Page 208 - DCAP103_Principle of operating system

Unit 6: File Management

Notes
exe – An executable file, meaning an application/program/piece of software
Filename: The name of a file, including or not including its file extension.
File Size: The size of a file measured in bytes. A floppy disk holds about 1.5 Mb; a Zip disk
holds 100 Mb or 250 Mb; a CD holds about 800 Mb; a DVD holds about 4,700 Mb.

1,000 bytes = 1 kilobyte (Kb)
1,000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte (Mb)

1,000 megabytes = 1 gigabyte (Gb)
1,000 gigabytes = 1 terabyte (Tb)
Folder: Also “directory.” A division of a drive into which you put files or further folders (which
are then called subdirectories). In both Windows and Mac, a folder subfolder is represented by
an icon that looks like a manila folder:

Path: The exact location of a file, including drive letter, directory, subdirectory, and filename,
as in the following: C:\My Documents\TTSP\Basic File Management.doc .

Six main major activities of an operating system in regard to file management
are:
1. The creation and deletion of files.
2. The creation and deletion of directions.

3. The support of primitives for manipulating files and directions.
4. The mapping of files onto secondary storage.
5. The back up of files on stable storage media

6. A file is a collection of related information defined by its creator. Computer
can store files on the disk (secondary storage), which provide long term
storage. Some examples of storage media are magnetic tape, magnetic
disk and optical disk. Each of these media has its own properties like
speed, capacity, data transfer rate and access methods.

6.1 Managing Files in Windows

There are three ways of managing files in Windows operating systems:
• From within a program;

• By using My Computer; and
• By using Windows Explorer.
6.1.1 Managing Files from within a Program

When you choose “File” → “Save As” from within a program such as Microsoft Word, a dialogue
box appears with three important features:
“Save in” (near the top of the box).

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