CS Files

What is binary?

A series of 1s and 0s used to store all information on a computer

What is a bit?

Each individual 1 or 0 in binary

How many bits are in a byte?

8 bits = 1 byte

Why do computers use binary?

Because the underlying physical storage can only represent "on" or "off" states

What is a file system?

A table that contains filenames and their physical locations on the hard drive

What are the three steps of opening a file?

1. The OS uses the file system to find the file's location 2. The OS reads the data off the physical drive 3. The data is loaded into RAM

What happens when you delete a file?

The space is marked as "free" but the data is still there until it is overwritten by another file operation

Where is information on a hard drive stored?

In files

What does the operating system use to find a file?

The file system

What is the "root" of a computer?

The top level of the computer's storage where everything starts

What is the root called on a PC?

C:\

What is the root called on a Mac?

/

What are directories?

Folders that files are organized into, relative to the root

Given the file path C:\Users\Aria\Documents\homework.docx, what folders do you go through to find the file?

Users → Aria → Documents

What is a file path?

The full location of a file starting from the root, going through all directories to reach the file

Where are almost all of your files located?

In your user folder/directory

What is a file extension?

The part of a filename after the dot (e.g. .docx, .jpg, .mp3)

What does a file extension tell the operating system?

What type of file it is and how to open it

Do all files have extensions?

No, some files do not have extensions

Give three examples of file extensions and what they represent

.docx = Word document, .jpg = image file, .mp3 = audio file

What does "stored in the cloud" mean?

Stored on someone else's computer using a service like OneDrive or iCloud