Working with files and folders
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Copying and moving files and folders
The skills you need to copy and move files are called copying, cutting, and
pasting.
When you copy and paste a file or folder, you place a copy of the file or folder
on the Windows clipboard, which temporarily stores it. Then, when you decide
what f olde r yo u wa nt th e co py to go i n (t he destination fol der), you paste it there.
When you cut and paste a file or folder, you remove the file or folder from its
original location and place the file or folder on the Windows clipboard. When
you decide where you want the file or folder to go, you paste it there.
Important
The clipboard stores whatever you cut or
copy until you cut or copy again. Then the
clipboard contains the new information
only. Therefore, you can paste copies of a
file or folder into more than one place,
but as soon as you copy or cut a different
file or folder, the original file or folder is
deleted from the clipboard.

To copy a file or folder to another folder:

1Locate the file or folder you want to copy. For more information, see
“Viewing drives” on page29 and “Searching for files” on page33.
2Right-click (press the right mouse or touchpad button) the file or folder
that you want to copy. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
3Click Copy on the pop-up menu.
4Open the destination folder.
5With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click.
6Click Paste. A copy of the file or folder appears in the new location.

To move a file or folder to another folder:

1Locate the file or folder you want to move. For more information, see
“Viewing drives” on page29 and “Searching for files” on page33.
2Right-click (press the right mouse or touchpad button) the file or folder
that you want to move. A pop-up menu opens on the desktop.
3Click Cut on the pop-up menu.
4Open the destination folder.
Help and Support
For more information about the
Windows desktop, click Start, then click
Help and Support. Type the keyword
creating files and folders or moving
files and folders in the Search box, then
click the arrow.
5With the pointer inside the destination folder, right-click.
6Click Paste. The file or folder you moved appears in its new location and
is removed from its old location.
Deleting files and folders
When you throw away paper files and folders, you take them from the file
cabinet and put them in a trash can. Eventually the trash can is emptied.
In Windows, you throw away files and folders by first moving them to the
Windows trash can, called the Recycle Bin, where they remain until you decide
to empty the bin.
You can recover any file in the Recycle Bin as long as the bin has not been
emptied.