File Management File Management Any documents that you create or modify need to be saved somewhere. Saving documents locally on your PC is not a good idea since they may be lost if your computer malfunctions. There are two special places to save files so that they can be recovered: the My Documents folder (also known as the "G drive") and the Shared Documents folder (also known as the "S drive"). These folders are located on the network and are backed up regularly. There are shortcuts to these areas on every PC desktop.
The My Documents Folder
Microsoft Word or Excel will automatically want to save a file here unless you use the Save As option to change the destination folder.
This folder is private to you and cannot be seen by anyone else working at the Council unless they have special authority.
Use this folder to store temporary files, documents in process and any personal information e.g. timesheets, expenses etc. When you have completed documents they should be moved to a folder on the shared drive.
It is very easy to end up with many duplicate and out of date documents on your G drive so try to keep your personal folder tidy (subdivide it by creating new folders to organise related documents) and delete any files that are not required any more.
The Shared Drive
The Shared drive contains folders organised into a heirarchical structure that can have many levels and that many users can access.
You can use Windows Explorer to open folders and manage files inside as long as you have authorisation. Many folders will forbid you to open them because you are not part of the department or team they belong to. In other cases you can open a folder but not edit any of the documents inside it since you have read only status.
If you wish to create a new folder inside your team's folder you may if you have permission. This folder will inherit the access restrictions of its parent. New top level folders can be set up after a request to the IT department. You can specify who has access and whether they can read and write to the folder.
It is important that anyone setting up a new folder takes ownership of that folder and controls which documents and versions are stored there. With no supervision, folders can easily become dumping grounds for out of date or duplicate files. It is also a good idea to agree a file naming convention and have everybody stick to it. Version control is also made easier with a naming convention. It is recommended you keep a master document and only the most recent version(s).
Be careful to structure your Shared drive in a logical and easy to navigate way. Try not to have too many levels and if possible organise information as objects, not properties e.g. creating a new project folder and subdividing it into folders for meetings and invoices is better than using a general minutes and invoices folders for all the projects in the department.
Demonstrations
(After playing through the demonstration you can replay it or close down the browser window to return here)
- Use Windows Explorer to manage files and folders
- Publishing on the Shared drive
- Search for duplicate files in a folder
Test Yourself
Now test your new found knowledge with this short interactive Quiz
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