» Order Online
   » Contact Us
   » Guestbook
   » Newsletter Archives
   » Our Staff
   » Home
   » Site Index
Free Email Newsletter

 

Office Helper Internet SpecialsOffice Helper free catalogsOffice Helper computers, etc.Office Helper productsOffice Helper news you can useOffice Helper resource linksOffice Helper web design services

Office Helper newsletter archives


Develop a Storage Strategy

Here's a tip that can save you lots of frustration. Develop a storage strategy! It's easy. Create one or more directories (folders) on your computer where you will store data you create.

First, however, let's define the word "Path" in computer lingo. The "Path" is akin to driving directions from one location to another. Just as you would tell a person how to get to your home or business from their location, you must tell your computer where a particular file or folder is located on your computer's hard drive, floppy drive, zip drive, etc. A "Path" usually starts at what is called the "root". If you have just one computer with just one hard drive, one floppy drive and one CD-ROM drive, you will have three "roots": the "A:" (your 3-1/2 floppy drive), the "C:" (your hard drive), and the "D" (your CD-ROM) drive.

Now if you are connected to a network and/or have a zip drive connected to your computer, you will have additional "roots". Your zip drive will have a drive letter, as will any of the drives on other computers on the network to which you have access. Each storage device connected to your computer will have a drive letter assigned to it (except some tape drives). In essence, each drive letter is a "root".

For example, let's say you have a zip drive connected to your computer. Its assigned drive letter (root) is "E". Under the "E" root you have two folders: CLIENTS and SUPPLIERS. Under CLIENTS, you have four folders; MARIAS, JONES, BIRDIES, and KINGSTON. The "Path" to the BIRDIES folder is: E:\CLIENTS\BIRDIES.

Now that you know the definition of the word "Path", let's develop a simple "Storage Strategy" where you will save the data files you create for each of your clients.

First, you will need to create a new folder called CLIENTS. Open WINDOWS EXPLORER. Click (highlight) the root drive partition of the drive upon which you want to create the new folder(s). For example, if you have only one hard drive that is not divided into partitions [a hard drive can be divided into sections (called partitions), each of which will be assigned a drive letter], click (highlight) the "C" which you will find directly beneath the 3-1/2 floppy A drive at the top of the left Explorer window.

Now, from the menu bar at the top of your window, choose FILE, then NEW, then FOLDER. You've just created a NEW FOLDER. You'll see it highlighted (waiting for you to type a name for it) at the bottom of the right window. So, type in a name. Let's call this one CLIENTS. Next, create new folders inside of CLIENTS for each of your clients. Highlight the folder CLIENTS, then from the menu at the top of the screen, choose FILE, then NEW, then FOLDER. Now, type the name of one of your clients; let's say it's Bill's Bakery, so we'll call it BILLS. Do the same for all of your clients, so that when you are done, you have a folder for each of your clients under the folder CLIENTS on your "C" drive.

Henceforth, whenever you create a data file for Bill's Bakery, save it to the BILLS folder. Be it a Word document, Excel file, image file.any file you create that relates to Bill's Bakery, save them all in the BILLS folder.

The advantage to developing and utilizing a storage strategy should be obvious to you. It makes finding a particular data file very easy. It also keeps all of your data files outside of the program (application) folder where the program you used to create the data file, resides. Some programs, such as Word, default to a folder to save files you create. Word's default is MY DOCUMENTS, which is a stand-alone folder outside of Microsoft Office. You can certainly use the default, but if you do, create client folders within the MY DOCUMENTS folder and save any Word docs relevant to a particular client to that client's respective folder in the MY DOCUMENTS folder.

If you wish to change the default "save" settings in Word, here's how you do it. With Word open, choose TOOLS from the menu bar at the top of your screen, then click on OPTIONS at the bottom of the drop-down menu bar. Now, click on the FILE LOCATIONS tab. You will see a list of choices. Highlight the DOCUMENTS line which you will note indicates under the "Location" column "C:\MY DOCUMENTS". Next click on MODIFY which opens up the MODIFY window. Click on the down arrow to the right of the "Look In" window. Now it's simply a matter of choosing the path to the folder where you want Word to default to saving your files.

Using our example folder CLIENTS, click on the "C" drive and then find the folder CLIENTS in the "Modify Locations" window. Double-click on it. Now choose OK and then OK one more time. This modifies your default save folder to C:\CLIENTS and closes the window.

The next time you choose SAVE from the menu bar or click on the SAVE icon, it will default to saving your document in the C:\CLIENTS folder instead of the C:\MY DOCUMENTS folder. It's up to you now to further direct the save location to the appropriate client's folder under the CLIENT folder. If you are saving a letter to Bill's Bakery, simply double-click on the BILLS folder in the "Save As" window. Name your document and choose SAVE.

Many programs do not have the ability to change the default save location as does Word. I suggest you use the HELP file to see if it is possible to modify the default save location of a particular program (application) you are using. If the feature is not available, you will have to manually modify the path.

For example, you use Wordpad to create a letter to Bill's Bakery, and you want to save it to your BILLS folder before printing.

TIP: You should always save a file before you print it. In fact, you should make regular saves of files as you create them. Don't make the mistake of waiting until you have created the entire document before saving it. Save it as you develop it. Doing this is smart strategy because in case your computer locks up, crashes or perhaps there's a power outage [and you have no battery back-up (UPS-Universal Power Supply) on which to rely], you will only loose the data which was not saved prior to the interruption.

The default save location for a file created using Wordpad is C:\WINDOWS, but you want to save the file in your BILLS folder, so you need to create a path to that folder. Choose SAVE. The SAVE AS window will open and you will see that it wants to save your file in the WINDOWS folder. Click on the down arrow to the right of the "Save In" window line. Use the slide bar to move up to where you can see the "C" root (C:). Click on it once. Now, find the CLIENTS folder and double-click on it. Now you will see that you are in the CLIENTS folder. You will also see a list of all the folders and files in the CLIENTS folder. Double-click on the BILLS folder. Pick a name for your Wordpad file (where is says "File Name") and then click SAVE. That's all there is to it.

When developing your Storage Strategy, try to keep it as simple and logical as possible. You can create (nest) folders within folders. within folders, within folders, etc. as we have done above, but avoid nesting folders too deep. If you nest folders too deep, it will cause problems within Windows, not to mention the additional time required to navigate to deeply nested folders. Use the old KISS formula Keep It Simple, Stupid.

- Rich Poremba


RETURN TO ARCHIVES


| Internet Specials | Free Catalogs | Computers | Product Line-Up |
| Newz U Can Use | Resource Links | Web Design |
| Home | Guestbook | Order Online | Email |


Office Helper
1330 Ross Street
(just off McDowell Blvd., 1 block south of the Petaluma Cinemas)
(800) 862-4963 - (800) 933-7964 (Fax)
oh@officehelper.com


© Office Helper 1999, 2000
Feedback     Privacy Statement