Computers for Beginners, Part II
INTRODUCTION: EXPANDING ON THE BASICS
This class will expand on the basic skills and concepts you learned in Computers for Beginners, Part I. This class will
cover:
 Files, folders, and how to find them
 Understanding bytes
 Learning file types
 Navigating the computer
 Moving files (copy & paste, drag & drop)
SECTION I: INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER
When you get right down to it, every file on your computer can fit into one of four main categories: text, images, audio,
or video. Some things might be a combination – software programs might have text and images together, for example –
but for the most part everything you do fits into one of these areas. It should come as no surprise then that your
computer has four main areas to save things – Documents (text), Pictures (images), Music (audio), and Video (videos).
Throughout this lesson we will be focusing on these four types of content over and over again, but it’s important to
understand because once you grasp this concept, so many other things about the computer will make sense.
Imagine you are working at a desk. Your boss comes in and throws a single piece of paper on your
desk and says “read this.” No problem, right? What if your boss comes in and throws four pieces of
paper on your desk and says “read these?” Again, probably no big deal. What if your boss comes in
and throws a phone book on your desk and says “read this?” It might be possible, but it will take a
while. But let’s say your boss rolls in a dolly with 10 boxes filled with phone books and says “read
these.” By this point, you probably want to just throw up your hands and quit, right?
Your computer is a lot like you at your desk. When you give your computer something simple to
do (open a Microsoft Word document, connect to the internet) it can handle it with no problem.
You can even throw a few simple things at it all at once – connect to the internet, open a picture,
recognize a flash drive – with no problem. But when you start throwing bigger tasks at it – like
editing a two hour long video – your computer may start to run a bit more slowly. The task can
still probably be accomplished, but it might just a take a while longer. But let’s say you try to watch
six YouTube videos, play a DVD, and edit a high resolution image in Photoshop all at once. At this
point, you are overwhelming your computer. It may run extremely slowly – or simply just give up and quit working all
together. Sometimes we take technology for granted and forget that technology, just like us, has a limit.
RAM
One term many people confuse is memory or RAM, and hard drive storage space. RAM stands for Random Access
Memory (don't worry, you don't need to remember that!). RAM is a temporary working space the computer uses to get
work done, which gets emptied when the computer is turned off. Think of it as your desk space at work. You have a
project you're working on and you do your project at your desk and when you're done, you clear it off.
The Hard Drive
The hard drive is the main place your computer uses to store information. It looks like a rectangular metal box which
contains a non-removable disk (as opposed to something like a CD Drive or flash drive where you can take the disk out).
It is the disk inside the drive which stores everything on your computer – every word document, every picture, every
music file, and every video. This hard drive is also where you find your operating system – the program that controls
literally everything you do on your computer. Popular operating systems include Windows, iOS, and Linux.
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To continue our analogy, think of it as the drawers of your desk
where you store the tools or materials for your project – pencils,
pens, glue, scissors, tape, whatever it may be. When you want to
work on something you choose the things you need from the
drawers, put them on the desk and work on the project. This is like
when you run a program; the computer loads the program from the
hard drive into memory (the temporary working space). The larger
the drawers, the more you can store -- i.e. the more programs you
can have installed, the more files you can save on your computer.
In summary, here are some important basic concepts to understand:
 RAM is the memory needed to simply access and run
programs. RAM chips are rated by access speed, which relates to
how quickly a request for data from your system can be completed.
 Your hard drive has a certain capacity for data storage measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB).
 Some programs will require a minimum amount of RAM and hard drive space. For example, Windows 7 requires
1GB of main memory and 16GB of hard drive space.
 The speed at which your computer runs programs or completes tasks is determined in great measure by your
computer’s processor speed. The higher the speed (measured in megahertz), the faster your computer.
Tip: Keep in mind: a computer is only as smart as the information provided to it. You must provide the
proper input in the proper location to get the proper output (or result). For example, you can’t give a
baker flour and water and expect an apple pie. Even if you gave him all of the ingredients needed, if he
puts the pie in a dishwasher instead of an oven the result will not be what you want. In terms of the
computer, you can’t open up Microsoft Word and expect to access the internet. You can’t use a program
like Paint to record music. Providing the right information in the right spot is crucial.
SECTION II: THIS BYTES!
What is a byte?
Bits and bytes are digital units of measure. Just as we use feet or inches to measure distance, we use bits and bytes to
measure all sorts of digital units. A byte is a relatively small unit. Typically files on the computer are measured in
kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and even terabytes.
