Files and Folders

It is very important to do regular backups to prevent lost of data. There are various causes for data loss, machine breakdown, virus, power outage, software upgrades, natural disaster and human error.

backup:

• A good practice is to backup your files and folders on a regular basis
• Learn to backup your files and folders onto an external hard drive or cloud based drive (e.g. One Drive on Office365, Google Drive or Dropbox) to store your files and folders.

Getting your files and folders organised will save you time locating them when they are needed. Let’s start with some simple rules for managing your files and folders.

simple rules:

• Don’t save files on the desktop
• Limit folder creation
• Get used to thinking in hierarchies when organising your files and folders
• Use /archive folders to store files you no longer need access to regularly

Having a well organised, consistent and descriptive file naming system will make it much easier to track and find files.

do’s:

• Use unique names
• Name the file so that it is indicative of the content
• Use a naming system that enables files to be stored in chronological order (e.g. starting with YY MM DD or  SURNAME_INITIALS)
• Use _underscore to separate elements of the file name and use –hyphen or capitalisation to delimit words within an element (e.g. BusinessPlan_2017-02-15.docx, Blogg-Joe-ESSAY_2017-02-15.pdf )
• Use appropriate abbreviations (e.g. V for version)

don’ts:

•  Do not make the file name too long
• Do not use spaces
• Do not use characters such as: ! # $ % & ‘ @ ^ `  ~ + , . ; = ) (