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id="toc-Organization_of_data_in_a_file-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-File_operations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#File_operations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>File operations</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-File_operations-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle File operations subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-File_operations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Moving_methods" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Moving_methods"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Moving methods</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Moving_methods-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Identifying_and_organizing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Identifying_and_organizing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Identifying and organizing</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Identifying_and_organizing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Protection" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Protection"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Protection</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Protection-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Storage" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Storage"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>Storage</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Storage-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-File_corruption" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#File_corruption"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">7</span> <span>File corruption</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-File_corruption-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Backup" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Backup"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">8</span> <span>Backup</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Backup-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-File_systems_and_file_managers" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#File_systems_and_file_managers"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">9</span> <span>File systems and file managers</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-File_systems_and_file_managers-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">10</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">11</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">12</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">13</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer file</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 83 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-83" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">83 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-af mw-list-item"><a href="https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%AAer" title="Lêer – Afrikaans" lang="af" hreflang="af" data-title="Lêer" data-language-autonym="Afrikaans" data-language-local-name="Afrikaans" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Afrikaans</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D9%84%D9%81_%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%88%D8%A8" title="ملف حاسوب – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="ملف حاسوب" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ast mw-list-item"><a href="https://ast.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheru_inform%C3%A1ticu" title="Ficheru informáticu – Asturian" lang="ast" hreflang="ast" data-title="Ficheru informáticu" data-language-autonym="Asturianu" data-language-local-name="Asturian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Asturianu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komp%C3%BCter_fayl%C4%B1" title="Kompüter faylı – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Kompüter faylı" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-azb mw-list-item"><a href="https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%84_(%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%AA%D8%B1)" title="فایل (کامپیوتر) – South Azerbaijani" lang="azb" hreflang="azb" data-title="فایل (کامپیوتر)" data-language-autonym="تۆرکجه" data-language-local-name="South Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>تۆرکجه</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%AE%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%89%E0%A6%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0_%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B2" title="কম্পিউটার ফাইল – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="কম্পিউটার ফাইল" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be mw-list-item"><a href="https://be.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%E2%80%99%D1%8E%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B_%D1%84%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Камп’ютарны файл – Belarusian" lang="be" hreflang="be" data-title="Камп’ютарны файл" data-language-autonym="Беларуская" data-language-local-name="Belarusian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-be-x-old mw-list-item"><a href="https://be-tarask.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BF%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B_%D1%84%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Кампутарны файл – Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" lang="be-tarask" hreflang="be-tarask" data-title="Кампутарны файл" data-language-autonym="Беларуская (тарашкевіца)" data-language-local-name="Belarusian (Taraškievica orthography)" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Беларуская (тарашкевіца)</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bs mw-list-item"><a href="https://bs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka" title="Datoteka – Bosnian" lang="bs" hreflang="bs" data-title="Datoteka" data-language-autonym="Bosanski" data-language-local-name="Bosnian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bosanski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-br mw-list-item"><a href="https://br.