Questions: Understanding Computer Files

Question 1

Kenji finishes writing a report and closes the application window without saving his new changes. What happens to the file he had saved on the computer last time?

• A. The old file is deleted because he closed the window
• B. The old saved file remains on the computer unchanged
• C. The file disappears until he reopens the application
• D. The file is automatically updated with his new changes

Answer: (B)

Closing a window does not affect files already saved on the computer's storage. The previously saved version remains exactly where it was. What Kenji loses is only the new work he added during this session — changes he made but didn't save. The file itself (the container on disk) persists independently of whether any application window is open.

Question 2

A file is named 'vacation.jpg'. What does the '.jpg' part tell you?

• A. That the file is very large in size
• B. That the file is stored in a special vacation folder
• C. The type of information inside — in this case, a photo or image file
• D. The date the file was created

Answer: (C)

The '.jpg' at the end of a filename is a file extension — it indicates the file's type and tells the computer which program should open it. '.jpg' is an image format, so the computer knows to open this file with an image viewer or photo app. Extensions like '.txt' (text), '.mp3' (audio), and '.pdf' (document) each signal a different type of content. The extension is not about size, location, or date.

Question 3

You can rename a file to something completely different without changing the information stored inside it.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

The file name is just a label — it tells you and the computer where to find the file and what to call it, but it has no effect on the contents. Renaming 'my-essay.txt' to 'draft1.txt' leaves the text inside completely unchanged. The name and the contents are two separate things.

Question 4

When you close a file's window, the file is deleted from the computer.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Closing a window only stops displaying the file — it does not delete it. The file remains on the computer's storage exactly where it was saved, until you explicitly choose to delete it. Think of it like closing a book: the book still exists on the shelf, you've just stopped looking at it. Files are only removed when you delete them and empty the trash/recycle bin.

Question 5

Why does a file's extension (like .txt or .jpg) matter, and what could go wrong if the extension is missing or incorrect?

Model answer: The extension tells the computer what type of information is inside the file and which program should open it. If the extension is missing or wrong, the computer may not know how to open the file, or it might try to open it with the wrong program and display garbled content.

File extensions are the computer's way of identifying file types, since it can't always determine the content just by looking inside. A '.jpg' image opened by a text editor would display as meaningless characters, not a photo. Operating systems use extensions to route files to the correct application, so understanding them helps users troubleshoot common 'my file won't open' problems.