What is File Management?
Every file on your computer — your photos, homework documents, games, and the operating system itself — needs to be stored in an organised way so you and your programs can find it again. File management is the part of the operating system that handles this.
The OS provides a file system that organises files into a structured hierarchy of folders (also called directories), making it possible to find and access millions of files efficiently.
The Folder Hierarchy
Files are organised in a tree structure. At the top is the root directory, and below it are folders that can contain files and other folders (called subfolders).
Root (C:\)
├── Users
│ ├── Alice
│ │ ├── Documents
│ │ │ └── essay.docx
│ │ └── Pictures
│ │ └── holiday.jpg
├── Program Files
│ └── Chrome
└── Windows
This hierarchy helps keep files organised by type, user, or project.
A file's path describes its location in the hierarchy. For example: C:\Users\Alice\Documents\essay.docx tells you exactly where the file lives — starting from the drive letter, through each folder, down to the filename.
File Properties
Every file has associated metadata that the OS stores:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The human-readable identifier |
| Extension | Indicates file type (.txt, .jpg, .exe) |
| Size | How much storage space it uses |
| Date created/modified | Timestamps for tracking changes |
| Permissions | Who is allowed to read, write, or execute the file |
File Permissions
In multi-user systems (like a school computer network), file permissions control who can do what with a file:
- Read — can view the file
- Write — can modify or delete the file
- Execute — can run the file as a program
Permissions can be set for specific users, groups, or everyone. This keeps students from accidentally deleting system files, for example.
Never give other users "write" permission to important files unless necessary. On a school network, only administrators should be able to modify system files and settings.
File Systems
Different operating systems use different file systems — the method used to organise data on the storage device:
| File System | Used By |
|---|---|
| NTFS | Windows (most modern) |
| FAT32 | USB drives, older systems |
| exFAT | Large USB drives and memory cards |
| APFS | macOS (modern) |
| ext4 | Linux |
Practice Problems
Write the full file path for a file called 'notes.txt' stored in a folder called 'Science' inside a folder called 'Year9' inside a folder called 'Homework' on the C: drive.
Show answer
Explain what file permissions are and give an example of why a school would restrict 'write' permissions on shared files.