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restr_stlennegel" title="Restr stlennegel – Breton" lang="br" hreflang="br" data-title="Restr stlennegel" data-language-autonym="Brezhoneg" data-language-local-name="Breton" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Brezhoneg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxer_inform%C3%A0tic" title="Fitxer informàtic – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Fitxer informàtic" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cv mw-list-item"><a href="https://cv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Chuvash" lang="cv" hreflang="cv" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Чӑвашла" data-language-local-name="Chuvash" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Чӑвашла</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soubor" title="Soubor – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Soubor" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sn mw-list-item"><a href="https://sn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayera_re_kombiyuta" title="Fayera re kombiyuta – Shona" lang="sn" hreflang="sn" data-title="Fayera re kombiyuta" data-language-autonym="ChiShona" data-language-local-name="Shona" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ChiShona</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil_(dataobjekt)" title="Fil (dataobjekt) – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Fil (dataobjekt)" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ary mw-list-item"><a href="https://ary.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%8A" title="فيشي – Moroccan Arabic" lang="ary" hreflang="ary" data-title="فيشي" data-language-autonym="الدارجة" data-language-local-name="Moroccan Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>الدارجة</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei" title="Datei – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Datei" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-et mw-list-item"><a href="https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail" title="Fail – Estonian" lang="et" hreflang="et" data-title="Fail" data-language-autonym="Eesti" data-language-local-name="Estonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Eesti</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BF_(%CF%85%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%B3%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AD%CF%82)" title="Αρχείο (υπολογιστές) – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Αρχείο (υπολογιστές)" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archivo_(inform%C3%A1tica)" title="Archivo (informática) – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Archivo (informática)" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosiero" title="Dosiero – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Dosiero" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxategi_(informatika)" title="Fitxategi (informatika) – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Fitxategi (informatika)" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87_(%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87)" title="پرونده (رایانه) – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="پرونده (رایانه)" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier_informatique" title="Fichier informatique – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Fichier informatique" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fy mw-list-item"><a href="https://fy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triem_(ynformatika)" title="Triem (ynformatika) – Western Frisian" lang="fy" hreflang="fy" data-title="Triem (ynformatika)" data-language-autonym="Frysk" data-language-local-name="Western Frisian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Frysk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficheiro" title="Ficheiro – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Ficheiro" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%BB%B4%ED%93%A8%ED%84%B0_%ED%8C%8C%EC%9D%BC" title="컴퓨터 파일 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="컴퓨터 파일" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hy mw-list-item"><a href="https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%86%D5%AB%D5%B7%D6%84" title="Նիշք – Armenian" lang="hy" hreflang="hy" data-title="Նիշք" data-language-autonym="Հայերեն" data-language-local-name="Armenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Հայերեն</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hi mw-list-item"><a href="https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%95_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE" title="संगणक संचिका – Hindi" lang="hi" hreflang="hi" data-title="संगणक संचिका" data-language-autonym="हिन्दी" data-language-local-name="Hindi" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>हिन्दी</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka" title="Datoteka – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Datoteka" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkas_komputer" title="Berkas komputer – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Berkas komputer" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ia mw-list-item"><a href="https://ia.wikipedia.org/wiki/File" title="File – Interlingua" lang="ia" hreflang="ia" data-title="File" data-language-autonym="Interlingua" data-language-local-name="Interlingua" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Interlingua</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%B6lvuskr%C3%A1" title="Tölvuskrá – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Tölvuskrá" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File" title="File – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="File" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%91%D7%A5" title="קובץ – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="קובץ" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sw mw-list-item"><a href="https://sw.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalada_(tarakilishi)" title="Jalada (tarakilishi) – Swahili" lang="sw" hreflang="sw" data-title="Jalada (tarakilishi)" data-language-autonym="Kiswahili" data-language-local-name="Swahili" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Kiswahili</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-la mw-list-item"><a href="https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasciculus_informaticus" title="Fasciculus informaticus – Latin" lang="la" hreflang="la" data-title="Fasciculus informaticus" data-language-autonym="Latina" data-language-local-name="Latin" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lv mw-list-item"><a href="https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datne" title="Datne – Latvian" lang="lv" hreflang="lv" data-title="Datne" data-language-autonym="Latviešu" data-language-local-name="Latvian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Latviešu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lt mw-list-item"><a href="https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinkmena" title="Rinkmena – Lithuanian" lang="lt" hreflang="lt" data-title="Rinkmena" data-language-autonym="Lietuvių" data-language-local-name="Lithuanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lietuvių</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ln mw-list-item"><a href="https://ln.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1s%C3%A1" title="Kásá – Lingala" lang="ln" hreflang="ln" data-title="Kásá" data-language-autonym="Lingála" data-language-local-name="Lingala" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lingála</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-lmo mw-list-item"><a href="https://lmo.