FAQ

How do I access a Drive in the PC Suites?

Once logged in double-click My Computer and then click on the Drive icon.

In order to see how much disk space is available to you,  click on the File Explore icon, right click on the Drive and choose Properties, you will see the Used and Available space information in the format of a pie chart.  Do NOT save your work to the Desktop, as files saved there will not be available to you when you next login.

File Naming Convention

A File Naming Convention (FNC) is a framework for naming your files in a way that describes what they contain and how they relate to other files. Developing an FNC is done through identifying the key elements of the project, the important differences and commonalities between your files.

It is recommended that the following characters not be used for file or folder names.

Tilde (~);  Number sign (#); Percent (%); Ampersand (&); Asterisk (*); Braces ({ }); Backslash (\); Colon (:); Angle brackets (< >); Question mark (?); Slash (/); Plus sign (+); Pipe (|); Quotation mark ("); period (.) should only used to add a file extension e.g. .docx, .xlsx etc/

A three or four character file extension (which is usually hidden) generally describes the file type. Common file extensions are .txt for text files, .xlsx for Excel spreadsheets and .docx for Word documents.

Folders and Sub-Folders (also referred to as directories and sub-directories)

A folder is a collection of files in a given area. As you create files they are created in your top-level folder in your home area ( Drive folder) unless you specify otherwise.  A folder can contain sub-folders that can be used to organise files. Files with a common theme can be put in one sub-folder. For example, all files relating to Project1 could be stored in a sub-folder called project1. Similarly, files relating to Project2 could be stored in a sub-folder called project2. This makes the management and finding of files easier as you create more and more files in your home area.

To create a sub-folder, click on File Explorer and click on the Drive icon. From the File menu, select New and then Folder. A new folder (directory) will be created. To bring order to your folders, you can click on View menu and select Arrange Icons. Icons (in this case folders) can be arranged by name, type, size, and date depending on your preference. To see what is contained within a given folder, double-click on that folder. To close any window, click X at the top right of that window.

Backing up your files

It is impossible to stress how important it is for you to backup your files.  Students have access to 1Tb of storage in their Office 365 student account through the One Drive App.

How does space get used up?

Your U: Drive contains many files. Some of these files are automatically created for you when you start certain applications. You create most of the files when you save your work. e.g. Word documents are saved as .docx files. Many applications create temporary files whilst they are being run. Temporary files usually have the file extension .tmp or start with the ~ character. If an application which creates temporary files, closes down unexpectedly, i.e. crashes, you may well end up with a number of temporary files in your directory, which you will have to delete manually.

Deleting unwanted files

As a regular exercise, you should delete all unwanted files from your Drive. Be careful not to delete files you may need again. It is in your own interest to manage your disk space. Shortage of disk space may also cause some applications difficulty in starting or they may crash whilst you are using them. To delete files from your Drive, click on the file you want to delete. This file will now be highlighted blue. Now either press the Delete key on the keyboard or select Delete from the File menu.  To delete multiple files, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard whilst clicking on the files you want to highlight for deletion. Click on a file a second time to remove the highlighting. Before the files are deleted you will be asked to confirm your request.

How do I access my Drive off-campus?

Go to https://myfiles.nuigalway.ie/

Getting extra disk space

If, after you have deleted all unwanted files, you still require additional space you may apply for additional disk space by contacting the Service Desk

Troubleshooting Tips

Unable to view Network Drive Mapping