how do I name & save files?

Basic Technology Skills -> File management -> how do I name and save files?

In order to keep the work you have spent time doing on the computer, you will need to save your files. There are several questions you need to answer before you save a file. The two most important are:

1. What will I name the file?
2. Where will I save the file?

In the old DOS days of computing, file names followed a strict naming structure -- eight characters, a period, and three more characters; spaces could not be used. Now the newer Windows operating systems have finally caught up to their Mac brethren by allowing longer file names. Windows file and/or folder names can contain up to 215 characters, including spaces. But don't get carried away. Try to keep your file names to 20-30 characters, if you can. Short file names are still easier to use, and some programs may have trouble interpreting extremely long file names. 

File names are generally followed by a period and three letters, called an extension. In most cases, the program that you are using will automatically add the extension. You may or may not see the extension depending on the way your computer is set up. One important thing to know when naming files and/or folders: names cannot contain the following characters: \ / : * ? " < > | You should ONLY use characters (a through z) and numbers for your file and folder names. This is called alphanumeric

File names should also be meaningful. If you give your file the name "paper.docx" and save it in a course folder, like CM 110, will you know what that means in a month? As stated above, file names have an extension that is placed there by the application program that created the file. You cannot change the extension! This can make the file unreadable.


Files (and folders) have properties. These properties include: the location of the file, when it was created, the size of the file (or folder) and the type of file or folder. To see the properties of a file or folder:

  1. Right click the file or folder
  2. Select Properties

The image on the left shows the properties for a folder called CIT 200. Notice the properties of a folder also include how many files and sub-folders are contained in the folder.

In order to find the file again, you need to know where you are saving it. When you are using an application program, like MicroSoft Word, the first time you save a file you should select Save As. This command allows you to select the place you want to save the file. Remember to select a place you will remember! Besides saving, there are several other file operations that you need to know about.

What are file operations?

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