Think of a file cabinet setting in an office. The office has lots of things in it
other than the file cabinet, like a water cooler, coffee maker, desk, chairs, and so on.
The complete office is just like your computer. Your computer has a monitor, a disk drive, a keyboard, CD ROM, CD R/W drive, and so on.
The UPS man walks into the office and hands the foxy little secretary two package. She looks at the return address and tells the UPS man, "This one is the new mouse pad I ordered". She Looks at he other one and tells him, "I want to refuse this one as it is from an old boyfriend that keeps bugging me". She signs for the one and gives the other package back to the UPS driver. He winks at her and takes the package back to his package car. She opens the window and yells, “Are you going to race the truck”, he gives her a weird look and drives off..
OK, hang in there with me it gets better.
Now lets say the street that the UPS man drove on is the Internet.
The mail program (OE in this case) is the UPS man.
The packages he handed the secretary was attachments in the email you read everyday.
She wanted the one parcel because she new it was ordered by her. It was the new mouse pad. The other she did not order, who knows what was in it, as it was from that old jerk boyfriend she dumped a few weeks back.
The one attachment (from her X-boyfriend) you delete, It may have a virus hiding in the attachment. The other, (the mouse pad) you unwrap (read) and open. Yes it is the nice mouse pad, but its lunchtime and she decides to lay it down on the desk till she gets back from lunch.
By the way, she is having lunch with her new boyfriend and can't be late.
About an hour and twenty minutes latter she sneaks back in the office hoping no one finds out she is late returning. She picks up the new mouse pad and decides the old one is still good and she will save the new one till the other one gets a little more worn.
She spins around and opens the file cabinet drawer labeled "M - P". She wants to put the mouse pad in a file folder where she will be able to retrieve it latter. She has a hanging folder that she labeled "My Stuff", She thinks this is a good folder to put it in, but then she thinks she has other personal things in this folder and after all this pad is for the office not just her. She goes to the supply room
and gets another new folder. She writes on the tab at the top "Mouse Pads" and puts it in the hanging folder rack. She pushes the button on the side of the cabinet and the automatic file cabinet stores it in the correct location alphabetically in the drawer. Most all-new offices have these now as most young secretaries did not learn their ABCs in school, and it is faster. Time is money the boss says.
Now for your computer and how to do this stuff. I hope the above little story explains in simple everyday terms what you have to do when reading and saving email attachments.
The first thing we want to do is create a folder or as I call them directories. In the old days of DOS they were directories, Now with Windows OS, we call them folders because Bill made the directory icon look like a file folder, thus they are called folders now.
Most people use "My Computer" to view the file system layout. I use "Windows Explorer", why? Because it is just plain better, enough said. Other people might tell you different, but we are going to use "Windows Explorer", because I'm the teacher and you don’t want to wear the dunce hat.
If I tell you to “Click” that means Left Click, if I want you to Right Click I’ll tell you Right Click.
Lets open "Windows Explorer" using XP. You say you don't have XP OS, Get it. Using other Windows
OS’s is like driving a 1948 Packard with a standard transmission and no air.
Click on "Start" found on the ”Task Bar” then "All Programs" then click on "Accessories" then 'right' Click "Windows Explorer" now Click "copy"
Now Click anywhere on your "Desktop" The Start Menu will close out. 'Right' Click on the Desktop and now 'Left' Click "Paste". Now you have a "Shortcut" on your "Desktop" to "Windows Explorer".
Bill forgot to do a few things with "Windows Explorer" so we will help him out. (he must have been too busy)
Open "Windows Explorer" by clicking on the new shortcut icon you just made.
Look at the top of the window and you can see “Tools” located on the toolbar, click “Tools” then “Folder Options”. This brings up another window with tabs at the top. The one that will be open is the General tab.
Here I have a bullet (mark) at: “Use Windows Classic View”, another at: “Single Click to Open an Item” This is not a big deal, you don’t have to change these, but try it you might like the way it looks and acts with single clicking.
Click on the “View” tab. Here you will want to scroll down the list till you see “Hide extensions for known types”. Un-check the box. I also like to check the box in front of, “Show hidden files and folders”. This is up to you.
Last we click the icon (box) at the top that says: “Apply to all Folders”. I think a warning will pop up, click OK or Yes or what ever you want to do to make it permanent. Close the program by clicking “Apply” then “OK”.
Now for the fun, In keeping with the secretary story above you want to create a new folder to store files in. In this case it will be an attachment sent to you via email. In the secretary’s case it was the mouse pad.
Open the program “Windows Explorer”
Click on the Plus symbol (+) on the left of “My Computer” this will expand it so you can see “Local Disk (C:) or it may have another name like Drive (C:). Just look for the (C:) in it’s name, this is the one you want. Click on the name, not the + , It will highlight (turn Blue). Click on “File” at the top in the task bar. Click “New” Now click “Folder” A “Folder will appear in the right pain (window) it will be highlighted (Blue) With a name of “New Folder” Type “My Stuff” without the quotes. My Stuff should have replaced the words “New Folder” Click anywhere on the white pain or hit. You should now see a folder with the name My Stuff.
If it still says New Folder right click it and click “Rename” and type in My Stuff. Click in the white. You are done. Close "Windows Explorer".
Lets save that attachment you received in Outlook Express (OE) to the folder you just made called My Stuff.
Open OE, See the paper clip, this is the attachment symbol. Click on this email and it will highlight. Look to the middle right of the top pain and you will see a paper clip. ‘Right’ click on the paper clip. A box will appear showing you the name of the files that are attached to the email. There is also a line stating
“Save Attachments” Click “Save Attachments”, this brings up a new window. Click “Brows” The window will change displaying your folders. Scroll down until you see the folder called My Stuff. Click it and it will highlight. Click “OK”. The window will change back but now you will see just to the left of Brows C:\My Stuff. At the top of this window you should see the file or files contained in the attachment. Click “OK” and you have saved your file to the folder My Stuff.
Now you can use Windows Explorer to look at them, move, copy, delete, or what ever you want to do.
Let's say the attachment was a text (.txt) file. You could use notepad, WordPad, or your word processor to view (read) or edit the file. Zip (compressed) files are sent via email attachments a lot of the time also you may download a zip file from the Internet, if you see the extension .zip (test.zip) it will have to be unzipped (uncompressed) before you can use it, But this is for next week’s class.
Just one more thing before this class is dismissed. Don’t open attachments unless you know they are coming. Never open one from someone you don’t know. It is best to ask the person that you do know if they indeed sent you an attachment before you open it. Why? This is one of the ways viruses spread. Have a good virus program and keep it up to date. Better to be safe than sorry.
Class Dismissed.
© V1 Y2K V2.1 2004 Jack Demaree
You may share this file with anyone but no changes are to be made. If you find an error or typo don’t fix it, tell me at: jack@wb9otx.com and I will fix it.
