documents is a calm place for notes and letters you write yourself.

A file also has a name. A name you will recognise next week (“april-rent-receipt” or “practice-note”) is more useful than “Document1.” Microsoft’s File Explorer help includes a way to show file name extensions (View > Show > File name extensions on Windows 11). An extension such as .txt or .jpg is a short tag at the end of the name. You do not need to change extensions in this course. Just notice them if they appear.

You do not have to keep every file forever. Deleting something you do not need can make a list easier to scan — but on a shared or library computer, delete only files you created in this practice, and ask first. Google’s Android help for finding files similarly says you can delete a file to Trash from the Files app. Trash means it may not be gone forever right away, but you should still treat delete as a serious step.

To open File Explorer in Windows 11, Microsoft says to select it on the taskbar or the Start menu, or press the Windows logo key + E. The same three paths appear in Microsoft’s Windows 10 notes on that page. (As of 10 November 2026, that page also states that support for Windows 10 ended on 14 October 2025. That date is written here so you know why a library machine might look different; it is not a quiz fact.)

Once File Explorer is open you will usually see Home (Quick access) first. Look down the left side for Documents or Downloads. If the left pane is hidden, Microsoft’s steps are View > Show > Navigation pane. If someone unpinned the known folders, Microsoft describes how to show them again: open File Explorer, select Home, select the Up arrow beside the address bar to see all six known folders, then right-click (or press and hold) a folder and choose Pin to Quick access.

To move a file, Microsoft says: select it, choose Cut on the ribbon, go to the new location, then choose Paste. For items sitting in Quick access you may need to right-click (or press and hold) and choose Open before you can cut and paste. The right-click menu also shows Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Share, and Delete along the top — hover to see each name. Those are the everyday actions. You do not need cloud search or OneDrive to practise today.

Search is useful when you remember part of a name. Microsoft says you can search from File Explorer Home to find relevant files on the PC (and in the cloud if you have signed in). Type a word from the file name and wait for the list to update. If nothing appears, check that you are looking in the right folder, or try a shorter word.

On a library PC, stay inside the folders staff point you to. Do not open other people’s documents.

On many Android phones, Google says you can usually find your files in the Files app. If you cannot find that app, the phone maker may have given it another name — Google says to check the maker’s help. Open the Files app and you will see categories. Tap a category, then tap a file to open it. You can sort by name, date, or size (More > Sort by). To share a file, touch and hold it, then tap Share. Extra actions such as printing or adding a file to Google Drive sit behind More after you open the file.

Music, movies, or books you downloaded inside another app may live in that app, not in Files. Google’s example is videos downloaded in a movies app: go back to the app where you downloaded them. If you connect the phone to a computer with a USB cable, Google says to open the computer’s Downloads folder to find files that are on the device. Ask a tutor before you plug a personal phone into a shared computer.

The habit that saves the most time is a clear name at the moment you save. When a notes app or a browser asks “Save as,” type a short name that includes what the file is and, if you want, a month. Avoid spaces-only names or a string of numbers you will not remember. Then, later, search for one word from that name in File Explorer or in the Files app.

Skills for Success includes managing and storing digital information as part of everyday digital skill. You do not need a perfect filing system. One or two folders you understand — for example Documents on a PC, or a clearly named folder a tutor helps you create — are enough to start.

Use the file-and-folder checklist:

1. Open File Explorer (or the Files app on a phone).
2. Find Documents or Downloads (or a category such as Downloads on a phone).
3. Save a short practice note with a clear name, or ask a tutor to help you save one.
4. Search for part of that name.
5. Do not delete other people’s files.

What names would help you find a rent receipt, a photo of a form, or a practice note six months from now?