Files in the directory structure adhere to a Windows naming convention:
- A maximum of 255 characters is allowed.
- Characters such as a slash or a backslash (/ \) are not allowed.
- An extension of three or four letters is added to the filename to identify the file type.
- Filenames are not case sensitive.
By default, file extensions are hidden. To display the file extensions you must disable the Hide extensions for known file types setting in the Folder Options control panel utility, as shown in the figure.
To display file extensions, use the following path:
Start > Control Panel > Folder Options > View > uncheck Hide extensions for known file types
The following filename extensions are commonly used:
- .docx - Microsoft Word (2007 and later)
- .txt - ASCII text only
- .jpg - Graphics format
- .pptx - Microsoft PowerPoint
- .zip - Compression format
The directory structure maintains a set of attributes for each file that controls how the file can be viewed or altered. These are the most common file attributes:
- R - The file is read-only.
- A - The file will be archived the next time that the disk is backed up.
- S - The file is marked as a system file, and a warning is given if an attempt is made to delete or modify the file.
- H - The file is hidden in the directory display.