FILE SYSTEM AND COMPUTER MANAGEMENT

What is File?
A file is a collection of data stored in one unit, identified by a filename. It can be a
document, picture, audio or video stream, data library, application or other collection
of data.

What is File System?

In a computer, a file system -- sometimes written filesystem -- is the way in which

files are named and where they are placed logically for storage and retrieval. Without
a file system, stored information wouldn't be isolated into individual files and would
be difficult to identify and retrieve. As data capacities increase, the organization and
accessibility of individual files are becoming even more important in data storage.

How file systems work

A file system stores and organizes data and can be thought of as a type of index for
all the data contained in a storage device. These devices can include hard drives,
optical drives and flash drives.

File systems specify conventions for naming files, including the maximum number of
characters in a name, which characters can be used and, in some systems, how long
the file name suffix can be. In many file systems, file names are not case sensitive.

Along with the file itself, file systems contain information such as the size of the file,
as well as its attributes, location and hierarchy in the directory in the metadata.
Metadata can also identify free blocks of available storage on the drive and how
much space is available.

File systems and the role of metadata

File systems use metadata to store and retrieve files.
Examples of metadata tags include:
 Date created
 Date modified
 Last date of access
 Last backup
 User ID of the file creator
 Access permissions
 File size

Metadata is stored separately from the contents of the file, with many file systems
storing the file names in separate directory entries.

Types of file systems

There are a number of types of file systems, all with different logical structures and
properties, such as speed and size. The type of file system can differ by OS and the
needs of that OS. The three most common PC operating systems are Microsoft
Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Mobile OSes include Apple iOS and Google
Android.

Major file systems include the following:

File allocation table (FAT) is supported by the Microsoft Windows OS. FAT is
considered simple and reliable, and it is modeled after legacy file systems. FAT was
designed in 1977 for floppy disks, but was later adapted for hard disks. While efficient
and compatible with most current OSes, FAT cannot match the performance and
scalability of more modern file systems.

Hierarchical file system (HFS) was developed for use with Mac operating systems.
HFS can also be referred to as Mac OS Standard, and it was succeeded by Mac OS
Extended. Originally introduced in 1985 for floppy and hard disks, HFS replaced the
original Macintosh file system. It can also be used on CD-ROMs.

The NT file system -- also known as the New Technology File System (NTFS) -- is
the default file system for Windows products from Windows NT 3.1 OS onward.
Improvements from the previous FAT file system include better metadata support,
performance and use of disk space. NTFS is also supported in the Linux OS through
a free, open-source NTFS driver. Mac OSes have read-only support for NTFS.

FILE EXTENTION

What is File Extension?

A file extension or file name extension is the ending of a file that helps identify the
type of file in operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. In Microsoft Windows,
the file name extension is a period that is often followed by three characters but may
also be one, two, or four characters long.

What makes a valid file name extension?

A file name extension is often between one and three characters and is always at the
end of the file name, starting with a period. Some programs also support file
extensions that are more than three characters. For example, all the latest versions
of Microsoft Word support .docx document files and some web pages end with
the .html file extension.

Can a file extension be longer than three or four characters?

Yes. As long as the program was designed to use longer file extension, it can be
longer than four characters. However, to keep the overall file name short, most
programs do not exceed four characters.

How many types of file extensions are there?

There are thousands of file extensions associated with one or more applications.
More common file extensions are listed below, separated by the types of files the
associated file extensions.

FILE TYPES

Picture files
.bmp - Device Independent Bitmap (or DIB), a BMP file stands for bitmap and is
commonly pronounced bump.
.gif - GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. GIF is a raster file format
designed for relatively basic images that appear mainly on the Internet.
.jpg - JPG is a widely used compressed image format for containing digital images. It
is the most common image format used in digital cameras, different operating
systems and on the Internet.
.jpeg - JPEG stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group”. It’s a standard image
format for containing lossy and compressed image data. Despite the huge reduction
in file size JPEG images maintain reasonable image quality.
.png - PNG stands for “Portable Graphics Format”. It is the most frequently used
uncompressed raster image format on the internet.
Music and sound files
.mp3 - The MP3 file extension is a widely used digital audio container that has
revolutionized the music playback, sharing and distributing industry.
.wav - Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or WAV due to its filename extension;
pronounced "wave") is an audio file format standard, developed by IBM and
Microsoft, for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. It is the main format used on
Microsoft Windows systems for uncompressed audio.
Operating system files
.dll - Dynamic-link library (DLL) is Microsoft's implementation of the shared library
concept in the Microsoft Windows and OS/2 operating systems.
.exe - An EXE file is an executable program you can run in Microsoft Windows. Most
EXE files contain either Windows applications or application installers.
Text and word processing documents
.doc - DOC file extension refers to a word processing document format. Most popular
word processing application, Microsoft Word. It's a plain text document format which
can also contain hyperlinks, images, alignments, etc.
.docx - the docx extension tells your computer that Microsoft Word can open the file
and to display a Word icon when you view it in File Explorer. Most file name
extensions are compatible with more than one program that you have installed.
.rtf - RTF stands for Rich Text Format and is a universal document file format and is
easily read by many of the word-processing packages. It is particularly useful to
those using a different word-processing package from those used on campus.
.txt - A TXT file is a standard text document that contains plain text. It can be
opened and edited in any text-editing or word-processing program.
Spreadsheet files
.xls - The XLS file extension is used for files saved as Microsoft Excel worksheets.
Excel is a popular spreadsheet program used with data like numbers and formulas,
text, and drawing shapes. Excel is part of the Microsoft Office Suite of software.
.xlsx - XLSX files are files used in Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet application that
uses tables to organize, analyze, and store data. Each cell can contain text or
numerical data, including incorporating mathematical formulas.
.xlr - A file with the XLR file extension is a Works spreadsheet or chart file, very
similar to Microsoft Excel's XLS format.
.csv - A CSV (comma-separated values) file is a text file that has a specific format
which allows data to be saved in a table structured format.
Web Page files
.htm or .html - HTM or HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language. It's a file
format used for containing HTML language which constructs a web page. This file
format is based on markup codes intended to be used in Web Browsers.
 COMPUTER MANAGEMENT

What is Computer Management?