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(informatega)" title="File (informatega) – Lombard" lang="lmo" hreflang="lmo" data-title="File (informatega)" data-language-autonym="Lombard" data-language-local-name="Lombard" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Lombard</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hu mw-list-item"><a href="https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adat%C3%A1llom%C3%A1ny" title="Adatállomány – Hungarian" lang="hu" hreflang="hu" data-title="Adatállomány" data-language-autonym="Magyar" data-language-local-name="Hungarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Magyar</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B0" title="Податотека – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Податотека" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mg mw-list-item"><a href="https://mg.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakitra_(kajimirindra)" title="Rakitra (kajimirindra) – Malagasy" lang="mg" hreflang="mg" data-title="Rakitra (kajimirindra)" data-language-autonym="Malagasy" data-language-local-name="Malagasy" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Malagasy</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ml mw-list-item"><a href="https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B4%95%E0%B4%AE%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AA%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%82%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%8D%E0%B4%9F%E0%B5%BC_%E0%B4%AB%E0%B4%AF%E0%B5%BD" title="കമ്പ്യൂട്ടർ ഫയൽ – Malayalam" lang="ml" hreflang="ml" data-title="കമ്പ്യൂട്ടർ ഫയൽ" data-language-autonym="മലയാളം" data-language-local-name="Malayalam" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>മലയാളം</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ms mw-list-item"><a href="https://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail_komputer" title="Fail komputer – Malay" lang="ms" hreflang="ms" data-title="Fail komputer" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Melayu" data-language-local-name="Malay" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Melayu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mwl mw-list-item"><a href="https://mwl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fexeiro_de_cumputador" title="Fexeiro de cumputador – Mirandese" lang="mwl" hreflang="mwl" data-title="Fexeiro de cumputador" data-language-autonym="Mirandés" data-language-local-name="Mirandese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Mirandés</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand_(computer)" title="Bestand (computer) – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Bestand (computer)" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB_(%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%94%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF)" title="ファイル (コンピュータ) – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="ファイル (コンピュータ)" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datafil" title="Datafil – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Datafil" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datafil" title="Datafil – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Datafil" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mhr mw-list-item"><a href="https://mhr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Eastern Mari" lang="mhr" hreflang="mhr" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Олык марий" data-language-local-name="Eastern Mari" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Олык марий</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fayl" title="Fayl – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Fayl" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik_danych" title="Plik danych – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Plik danych" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arquivo_de_computador" title="Arquivo de computador – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Arquivo de computador" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%99ier" title="Fișier – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Fișier" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-qu mw-list-item"><a href="https://qu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anta%C3%B1iqiq_khipu" title="Antañiqiq khipu – Quechua" lang="qu" hreflang="qu" data-title="Antañiqiq khipu" data-language-autonym="Runa Simi" data-language-local-name="Quechua" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Runa Simi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sah mw-list-item"><a href="https://sah.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8D_(%D0%BA%D3%A9%D0%BC%D0%BF%D2%AF%D2%AF%D1%82%D1%8D%D1%80)" title="Билэ (көмпүүтэр) – Yakut" lang="sah" hreflang="sah" data-title="Билэ (көмпүүтэр)" data-language-autonym="Саха тыла" data-language-local-name="Yakut" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Саха тыла</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sc mw-list-item"><a href="https://sc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch%C3%ACviu_(inform%C3%A0tica)" title="Archìviu (informàtica) – Sardinian" lang="sc" hreflang="sc" data-title="Archìviu (informàtica)" data-language-autonym="Sardu" data-language-local-name="Sardinian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Sardu</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeda" title="Skeda – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Skeda" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_file" title="Computer file – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Computer file" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%BAbor_(informatika)" title="Súbor (informatika) – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Súbor (informatika)" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka" title="Datoteka – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Datoteka" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ckb mw-list-item"><a href="https://ckb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%DB%95%DA%95%DA%AF%DB%95%DB%8C_%DA%A9%DB%86%D9%85%D9%BE%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%AA%DB%95%D8%B1" title="پەڕگەی کۆمپیوتەر – Central Kurdish" lang="ckb" hreflang="ckb" data-title="پەڕگەی کۆمپیوتەر" data-language-autonym="کوردی" data-language-local-name="Central Kurdish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>کوردی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka" title="Datoteka – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Datoteka" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka" title="Datoteka – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Datoteka" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiedosto" title="Tiedosto – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Tiedosto" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil_(data)" title="Fil (data) – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Fil (data)" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%A3%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%AA%E0%AF%81" title="கணினிக் கோப்பு – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="கணினிக் கோப்பு" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-th mw-list-item"><a href="https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B9%84%E0%B8%9F%E0%B8%A5%E0%B9%8C%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%A7%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%8C" title="ไฟล์คอมพิวเตอร์ – Thai" lang="th" hreflang="th" data-title="ไฟล์คอมพิวเตอร์" data-language-autonym="ไทย" data-language-local-name="Thai" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ไทย</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tg mw-list-item"><a href="https://tg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0_(%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%91%D0%BD%D0%B0)" title="Парванда (роёна) – Tajik" lang="tg" hreflang="tg" data-title="Парванда (роёна)" data-language-autonym="Тоҷикӣ" data-language-local-name="Tajik" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Тоҷикӣ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilgisayar_dosyas%C4%B1" title="Bilgisayar dosyası – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Bilgisayar dosyası" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB" title="Файл – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Файл" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vec mw-list-item"><a href="https://vec.wikipedia.org/wiki/File" title="File – Venetian" lang="vec" hreflang="vec" data-title="File" data-language-autonym="Vèneto" data-language-local-name="Venetian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Vèneto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%E1%BA%ADp_tin" title="Tập tin – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Tập tin" data-language-autonym="Tiếng Việt" data-language-local-name="Vietnamese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Tiếng Việt</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wo mw-list-item"><a href="https://wo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dencukaay" title="Dencukaay – Wolof" lang="wo" hreflang="wo" data-title="Dencukaay" data-language-autonym="Wolof" data-language-local-name="Wolof" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Wolof</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-wuu mw-list-item"><a href="https://wuu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AE%A1%E7%AE%97%E6%9C%BA%E6%96%87%E4%BB%B6" title="计算机文件 – Wu" lang="wuu" hreflang="wuu" data-title="计算机文件" data-language-autonym="吴语" data-language-local-name="Wu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>吴语</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-yi mw-list-item"><a href="https://yi.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A7%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%95%D7%98%D7%A2%D7%A8_%D7%98%D7%A2%D7%A7%D7%A2" title="קאמפיוטער טעקע – Yiddish" lang="yi" hreflang="yi" data-title="קאמפיוטער טעקע" data-language-autonym="ייִדיש" data-language-local-name="Yiddish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>ייִדיש</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%BB%E8%85%A6%E6%AA%94%E6%A1%88" title="電腦檔案 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="電腦檔案" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%BB%E8%85%A6%E6%AA%94%E6%A1%88" title="電腦檔案 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="電腦檔案" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div 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<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Computer resource for recording data on a storage device</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">This article is about computer files and file systems in general terms. For a more detailed and technical article, see <a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">File system</a>.</div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This article <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Computer_file" title="Special:EditPage/Computer file">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Computer+file%22">"Computer file"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Computer+file%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Computer+file%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Computer+file%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Computer+file%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Computer+file%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">June 2009</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>In <a href="/wiki/Computing" title="Computing">computing</a>, a <b>computer file</b> is a <a href="/wiki/System_resource" title="System resource">resource</a> for recording <a href="/wiki/Data_(computing)" class="mw-redirect" title="Data (computing)">data</a> on a <a href="/wiki/Computer_data_storage" title="Computer data storage">computer storage device</a>, primarily identified by its <a href="/wiki/Filename" title="Filename">filename</a>. Just as words can be written on paper, so too can data be written to a computer file. Files can be shared with and transferred between <a href="/wiki/Computers" class="mw-redirect" title="Computers">computers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mobile_device" title="Mobile device">mobile devices</a> via <a href="/wiki/Removable_media" title="Removable media">removable media</a>, <a href="/wiki/Computer_networks" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer networks">networks</a>, or the <a href="/wiki/Internet" title="Internet">Internet</a>. </p><p>Different <a href="/wiki/File_format" title="File format">types of computer files</a> are designed for different purposes. A file may be designed to store a written message, a document, a <a href="/wiki/Spreadsheet" title="Spreadsheet">spreadsheet</a>, an <a href="/wiki/Digital_image" title="Digital image">image</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Digital_video" title="Digital video">video</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Computer_program" title="Computer program">program</a>, or any wide variety of other kinds of data. Certain files can store multiple data types at once. </p><p>By using computer programs, a person can open, read, change, save, and close a computer file. Computer files may be reopened, modified, and <a href="/wiki/File_copying" title="File copying">copied</a> an arbitrary number of times. </p><p>Files are typically organized in a <a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">file system</a>, which tracks file locations on the disk and enables user access. