Ask Doctor PC
 Computer Help for Vulcraft Employees
 By Doctor PC

Accessing Files Across the Network at Vulcraft

Have you seen the pictures of the new Vulcraft plant in Chemung, New York?  Did you know the pictures are available for viewing in the office? 
      Yes! There are pictures of the new plant under construction.  In the office, they are located at \\PATRICK\Shared\Vulcraft - Chemung, NY.htm.  I know--the file location looks like a bunch of computer gibberish.  One glance is enough to scare some people away.  Some may ask, "Is that a slash or a backslash?" "What's a BACKSLASH?" or "Do I have to type in the WHOLE thing?" Actually, there is a simple way to access the photos.  Let's take a closer look at the file path and see where we end up. 
        First, \\PATRICK indicates the computer where the pictures exist.  To find this computer, you need to take the mouse and move the arrow across the screen (called the Desktop in Windows).  When the arrow is over the Network Neighborhood icon, you need to double-click on it.  A window should appear, with a bunch of computer icons having different names. 
       Second, you need to locate the computer icon named Patrick.  Over the years, the number of PCs in Vulcraft's Network Neighborhood has grown from about twenty PCs to well over 100.  The fastest way to locate an item in a large list is to type in the first letter of that item's name.  In this case, type 'P' to arrive at the first computer icon that starts with that letter.  Double-click on the computer icon named Patrick (about the third one in the list).
Third, you need to locate the Shared folder on \\PATRICK and double-click on it.   
    Finally, you need to locate the web page called Vulcraft - Chemung, NY and double-click on it.  At this point, Internet Explorer should open up, and the pictures from the construction site should appear.  Congratulations! You are viewing a web page that is only visible to people on Vulcraft's network.   
      If you change the size of your web browser window, the size of the pictures will change, too.  To maximize the window to fit the whole screen, you need to click on the Maximize/Restore button,  located in the upper right corner of the window, middle button. 
      And that's it! You've accessed files located on another computer on Vulcraft's computer network. 
      I encourage you to send your computer questions and comments to me, Doctor PC, at DoctorPC@Levell.Net, or leave them in Patrick Levell's mailbox, near the reception area.  I will try to answer your questions in the following issue of Vulcraft News & Views. 

GLOSSARY

Desktop: the work area in Windows where your programs run.  Programs like Outlook are placed on the desktop when they run. 

Double-click: for right-handed mice, this means rapidly pressing the left button on the mouse twice.  For left-handed mice, use the right button. 

Backslash: a slash that leans to the left.  This is used to separate folder names and has its roots in DOS (long before Windows 95).  Unfortunately, there is not a standard location for this on the keyboard, unlike the regular slash key, which resides above the space bar, next to the <SHIFT> key on the right side of the keyboard.