Windows XP

Smarter Server Usage

Our H: and S: drives are so convenient for storing files that we often forget that their space is finite and there are other individuals using the server. This quick reference provides some basic information about the UW-Eau Claire servers and some recommendations for optimizing server use. Here is a list of topics included in this document:

Server Drives
Server Files
Locating Server Files
Tips, Recommendations & Options

Server Drives

The use of server drives is governed first by the Computer and Network Usage Guidelines. Beyond that, in deciding which drive to use for file storage, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Is the document in progress or is it in final form?
Your H: drive is a good place for developing documents and projects.
Will others need to access the document?
The S: drive is a good place for documents that others in your department will need to access, such as committee minutes or office forms.
If others need access, should that access be limited?
The W: drive can allow only the students in a project group to exchange files and collaborate on a document.

This table describes the intended use of these three commonly used drives

Server Drive	Description
H:	Faculty, staff, and students store files on this drive. No one else but the individual has access to this drive.
S:	Faculty, staff, and designated student employees of a specific department store common files on this drive. Files may be accessed by members of the department unless permissions have been restricted for specific folders or files.
W:	Faculty, staff, and students store and/or exchange academic files via this drive. Permissions can be used to limit access by class or project group.

Server Files

Any file you have stored on a server takes up space, so it is a good idea to delete unnecessary files to free up space. This includes any old or unneeded files, as well as backup files automatically created by some programs. Examples of files that you probably do not need include:

File Type	Description
Bak	Backup files automatically created by some program
Wbk	Backup files automatically created by Microsoft Word
Tmp	Temporary files create by various programs
Cache files	Copies of information you viewed while using either Netscape or Internet Explorer

NOTE: Filenames that begin with a "~" are also temporary files and can be deleted to save space.

Locating Server Files

In order to reach and navigate through your files with ease, it is best to use Windows Explorer.

Opening Windows Explorer

There are two options for accessing Windows Explorer on campus computers -- the right click option and the Start menu option.
NOTE: The Start menu option may not always work, due to periodic Start menu reorganization.

Opening Windows Explorer: Right Click Option

On the Desktop, right click MY COMPUTER » select Explore
Windows Explorer opens.
NOTE: Instead of MY COMPUTER, you may see your username followed by the computer name.

Opening Windows Explorer: Start Menu Option

From the Start menu, select All Programs » Accessories » Windows Explorer
OR
Right click START » select Explore
Windows Explorer opens.
NOTE: The Start menu option may not always work, due to periodic Start menu reorganization.

Closing Windows Explorer

From the File menu, select Close
OR
Click the X in the upper right corner

Locating Files: Bak, Wbk, and Tmp

You can use the Find File feature to locate the bak, wbk, and tmp files. Using the asterisk (*) wildcard, you can efficiently locate all of the files of a certain type.

Open Windows Explorer
From the Folders list on the left side of the dialog box, select your H: drive
On the Standard Buttons toolbar, click SEARCH
From the What do you want to search for? section, select All files and folders
In the All or part of the file name text box, type the string you are looking for
EXAMPLE: To look for wbk files, type *.wbk.
Click SEARCH
The computer will begin to locate the files. As files are found, they will be added to the right side of the dialog box. If no files are found, a message to that effect will be displayed at the bottom of the dialog box.
To delete a file(s):
1. Select the file(s)
2. Press [Delete]
  A confirmation box appears.
3. To confirm, click YES
  OR
  To cancel, click NO
NOTE: More information about working with Windows XP files can be found in Working With Files.

Locating Files: Cache

Both Netscape and Internet Explorer will cache Internet files as you use the Internet. Caching of the files can decrease the load time of web pages that you have viewed before because the browser does not have to transfer the file from the server again (but you also may not get the most recent version). Except for the cookies, the cached files generally can be deleted without negative effects. Cookies are stored as text (.txt) files and can be easily identified as a cookie. Netscape stores the cookies in a separate directory so chances of inadvertent deletion are minimized. With Internet Explorer, if you want to keep your cookies, you will want to sort the directory by file type and delete all the files but the text files.

Some examples of cache files you can safely delete include picture files ending in .gif and .jpg.

The cache directory can vary based on how the program was installed on your computer. Common locations for the cache include:

H:\Config\Cache
C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\
C:\winxp\web\
H:\config\netscape\cache

Internet cache files may also be located in

H:\Config\default\Cache
H:\Config\Netscape\Users\default\cache

To locate cache files:

Open Windows Explorer
From the Folders list on the left side of the dialog box, select your H: drive
On the Standard Buttons toolbar, click SEARCH
From the What do you want to search for? section, select All files and folders
In the All or part of the file name text box, type cache
Click SEARCH
The computer will begin to locate cache files and folders. As files and folders are found, they will be added to the right side of the dialog box. If no files are found, a message to that effect will be displayed at the bottom of the dialog box.
To delete cache file(s):
1. Select the file(s)
2. Press [Delete]
  A confirmation box appears.
3. To confirm, click YES
  OR
  To cancel, click NO
WARNING: Do not delete the folder that contains the cache files.
HINTS: Since your cache can contain hundreds of files, you may want to select all the files and delete them all at the same time by using Edit » Select All.
Some examples of files you can safely delete include picture files ending in .gif and .jpg.
NOTE: More information about working with Windows XP files can be found in Working With Files.

Tips, Recommendations, & Options

Here are some good housekeeping rules to follow. These tips will help you have plenty of file space available.

If several people in the department use a document, use the department S: drive instead of each person maintaining a copy (permissions can be established to control access to a folder on a shared drive).
Develop a good organizational scheme - if you can find things easily, you are less likely to have duplicates.
Delete draft versions of documents.
Delete old copies of files that you no longer need.
Archive old files that you want for future reference (you can archive to a disk, CD-ROM, or flash drive).