File and Folder Management

File and folder management is an essential feature of an operating system (OS) that allows users to organize, store, and retrieve data efficiently. Below is a guide to managing files and folders in Windows, macOS, and Linux.

1. File and Folder Operations

Common file and folder actions in all operating systems:

🔹 Create – Make new files or folders

🔹 Rename – Change the name of files/folders

🔹 Move – Transfer files to different locations

🔹 Copy – Duplicate files or folders

🔹 Delete – Remove unwanted files permanently or move to Recycle Bin/Trash

🔹 Search – Find files using the OS’s search feature

2. File Explorer / Finder / File Manager

Each OS provides a file management tool:

• Windows: File Explorer (Win + E)
• macOS: Finder (Cmd + Space, then type Finder)
• Linux: File Manager (varies by desktop environment: Nautilus, Dolphin, Thunar, etc.)
• Basic File Operations in File Manager

✅ To Create a New Folder:

Windows: Right-click → New → Folder

macOS: Cmd + Shift + N

Linux: Right-click → Create New Folder or use mkdir foldername in Terminal

✅ To Rename a File or Folder:

Windows: Select file → Press F2 → Type new name

macOS: Click file → Press Return (Enter) → Type new name

Linux: Right-click → Rename or use mv oldname newname in Terminal

✅ To Copy/Move Files:

Windows & macOS: Drag and drop between folders

Linux: Use cp (copy) or mv (move) in Terminal

✅ To Delete a File or Folder:

Windows: Select file → Press Delete (moves to Recycle Bin)

macOS: Cmd + Delete (moves to Trash)

Linux: Right-click → Delete or use rm filename in Terminal

3. File Organization Techniques

🔹 Use Folders & Subfolders – Keep related files together

🔹 Use Descriptive Names – Name files clearly for easy search (e.g., "Project_Report.docx" instead of "New.docx")

🔹 Sort by Date/Type – Organize files by modification date or file type

🔹 Use Shortcuts (Windows) / Aliases (Mac) – Keep shortcuts instead of duplicate files

4. File Extensions and Types

Each file has an extension that tells the OS what type it is:

📄 Documents: .docx (Word), .pdf, .txt, .xlsx (Excel)

🎵 Audio: .mp3, .wav, .aac

📷 Images: .jpg, .png, .gif

🎬 Videos: .mp4, .avi, .mov

💾 Executable Files: .exe (Windows), .app (Mac), .sh (Linux)

5. Searching for Files and Folders

✅ Windows: Use Win + S and type the filename

✅ macOS: Use Cmd + Space for Spotlight Search

✅ Linux: Use the search feature in File Manager or type find /home -name filename in Terminal

6. File Compression & Archiving

To save space, multiple files can be compressed into a ZIP file:

Windows: Right-click → Send to Compressed (zipped) folder

macOS: Right-click → Compress

Linux: Use zip -r archive.zip foldername in Terminal

7. File Permissions (Linux & macOS)

Permissions determine who can read, write, or execute a file.

Use ls -l to check permissions

Use chmod 755 filename to change permissions