Let’s start off with a chart explaining how we go from a byte to a kilobyte and on up.
 8 Bits = 1 Byte
 1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB)
 1024 Bytes = 1 Kilobyte (KB)
 1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte (TB)
 1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte (MB)
Here are the average sizes of some common file types:
 The average Microsoft Word document (text) is between 25-50 KB.
 The average picture taken on a 5 megapixel camera is approximately 1.5 MB.
 The average MP3 audio file is three and a half minutes long and approximately 3.5 MB.
 The average video file is approximate 5 minutes long, or 8 MB.
Needless to say, the typical computer can store thousands (or even millions) of files, depending on the size of the hard
drive.
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SECTION III: FOLDERS AND FILES
What is the difference between a file and a folder?
Files and folders on the computer are very much like files or folders you might have in a filing cabinet. For some topics,
there may be a large amount of files inside the folder. For other topics, there may be few files (or maybe even none at
all) inside the folder. Sometimes you may have several huge filing cabinets worth of folders—of course you need more
space (or in the case of the computer, a larger hard drive) to accommodate the large amount of data you are saving. All
the data on your hard drive consists of files and folders. The basic difference between the two is that files store data,
while folders store files and other folders. The folders, often referred to as directories, organize files on your computer in
the same way physical folders organize paper files in a filing cabinet. The folders themselves take up virtually no space
on the hard drive; files, on the other hand, can range from a few bytes to several gigabytes. These files can be
documents, programs, or other compilations of data.
A file can refer to virtually any saved record on a computer. A picture saved on the computer is a file. A word document
saved on the computer is a file. But here is the best part – your computer is a lot like a secretary who knows exactly
where things should be filed in the “office.” When you save a picture to your computer, by default it will try to save it to
the Pictures folder. A music download by default should go to the Music folder. You can change these saved locations if
you choose – but remember, your computer it trying to keep things organized for you. Saving a video in the Pictures
folder might make it more difficult to find months later when you need it.
The diagrams below show a typical file path you might see displayed when you try to locate a file on the computer. This
path directs you to the location of a file or folder within the file directory. To search for a file, the best place to start is
by double clicking the Computer (or My Computer) icon on the desktop.
C:\User\Documents\Resumes\john2013_resume.docx
The part in blue is the drive on which the file is located. In this case it’s C – the hard drive. This
letter will change if the file is on a different drive – for example the DVD or CD-ROM drive
might be designated by the letter D, a flash drive might show up as letter E, a memory card as
letter F, and so on.
The part in red signified will typically be your name or the name of the computer you are
using. In shared work environments, a generic name might be given to the computer – such as
TCRTRG01. On a personal computer, this might very well be your name as it reflects
information stored on your profile within the designated drive.
The part in purple shows the folder in which the file is stored – in this case the Documents
folder.
The part in orange shows a sub-folder of the Documents folder – in this case entitled Resumes.
The part in green is the actual name of the file. Tip: it’s best to always name your file in a clear
and obvious way. Calling a resume a “document” may cause confusion later when you try to
find it. If possible, consider putting the date somewhere in the file name.
The part in pink signified the file extension, of file type. As we are about to learn this particular
file would be Microsoft Word document (post 2007 version of Word).
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Types of files & file extensions
We mentioned earlier that most files are divided up into four categories – text, images, audio, and video. We’ve also
discovered that depending on the type of file the size can vary greatly. But one of the best ways to know what you are
dealing with (and avoid accidentally downloading or opening a virus) is to understand file extensions. A file extension is
the three or four letter “code” that appears at the end of a file (in our example above it was .docx). Every single file on
your computer will have an extension. And while there are literally thousands of different extensions, the chart below
will show you the most common.
Type of File
Common File Extentions
.doc (Microsoft Word Document, pre 2007)
.docx (Microsoft Word Document 2007-
Text files
Image files
Audio files
Video files
Other common file types
present)
.txt (Plain text)
.rtf (Rich Text)
.jpg (JPEG)
.bmp (Bitmap Image)
.gif (Graphical Interchange Format)
.png (Portable Network Graphics)
.mp3 (MP3 Audio)
.aac (Advanced Audio Coding)
.wma (Windows Media Audio)
.wav (WAVE format)
.avi (Audio Video Interleave)
.mov (Apple QuickTime Movie)
.mpg (MPEG video)
.wmv (Windows Media Video)
.pdf (Portable Document Format)
.exe (Executable file)
.zip (Zipped file)
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SECTION IV: OPENING, CREATING, AND SAVING
Opening the door
Imagine all the icons on your desktop are doors, each leading to a different location.