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Etymology">Etymology</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Etymology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg/220px-PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="244" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg/330px-PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/86/PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg/440px-PunchCardDecks.agr.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1401" data-file-height="1554" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Punched_card" title="Punched card">punched card</a> file</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg/220px-BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg" decoding="async" width="220" height="149" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg/330px-BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg/440px-BRL61-IBM_305_RAMAC.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="647" data-file-height="439" /></a><figcaption>The twin <a href="/wiki/Disk_storage" title="Disk storage">disk files</a> of an <a href="/wiki/IBM_305" class="mw-redirect" title="IBM 305">IBM 305</a> system</figcaption></figure> <p>The word "file" derives from the Latin <i>filum</i> ("a thread, string").<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>"File" was used in the context of computer storage as early as January 1940. In <i>Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation</i>,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> W. J. Eckert stated, "The first extensive use of the early Hollerith Tabulator in astronomy was made by <a href="/wiki/Leslie_Comrie" title="Leslie Comrie">Comrie</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> He used it for building a table from successive differences, and for adding large numbers of harmonic terms". "Tables of <a href="/wiki/Function_(mathematics)" title="Function (mathematics)">functions</a> are constructed from their differences with great efficiency, either as printed tables or as a <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.b3621946?urlappend=%3Bseq=16">file of punched cards</a></i>." </p><p>In February 1950, in a <a href="/wiki/Radio_Corporation_of_America" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio Corporation of America">Radio Corporation of America</a> (RCA) advertisement in <i><a href="/wiki/Popular_Science" title="Popular Science">Popular Science</a></i> magazine<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> describing a new "memory" vacuum tube it had developed, RCA stated: "the results of countless computations can be kept 'on file' and taken out again. Such a 'file' now exists in a 'memory' tube developed at RCA Laboratories. Electronically it retains figures fed into calculating machines, holds them in storage while it memorizes new ones – speeds intelligent solutions through mazes of mathematics." </p><p>In 1952, "file" denoted, among other things, information stored on <a href="/wiki/Punched_card" title="Punched card">punched cards</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In early use, the underlying hardware, rather than the contents stored on it, was denominated a "file". For example, the <a href="/wiki/IBM_350" class="mw-redirect" title="IBM 350">IBM 350</a> disk drives were denominated "disk files".<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The introduction, <abbr title="circa">c.</abbr><span style="white-space:nowrap;"> 1961</span>, by the <a href="/wiki/Burroughs_MCP" title="Burroughs MCP">Burroughs MCP</a> and the MIT <a href="/wiki/Compatible_Time-Sharing_System" title="Compatible Time-Sharing System">Compatible Time-Sharing System</a> of the concept of a "<a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">file system</a>" that managed several virtual "files" on one storage device is the origin of the contemporary denotation of the word. Although the contemporary "<a href="/wiki/Register_file" title="Register file">register file</a>" demonstrates the early concept of files, its use has greatly decreased. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="File_contents">File contents</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: File contents"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>On most modern <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating systems</a>, files are organized into one-dimensional arrays of <a href="/wiki/Byte" title="Byte">bytes</a>. The <a href="/wiki/File_format" title="File format">format</a> of a file is defined by its content since a file is solely a container for data. </p><p>On some platforms the format is indicated by its <a href="/wiki/Filename_extension" title="Filename extension">filename extension</a>, specifying the rules for how the bytes must be organized and interpreted meaningfully. For example, the bytes of a plain text file (<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r886049734">.mw-parser-output .monospaced{font-family:monospace,monospace}</style><span class="monospaced">.txt</span> in Windows) are associated with either <a href="/wiki/ASCII" title="ASCII">ASCII</a> or <a href="/wiki/UTF-8" title="UTF-8">UTF-8</a> characters, while the bytes of image, video, and audio files are interpreted otherwise. Most file types also allocate a few bytes for <a href="/wiki/Metadata" title="Metadata">metadata</a>, which allows a file to carry some basic information about itself. </p><p>Some file systems can store arbitrary (not interpreted by the file system) file-specific data outside of the file format, but linked to the file, for example <a href="/wiki/Extended_attributes" class="mw-redirect" title="Extended attributes">extended attributes</a> or <a href="/wiki/Fork_(file_system)" title="Fork (file system)">forks</a>. On other file systems this can be done via <a href="/wiki/Sidecar_file" title="Sidecar file">sidecar files</a> or software-specific databases. All those methods, however, are more susceptible to loss of metadata than <a href="/wiki/Container_format_(computing)" class="mw-redirect" title="Container format (computing)">container</a> and <a href="/wiki/Archive_file" title="Archive file">archive file</a> formats. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="File_size">File size</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: File size"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Misleading plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/40px-Ambox_important.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/60px-Ambox_important.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b4/Ambox_important.svg/80px-Ambox_important.