A file is a saved item of information: a photograph, a letter, a spreadsheet or a recording. A folder helps organise files and other folders.

You do not need to know how a computer stores every bit of it. You do need to know which item you are using, where it lives and whether it is the right version.

Four things to notice

  • Name: practice-shopping-list.txt is easier to recognise than untitled7.txt.
  • Format: endings such as .txt, .pdf or .jpg usually indicate a file type. Changing the ending does not convert the contents or make an unsafe file safe.
  • Location: the item might be on your computer, an external drive or an online service. A path is its address within that storage, such as Documents/AI-practice/practice-shopping-list.txt.
  • Account: a personal drive and an employer's drive can look similar. Check which account owns the item and who can access it.

A browser tab is a view, not necessarily a saved file. A search result may be a link to a file, not a separate copy. Some online documents live inside a service rather than appearing as ordinary files on your laptop.

On your screen does not always mean on your computer

A cloud service stores information on computers reached over a network. Some items shown in your folders may be online-only until downloaded. Do not assume that seeing an item proves it will open without an internet connection.

Synchronisation keeps locations in step. That can include deletions: Microsoft's OneDrive guidance explains that changes and deletions can travel between the computer and the website. Do not tidy a shared folder by experimenting with the delete button.

A backup is a recovery copy you can restore. Sync and version history may help recovery, but do not assume they are a separate, tested backup. Ask whoever manages the system what is protected and how recovery works.

Try it with an invented shopping list

  1. Using your computer's usual file app, choose a practice location you own. Check whether it is local or synchronised. Do not use a work or shared folder.
  2. Create a folder called AI-practice. In a text editor, type three invented items, such as apples, tea and bread. Save as practice-shopping-list.txt, choosing plain text if the editor offers formats.
  3. Close the editor, find the folder and open the file again. Check the name, location and contents.
  4. Make a second file called practice-shopping-list-copy.txt. Change one item in the copy, save it, then check that the original is unchanged.

Not sure how to do a step? Tell your assistant whether you use Windows or a Mac and ask for one instruction at a time. Apple also provides file-renaming guidance. Do not run an unfamiliar command just to finish the exercise.

Ask your assistant to explain, not reorganise everything

This prompt is a request, not a technical lock. Do not grant broad file access for a lesson that only needs an explanation. If you are using a connected assistant, check its actual access settings.

Have you got it?

You should be able to point to the original and copy, name their folder, say which account or device holds them, and explain why deleting a synced item may affect another location. If any answer is unclear, practise that part again.

Next: security without the jargon, then authorisation and permissions. Return to the article that prompted these lessons.

Sources and boundaries

Checked on 21 October 2026. Microsoft and Apple document their own products; another service's behaviour can differ. The NCSC backup guide recommends checking recovery. The shopping-list exercise is an illustrative learning activity, not a verified backup or a security assessment.