CSU Libraries > How Do I > Windows > Saving and Opening Files in Windows Programs

Saving and Opening Files in Windows Programs

You can save and open files using several kinds of software, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.

To save a file to or open a file from the A: or H: drive, click on File at the top of the screen.

If you want to retrieve your work, choose Open....

If you want to save your work choose Save As.... Do NOT use Save because it saves your file to the hard drive which will be wiped clean with each reboot.

You will see a dialog box (see above) with a drop down menu at the top. Open the drop down menu and choose either the A: or H: drives. The H: drive has a long name with either "ccmain" or "lab" in it, while the A drive says "3 1/2 inch floppy disk." Click on the A: or H: drive.

If you are opening a file, look for its name, and double click on it.

If you are saving a file, you will probably want to rename it. Left to its own devices, Word creates a name from the first line of your text, while Excel and Powerpoint call your file something generic. The name of your file is in the bottom of the dialog box.

Choose a name for the file and click on save.

After you save your file to the A: or H: drive, you can click on Save to continue saving changes. Your software will save the changes to the A: or H: drive, and they will not be lost.

EHK - June 2004