Sometimes when you open a door, you are confronted with more doors you can enter.
Sometimes, as soon as you open the door, you are exactly where you want to be. From our
example earlier, to find the “john2013_resume.docx” file, you must first open the C: drive
through the “Computer” door; then open the “User” folder; then open “Documents,” and
finally the “Resumes” folder. That’s a lot of doors! On the other hand, sometimes the first
door you open takes you to your final destination. For example, if you double-click on the
Microsoft Word 2010 icon, this will open the program to a new blank document— no further
doors are needed. Icons that contain the actual name of a program—for example Microsoft
Word 2010, GIMP, or KompoZer, will usually be the only “door” you need to go through.
Double clicking on these icons should automatically open up the program.
Creating
Once inside a program, such as Paint or Microsoft Word or Photoshop, your ultimate goal is to
create a document to meet whatever criteria you are looking for. We’ll use Paint as our
example. Try playing around with some of the options like making shapes.
Saving – locked up in the bank vault
Once you have put all the hard work into your project, you want to be able to save it. Perhaps
you are completely done with it and have no plans of ever changing it—but you still want to
be able to have access to it at a later date. Or maybe it’s a project like a resume, and while it
may be current now, you want to be able to change it six months or a year down the road.
Remembering to save your work is one of the most critical parts of doing work on the
computer.
SECTION 5: MENUS WITHIN A PROGRAM
Virtually every program you open on the computer will have a menu. Typically, the menu is across the top part of the
screen and includes buttons such as File, Edit, View, Tools, Help, and so forth. Every program is slightly different, but
these basic menu headings are fairly standard.
The File Menu
The File menu is perhaps the most important. Typically on the File menu you will be given options such as “New,”
“Open,” “Save,” “Save As…,” “Print,” and “Close.”
The Edit Menu
The Edit menu is your best bet for making changes to your project. Here you will find such options as “Undo,” “Redo,”
“Copy," “Cut,” “Paste,” “Select All” and more. The undo and redo options do exactly what you would expect—by clicking
“undo” the last action you did on the project will be undone.
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The View Menu
The View menu is typically where you will be able to change the way things are displayed (and where they are
displayed). For example, in Internet Explorer, the View menu allows you to change the size of the text on the screen;
whether or not you want the status bar to be displayed; whether or not you want to view the browsing history, and
more.
The Tools Menu
In the Tools menu you will likely find all the “accessories” associated with the program you are using. For example, if you
are using Internet Explorer, going to Tools will allow you to turn the pop-up blocker on or off (this is the program that
prevents—or at least tries to prevent— annoying pop up ads).
The Help Menu
The Help menu is pretty self-explanatory. Click on the Help menu any time you get stuck with something and aren’t sure
what to do next. Usually you can search the Help feature by using a keyword. For example, if you are having trouble
printing, click on “Help” and type the keyword “print”. It should generate a list of topics that discuss issues related to
printing.
SECTION V: MOVING FILES & DATA – THE EASY WAY
Copying, cutting, & pasting
These three quick actions are used often to move data, files, and folders from one
location to another. When you copy, you leave the original information in its
original location, but you make a copy of it to paste into a new location. You then
have two copies: one in the original location, and one in a second location. Using
files as an example, people will often copy a file and paste it to a new location to
create a “backup” version in case the original should get lost for some reason.
Cutting works in the same way, except by cutting, you remove the information
entirely from the original location and paste it into a new location.
When working with files and folders, copying, cutting, and pasting can be done quickly using the mouse button on the
right of the mouse. Locate a file you would like to move and simply right-click on the file. You will see a small menu
appear which gives you many options; among them the options copy or cut. Select one. Then, go to the destination
folder where you would like to paste the file. Once in the folder, right-click in the empty space and the same menu will
appear, only this time the paste option is available. Click “paste” and the file will appear in the new folder. These “rightclick” operations are standard for most computer programs and file directories.
