Save+&+find+again

Save and Find Again!
When you are saving files pay attention to the //file save dialog box// and you will know where your files are going! When you save a file for the first time, a Save As dialog box appears. It may look slightly different depending on what program you are using, but most will look very similar. Below is a dialog box from Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows.



You can tell your files where to go! Look at the red arrows. Navigate to a folder or location from the left folders pane and when you choose that location, it will appear in the location field at the top of the dialog box. In the above example, I want to save the file to my desktop. If I want to save it to a folder that is on my desktop I can use the scroll bar on the right to find the folder I want to place the file into.

Look at the green arrows. Type a file name into the //File name box//. There is also a //Save as type// field to choose the file format. If you do nothing, your file will be saved in the default format of the program you are using. For example, Paint Shop Pro is a graphics program. By default it saves images with a **.pspimage** file extension which can only be opened on computers where Paint Shop Pro is installed.(A file extension is what comes after the dot on a file name and tells you what kind of file it is). If you'd like to share your picture with others or upload it to the web you will want to save it with a **.jpg** or **.gif** file extension. These are both common file extensions that can be opened by many graphics programs.

Look at your dialog box one more time and then click **Save**.If you take your time and pay attention to what you see in the dialog box, it will be easy to find your files again!

Here is a file save dialog box from Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac. Things are arranged a little differently, but you can still see that it wants the same information: a file name, a file location, and a file type. If you click the blue arrow in the file location field the dialog box will expand and you can navigate to a specific location.



Be Proactive!
Some of you may have been saving your files all over the place. If so, it's time to get organized and think about creating folders and being consistent about where you save your files. Remember to take the time to read the dialog box and choose //where// you want to save your file.

Save or Save As?
When to use **SAVE**:
 * when a file is saved for the first time
 * to keep saving an existing file as you are working on it
 * Always remember to save your work before you close what you are working on.

When to use **SAVE AS**:
 * Save As is used to save a file with a //different// name. You might want to save an original version of something you'd like to refer back to later.