MY COMPUTER WINDOW
- used to view files, folders, and other items, such as system settings

Files and Folders
- Information is stored on a disk as files.
- 2 types of files:
PROGRAM FILES - those which contain instructions for running a program
DATA FILES - those created and used with a software program
-Folders and Subfolders can be created so we can store related files in one place
-Files and folders are assigned names so we can identify their contents
-When we open the MY COMPUTER WINDOW, the task bar button will display a button indicating that the window is open
-The MY COMPUTER window displays icons representing available drives and system folders, such as CONTROL PANEL and PRINTERS, that let us change system settings

To view the contents of a drive:
- Double click the appropriate drive icon
- A drive window will be open displaying folders and files on that drive
- Double clicking a folder icon in a drive window displays another window of the subfolders and files contained in the folder

An icon displayed to the left of a file name helps to identify the file type
- Some files will display icons representing the program in which they were created. These are called as ASSOCIATED FILES. When we double click a file of this type, the file will be open in the associated program
- Files that are not associated with a particular program are nonassociated document files

The View menu is used to change the way items are diaplayed onscreen. We can change the size of file icons, the amount of information displayed, and the display order of the files

TOOLBAR
- It contains button shortcuts to many common commands, including View menu commands.
- It could vary from application to application, although several buttons will be the same.
- The status bar, located at the bottom of the window, will initially display how many objects (folders, files, icons) are displayed in a window. If the objects are files, the status bar will initially display how many bytes are occupied by the files. If we select an icon, the status bar will tell us "1 object(s) selected". If the object is a file, the status bar will display the file's size.
-The toolbar displays four buttons that let us change the way we view files. They are as follows:
Large icons - Large icons with the file name underneath. Files are displayed in alphabetical order across rows.
Small icons - The same basic display as "large icons" except that the icon size will be reduced, and more files can be viewed.
List - Similar to "small icons" except that the files are listed in alphabetical order down columns instead of across rows.
Details - Lists files alphabetically down columns but displays on file per row and includes size and file or folder type, and date and time the file was last modified.

The Properties command displays a dialog box containing properties associated with the selected file.

Folders appear first in a listing followed by files displayed in the selected order. Commonly, this is an alphabetical listing.
- When listed alphabetically, file and folder names that begin with numbers will be listed before folder and file names that begin with letters. For example, a file named 1998sales would be listed before files beginning with letters.
- The View/Arrange Icons command lets us view files by name, type(extension), size, or date in ascending or descending order.
- If multiple windows are open on the desktop, we can click any visible portion of the window we want to see or click its corresponding button on the task bar.
-The window we clicked will be displayed in front of the others as the active window. Other indications that this is the active window are:
* It has a colored title bar.
* Its taskbar button is depressed.
* It contains the highlight.
- We can minimize windows that we still might want to use but don't necessarily want to view.
- As more windows are open, their corresponding taskbar buttons are reduced in size, displaying only part of the button text. Ellipses after a button name indicate that the name is not displayed in full.
- If we want to display multiple windows onscreen, we can move and size them or let Windows 95 do the work for us.

ARRANGING WINDOWS
-The taskbar contains two shortcut commands that let us arrange our windows. They are:
Cascade - Displays the active window in front followed by the title bars of the other windows layered so that they resemble hanging file folders.
Tile - Lets us display open windows in a horizontal or vertical pattern of equally-sized windows. Size is dependent upon the number of windows open. Fewer open windows result in larger windows displayed.

UNDO
- The Undo feature reverses our last action or command.
- If we are dissatisfied with a cascade or tile arrangement, we can use the Undo command to rest the windows to their previous configuration.

We can use a window's corresponding taskbar button to close a program by choosing 'Close' from the button shortcut menu.

EXPLORER
- The Explorer is a Windows 95 application that lets us list and manage files.
- The Explorer toolbar and menu display many of the same buttons and commands as in the 'My Computer' Window.
- The parts of the Explorer window are as follows:
* Description bar - Displayed above each area, the description bar identifies this area.
* All Folders area - Displayed in the window to the left, the All Folders area displays a graphic representation of the major parts of our computer. This display is known as a hierarchy or tree.
* Contents area - Displayed in the window to the right, the Contents area displays the contents of the selected item in the All Folders area.

HIERARCHY OF FOLDERS
- A 'hierarchy' or 'tree' refers to the graphical display of folders, subfolders, and files on a disk.
- The 'main folder' is the top-level folder on a disk from which other subfolders and files branch.
- The lines identify the relationship among the items in the area. The line to the far left is the main tree line. It extends from the Desktop icon, which is ultimately related to all other items, and which branch off from this line.
- Clicking an icon or folder from the "All Folders" area will display folders and files in the Contents window in much the same way as they are displayed in the 'My Computer' window.

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