Operating System Basics - Computing Fundamentals - page 92

2 Double-click the C: drive in the main window. Its content appears. The folders appear first, followed by any files
that are stored in the root directory.

3 Double-click the Windows folder. Its content appears, which includes many subfolders and many files.

4 In the Address bar at the top, click Computer to return to that screen.

5 In the navigation pane at the left, under the Computer heading, double-click the C: drive.

6 Scroll down in the navigation pane and locate the Users folder and double-click it.

7 In the navigation pane, double-click the Public folder. Then double-click the Public Documents folder.

8 In the Address bar, click the arrow to the left of Computer and then click Libraries.

9 Click the Close (X) button in the upper-right corner of the window to close it.

File Extensions and File Types
Each application has a specific format in which it saves the files you create
in it. To help identify the file format, some operating systems (including
Microsoft Windows) use file extensions. A file extension is a code follow-
ing the name of the file that indicates its type. Extensions are separated
from the filename by a period, like this: Myfile.docx. In this example,
docx is the extension, and it indicates the Microsoft Word format.

file extension A code at the end of a filename
that indicates the file's type.

Almost all files have file extensions in Windows, not just data files. For
example, the executable files that run applications also have extensions,
as do the Windows system files and their helper files. Table 4.2 lists some
of the most common file extensions and their applications.

You might not see a file's extension in Windows Explorer. By default, Windows 7 hides extensions for known
file types. If you want to display them, from Windows Explorer, open the Tools menu and click Folder Options.
Click the View tab, and then clear the Hide Extensions for Known File Types check box, and click OK.

TIP