Dragging & dropping
Dragging and dropping is a procedure where you grab something (selected text, a file, a picture, or whatever), drag and
drop it into a new location—similar to the copy, cut, paste procedure. To drag and drop, use your left mouse button to
click and hold the item you want to move. Now, keeping that mouse button pressed down, drag the item to its new
location. In the new location, release the left mouse button and the item will be "dropped" into place. Think of dragging
and dropping as moving clothes from the washer to the dryer. It’s simply a process of moving an object from a place that
it no longer belongs to a more suitable location. When moving files from one folder to another, you must have both
folders open and visible in order to drag files between them.
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SECTION VI: MANAGING WINDOWS
Every program that you open will open as its own window. A window is the area of the screen in which a program is
operating. You can have multiple windows open at the same time—one on top of the other, or you can adjust their size
and shape to make them all visible simultaneously on the screen. Every window you have open is also represented in the
taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Located on the upper right-hand corner of each window you will find the minimize,
restore down/maximize, and close buttons, respectively.
• The minimize button on the left looks like an underscore or underline. Clicking
this button will “minimize” your window to the taskbar at the bottom of the
screen.
• The middle button is the restore down button. When a window is
opened in full screen mode, this button will look like a three dimensional
cube. Click this button and the window shrinks to a smaller size, but is still
visible; the shape and size of the window can now be adjusted at its
edges. Also, once in the smaller mode, the “restore down” button
appears as a square. Clicking this button again will bring the window to full
screen size.
• The button on the right which looks like the letter X is the close button and does exactly what you would think it
should—it closes the window. If you are in a program (such as Word or Photoshop) and you have made changes to a file,
clicking the close button may prompt you to “save your changes.” If you choose not to save your changes, any new data
you entered will be lost!
SECTION VII: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Classes
The TechCenter at the Main Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County hosts over two dozen
technology related classes each month. Ask your instructor today for a calendar of upcoming events or visit our website
at http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org/programs for a complete list of all Library events.
If you are liked our Computers for Beginners, Part II class, you may also find these related classes of interest:
 Internet for Beginners, Part I
 Internet for Beginners, Part II
Feel free to ask for a copy of any class handout at the Technology Center desk or talk to your instructor today.
Online
The Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County offers a variety of databases to all card holders which provide
excellent learning opportunities on a variety of topics, including computers and technology.
Learning Express Library offers a wide variety of interactive computer classes (Complete Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe
CS3, Windows, and Mac OSX). Videos and screencasts make learning easy while quizzes help assess your progress. Free
with your library card. From http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org, click on Research & Homework > Research Databases >
Education > Learning Express Library.
Universal Class offers more than 500 classes on many topics. These classes are instructed by real teachers who guide
your learning and provide feedback on your work. Learn about Microsoft Office, Web Design, Computer Basics, Business
Applications, and more! Free with your library card. From http://www.cincinnatilibrary.org, click on Research &
Homework > Research Databases >Education > Universal Class.
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Computers for Beginners, Part II
TERMS USED IN THIS LESSON
Bit: The smallest unit of measure for a digital file.
Byte: A unit of measure for digital files.
Close: To completely get rid of a window.
Copy: The act of making a duplicate of a file by copying it from one place to be pasted into another.
Cut: The act of removing a file from one place with the intent of pasting it somewhere else.
Drag & Drop: The act of clicking on a file, holding down the left mouse button, moving your mouse to a new location,
and releasing the left mouse button so the file appears in a new location.
File: Any type of saved content on your computer.
File Extension: The three or four letters at the end of any file path that identifies the type of file you are dealing with.
File Path: The location or map of where a file is located on the computer.
Folder: A place where files are stored.
Hard Drive: The main place on your computer that stores information.
Maximize: To enlarge a window size to full screen.
Menu: A part of your computer window that has options such as File, Edit, View, Tools, and Help. Typically located in the
upper right hand corner. Menu can also refer to any place on the computer where you are presented with a number of
options (drop down menus online, menus that become available by right clicking the mouse, etc.)
Minimize: To make a window shrink down to the taskbar.
Operating System: The program that controls literally everything your computer does; popular operating systems
include Windows, iOS, and Linux.
Paste: The act of placing a file or other content into a new place after copying or cutting it.
Processor: The part of your computer that controls how fast a task is accomplished.
RAM: Stands for Random Access Memory; it’s a temporary working space the computer uses to accomplish tasks.
Restore Down: To make a window smaller.
Taskbar: The line at the bottom of your computer screen that has many of your commonly used programs, options,
clock, etc.
Window: The area of the computer screen in which a program is operating.
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