Computer Management is a collection of Windows administrative tools that you can
use to manage a local or remote computer. The tools are organized into a single
console, which makes it easy to view administrative properties and to gain access to
the tools that are necessary to perform your computer-management tasks.

What is the purpose of computer management?

Computer management is the process of managing, monitoring and optimizing a
computer system for performance, availability, security and/or any base operational
requirement. It is broad term that includes manual and automated administrative
processes in the operations of a computer.

Components of Computer Management in Windows 10

Computer Management has three sections to work with. They are System Tools,
Storage and Services, and Applications. Now we will walk through all these sections
of Computer Management.

System Tools

Now the first section that we will deal with is the System Tools. This section has a lot
of items to manage things.

 Task Scheduler

Task Scheduler will be our first tools under System Tools section. The advanced
characteristics of Task Scheduler include the creation of advanced tasks, security
options and also setting up the triggers and things like that. You can even run any
task at your will, disable or delete any existing task in Task Scheduler. Well, if you
wish to learn more about the Task Scheduler, we will recommend you to read our
detailed post on Task Scheduler.
 Event Viewer

Going further, the second tool is the Event Viewer. If you are a regular reader of our
posts, you must have noticed this term or tool in many of our posts. The event logs of
Windows are stored and viewed in the Event Viewer along with the installed
applications. You can save logs in Event Viewer, create your own custom view,
attach tasks to a log and a lot more such related things can be carried out in Event
Viewer. To learn the details of them, see our post on Event Viewer by going through
this link:

 Shared Folders

The third spot is occupied by the Shared Folders. The folders that you share on your
network are all viewed in the Shared Folders. Apart from this, you can also see the
running sessions and the active files operating by others on the network. Further
details of this tool can be viewed in this article of ours:

 Local Users and Groups

The next tool is of Local Users and Groups. Here you can work on the user groups
that you see on your computer. You can also view the details of the user accounts
and their integration to other groups. To see more about this tool, follow the link:

 Performance Monitor

Here comes the next tool, Performance Monitor. It’s working capacity gets improve
when it goes along with the Event Viewer. This tool is very useful when it comes
understand the performance of your system. You can even trace out the problem and
also the reasons behind them. You can also see which programs work best for your
computer. To learn more about this tool, visit its concerned link:
 Device Manager

The last tool of the System Tools section is the Device Manager. The Device
Manager tool lets you display all the installed components of your computer which
helps you in scanning the drivers and see if there are any problems related to the
installed drivers. Recently we have discussed how to roll to the previous version of
drivers in Windows 10. You can also check that post as it is of great importance
when your newly updated driver fails to perform up to the mark.

10 Ways of Computer Management Maintenance

1. Complete signature updates

To keep your antivirus software running properly, you’ll want to do signature updates
in addition to software updates. This ensures that your device is protected from new
viruses. Many programs allow you to install these signature updates automatically,
but if not you should update weekly.
2. Check for firmware updates
Firmware is a tiny piece of software in your computer that keeps the hardware
functioning properly. Sometimes these updates are included in major computer
updates, but you can check for firmware updates manually on many devices, as well.
3. Defragment the hard drive
Did you know that the disk is the weakest link when it comes to computer
performance? This is why defragging your hard drive once a month is so important.
Defragging is the process of reorganizing the data on your hard drive to speed up
file access. It breaks up a file into smaller bits on your device. While every computer
is different, you can usually find Defragment functions under the System and Security
tab in the Control Panel.
4. Backup data
At least once a week you should backup your drive. If you’re working on an important
project, you can do this daily to ensure your files are securely stored. Backing up
your data saves important files in the event of a hard drive failure or system crash.
5. Configure your startup
You should periodically check in on the applications that automatically run at start-up.
These applications can slow down your computer. From the Settings tab, you should
be able to navigate to the Startup to control which applications run.
6. Run disk cleanup
You can free up disk space on your hard drive by running a disk cleanup. This will
clean out temporary files and extra language files as well as delete big attachments
and more.
7. Install major computer updates
To keep your applications running safely and efficiently you should check for major
computer updates at least once a month. These updates can be critical for long-term
health because they patch up critical security holes and remove unnecessary
features. You may also be able to adjust your setting so updates happen
automatically.
8. Update antivirus software
Whenever an antivirus software update is available, you should run it that day to
remove malware. These updates introduce new software features or make
improvements on current ones. Generally you can set your system up for automatic
updates, but if you ever receive a notification from your current antivirus software,
you should complete the update as soon as possible.
9. Delete unused programs
Get more memory space by removing unnecessary programs from your device. If
you filter your programs by size, you can see which ones take up the most memory
and decide from there what you can remove.
10. Transfer files to the cloud
Cloud storage providers allow you to store gigabytes of space without running down
your hard drive memory. Better yet, it allows you to share your files across multiple
devices. As you download files throughout the day, transfer them to cloud storage to
save space on your hard drive.