CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
 
Windows NT QuickSteps:

How to Create Folders and Set Default Locations for Saving Files

These instructions assume you would like to create a folder hierarchy for organizing your files and set default working folders within programs. You can approach this task in any number of ways and organize your files as you see fit. For illlustration here, we'll start by creating a main folder called MyFiles that will become the default working folder and then created additional folders within that folder to organize files by topic.

Creating a New Folder Using the "My Computer" Icon on Your Windows Desktop

If you're going to create your own hierarchy of folders, you'll probably want to start by creating a main folder on your computer's hard disk (e.g., C:). One way to do this is as follows.
  1. Double-click the My Computer icon on the Windows NT desktop.
  2. Double-click the (C:) icon in the "My Computer" window.
  3. Click File on the Menu Bar and select New, then Folder.
  4. A new folder will appear in the C: window with the folder name (New Folder) highlighted. Type MyFiles (or Jane's Files or some other name). 
 
QuickTip: Any time text is highlighted, you can simply start typing to replace the highlighted text.
If you would like to create additional folders within the MyFiles folder, you can continue as follows.
  1. Double-click the MyFiles folder icon to open that folder.
  2. Click File on the Menu Bar and select New, then Folder.
  3. A new folder will appear in the C: window with the folder name (New Folder) highlighted. Type a new name (e.g., a name that conveys what will be stored in the folder — such as Budget or Curriculum).
When finished, you can exit all open folders by holding down the SHIFT button and clicking the close button (X) in the active folder window.

Setting a Default Working Folder

To set MyFiles as the default working folder in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, follow the applicable instructions below.

In Word 2000 (or 97):

  1. Click Tools on the Menu Bar and select Options.
  2. Click the File Locations tab in the Options dialog box.
  3. Click Documents in the File Types list.
  4. Click the Modify button.
  5. Locate and select the MyFiles folder:
    1. In the Modify Location dialog box, click the arrow next to the "Look in:" selection box.
    2. Click (C:) on the drop-down list.
    3. In the file and folder listing section of the dialog box, click the MyFiles folder.
  6. Click the OK button in first the "Modify Location" dialog box then the "Options" dialog box.

In Excel 2000 (or 97): 

  1. Click Tools on the Menu Bar and select Options.
  2. Click the General tab in the Options dialog box.
  3. In the "Default file location:" text box, type C:\MyFiles
  4. When finished, click the OK button.

In PowerPoint 2000 (or 97):

  1. Click Tools on the Menu Bar and select Options.
  2. Click the Advanced tab in the Options dialog box.
  3. In the "Default file location:" text box, type C:\MyFiles 
  4. When finished, click the OK button.

Using Help to Find Instructions

A good way to find out how to do anything in an application software program is to make use of the Help feature. In any Office program, for example, you can use use the Office Assistant feature. Click the appropriate icon on the standard toolbar or choose Microsoft [Word, Excel…] Help from the Help menu.

Figure 1 (below) shows the results of a Word 2000 search for information about "default file location". In this example, you would next click the item that says "Set the default working folder that appears in the Open and Save As dialog boxes" in order to find out how to change the default.
 
  

FIGURE 1. Office Assistant "dialog" for locating information on setting a default working folder.Office Assistant bubble
 

Creating a New Folder from Within a Program

Once you've created the MyFiles folder and set it as your default working folder, you may want to create other folders to further organize your files. In NT-based programs you can create additional folders from the "Save As" dialog box.
  1. Click File on the Menu Bar and select Save As.
  2. Make sure that MyFiles is the folder name displayed in the "Save in:" menu box.
  3. Click the Create New Folder icon at the top of the "Save As" dialog box.
  4. In the "New Folder" dialog box that appears (see Figure 2, below), replace "New Folder" in the "Name:" text box with the name you want to give your new folder (Budget, for example).
  5. When finished, click the OK button.
  6. Finally, if you're saving a document, make a file name is specified and then click the Save button. If you aren't saving a file, click the Cancel button.
 
FIGURE 3. New Folder dialog box.New Folder dialog box
 
You can create a hierarchy of folders from the "Save As" dialog box. For example, within the Budget folder you might want folders for different years and within each year, folders for different aspects of your budget. To create folders within folders, follow the instructions outlined above; however, in Step 2, select the folder within which you want to add a folder (i.e., click the arrow next to the "Save in:" menu box and make the appropriate selection).
Prepared by Gail Said Johnson, User Support Services
February 5, 2001