JonesPC

Usually, there is more than one way to open files on your PC. For example, if you have a picture you would like to view, you can click on the picture and it will open using whatever default picture viewing software is associated with it on your PC. Or you can open the picture viewing software and find the picture by clicking File>Open.

The main thing to remember is in most cases, the software is just the vehicle you use to view or use the file you want to work with…Or…the file is where the work you are doing in a particular piece of software is saved.

Well if you are really familiar with how software and files work, then you’d think this is really simple, but try explaining that to someone who doesn’t have a clue.

I was once looking over someone’s shoulder as they were trying to show me a document that they had typed up earlier. He saved the document on the desktop but they proceeded to go through the start menu to open Microsoft Word first, then clicking File>Open. He started browsing through all the folders trying to find the desktop folder where the document was saved.

He knew he saved it in the desktop folder but didn’t know the files was actually on the desktop and if he had clicked the file, Microsoft word would’ve opened and showed us the document.

Needless to say, being sort of new to computers, he could never find the desktop folder and figured maybe he was using Excel when he created the document, not Word. He then opened Excel and went through the same steps. I then told him all he had to do is click on the file that was on the desktop and we can view the document.

After viewing the document and getting the information that we needed, he asked me how it was possible to click the file and read it without opening Word. I went on to try to explain how every file is associated with a program and when you click that file it automatically opens the program associated with it so that you can view the file.

Of course he didn’t understand and I knew he probably wouldn’t. To be honest, to someone that has no clue about these things and the how they work, it can really be a pain to explain it to them.

After a few minutes explaining how it works, well as best as I could, he made a face that looked like he understood. I was relieved because I know that many people that I’ve tried to explain this to before never caught on. Just as I felt like I made a difference in someone’s PC life, he asked me “Why did I need to buy Microsoft Word if I can just view the file without it”. Then I opened the file again and began showing him that he is indeed using Microsoft Word, and the only thing he is doing by clicking the file instead of opening word first is saving a few steps.

When you’re helping people, sometimes it pays to put yourself in their shoes. Everyone doesn’t have the same understanding as you, and sometimes they just aren’t going to get it.