Of course you hate filing - everyone with any sense at all loathes it - but the advent of computers and PC's has made it easier, if you make the most of the facilities they offer.
When I acquired my first PC (without any prior tuition) I simply regarded it as a replacement typewriter and it was months before I realised this was also an ultra-efficient filing cabinet. From there it was a fairly short step to getting my mind-set right.
In the bad old typewriter days one completed one's work and then put the carbon copy somewhere to file much later - usually when the filing pile had reached alarming proportions. With a PC you actually sort out the filing fiasco BEFORE you do the work.
Before starting to type a new document open the File menu in the top toolbar and you will see Save and Save As. This requires a little thought but in the first instance one should invariably click on Save As because this is your chance to put your work in the right place - once and for all.
Your PC will already have a My Documents folder and this is the best place to put your work, until you become more ambitious. However if you simply save everything in My Documents you will soon find you have created another filing disaster. The solution is to create extra folders, within My Documents, which is simple to do - fortunately.
So click on Save As and when the dialogue box appears find My Documents in the drop down menu on the bar at the top. Then click on the Create New Folder icon which will be to the right of the 'My Documents' text. The new folder can then be seen with the words 'New Folder' highlighted. Press the delete key and type in the name of your new folder - what about My Letters? Then press enter, double click on the renamed folder and My Letters will replace the My Documents text in the top bar.
Decide on a name for the new document you have just opened and
type this in the bar labelled File Name. Then click Save and close
the dialogue box. Remember to save what you are working on, frequently,
and it will be filed away in the place you have selected. This is
where Save under the File Menu comes into action.
The next time you are typing a personal letter save it in your My Letters folder by clicking Save As in the File Menu, and finding the relevant folder. Be sure to type in a new file name for your letter.
To add to or alter an existing file click File and then Open. When
the dialogue box appears, select My Documents from the drop down
menu, find My Letters in the list below and double click so this
folder replaces My Documents in the top bar. Then select the file
you want and click Open.
Perhaps you don't want to save everything in My Documents? You dont have to. Using the Save As dialogue box and its drop down menu simply select where you want to put the new folder and then create it. Alternatively click on your My Computer icon (usually on your desktop), click on File, then New, then Folder.
Don't panic if you can't remember where you put one of those new folders. Simply open your Start menu and click Find then File/Folder. In the dialogue box type in the name of the missing file or folder and click Find.
The good news is that this clever little thing will usually locate the missing item - even if you can't remember the name, exactly. However to be on the safe side it is be a good idea to jot new names down in a notebook.
Copyright 2001 Sheldene Chant
Another easy to understand book that shows you how to get
the most out of the World Wide Web and your browser of choice. If
you're looking for an excuse to spend more time online, this book
will give you plenty of opportunities. Learn effective search techniques,
utilizing bookmarks, etc.
Get on Top of That Filing