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="40" data-file-height="40" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>may have misleading content</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit">clarify the content</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">March 2019</span>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/File_size" title="File size">File size</a></div> <p>At any instant in time, a file has a specific size, normally expressed as a number of <a href="/wiki/Byte" title="Byte">bytes</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>a<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> that indicates how much storage is occupied by the file. In most modern operating systems the size can be any non-negative whole number of bytes up to a system limit. Many older operating systems kept track only of the number of <a href="/wiki/Disk_sector" title="Disk sector">blocks</a> or <a href="/wiki/Track_(disk_drive)" title="Track (disk drive)">tracks</a> occupied by a file on a physical storage device. In such systems, software employed other methods to track the exact byte count (e.g., <a href="/wiki/CP/M" title="CP/M">CP/M</a> used a special control character, <a href="/wiki/Ctrl-Z" class="mw-redirect" title="Ctrl-Z">Ctrl-Z</a>, to signal the end of text files). </p><p>The general definition of a file does not require that its size have any real meaning, however, unless the data within the file happens to correspond to data within a pool of persistent storage. A special case is a <a href="/wiki/Zero_byte_file" class="mw-redirect" title="Zero byte file">zero byte file</a>; these files can be newly created files that have not yet had any data written to them, or may serve as some kind of <a href="/wiki/Flag_(computing)" class="mw-redirect" title="Flag (computing)">flag</a> in the file system, or are accidents (the results of aborted disk operations). For example, the file to which the link <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">/bin/ls</span> points in a typical <a href="/wiki/Unix-like" title="Unix-like">Unix-like</a> system probably has a defined size that seldom changes. Compare this with <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced"><a href="/wiki//dev/null" class="mw-redirect" title="/dev/null">/dev/null</a></span> which is also a file, but as a <a href="/wiki/Character_special_file" class="mw-redirect" title="Character special file">character special file</a>, its size is not meaningful. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Organization_of_data_in_a_file">Organization of data in a file</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Organization of data in a file"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Information in a computer file can consist of smaller packets of information (often called "<a href="/wiki/Row_(database)" title="Row (database)">records</a>" or "lines") that are individually different but share some common traits. For example, a payroll file might contain information concerning all the employees in a company and their payroll details; each record in the payroll file concerns just one employee, and all the records have the common trait of being related to payroll—this is very similar to placing all payroll information into a specific filing cabinet in an office that does not have a computer. A text file may contain lines of text, corresponding to printed lines on a piece of paper. Alternatively, a file may contain an arbitrary binary image (a <a href="/wiki/Binary_blob" title="Binary blob">blob</a>) or it may contain an <a href="/wiki/Executable" title="Executable">executable</a>. </p><p>The way information is grouped into a file is entirely up to how it is designed. This has led to a plethora of more or less standardized file structures for all imaginable purposes, from the simplest to the most complex. Most computer files are used by <a href="/wiki/Computer_program" title="Computer program">computer programs</a> which create, modify or delete the files for their own use on an as-needed basis. The programmers who create the programs decide what files are needed, how they are to be used and (often) their names. </p><p>In some cases, computer programs manipulate files that are made visible to the computer user. For example, in a <a href="/wiki/Word_processor" title="Word processor">word-processing program</a>, the user manipulates document files that the user personally names. Although the content of the document file is arranged in a format that the word-processing program understands, the user is able to choose the name and location of the file and provide the bulk of the information (such as words and text) that will be stored in the file. </p><p>Many applications pack all their data files into a single file called an <a href="/wiki/Archive_file" title="Archive file">archive file</a>, using internal markers to discern the different types of information contained within. The benefits of the archive file are to lower the number of files for easier transfer, to reduce storage usage, or just to organize outdated files. The archive file must often be unpacked before next using. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="File_operations">File operations</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: File operations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The most basic operations that programs can perform on a file are: </p> <ul><li>Create a new file</li> <li>Change the <a href="/wiki/File_system_permissions" class="mw-redirect" title="File system permissions">access permissions</a> and <a href="/wiki/File_attribute" title="File attribute">attributes</a> of a file</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open_(system_call)" title="Open (system call)">Open</a> a file, which makes the file contents available to the program</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Read_(system_call)" title="Read (system call)">Read</a> data from a file</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Write_(system_call)" title="Write (system call)">Write</a> data to a file</li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_deletion" title="File deletion">Delete</a> a file</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Close_(system_call)" title="Close (system call)">Close</a> a file, terminating the association between it and the program</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Truncation" title="Truncation">Truncate</a> a file, shortening it to a specified size within the file system without rewriting any content</li> <li>Allocate space to a file without writing any content. Not supported by some file systems.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <p>Files on a computer can be created, moved, modified, grown, shrunk (<a href="/wiki/Truncation#Causes_of_truncation" title="Truncation">truncated</a>), and deleted. In most cases, computer programs that are executed on the computer handle these operations, but the user of a computer can also manipulate files if necessary. For instance, <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Word" title="Microsoft Word">Microsoft Word</a> files are normally created and modified by the Microsoft Word program in response to user commands, but the user can also move, <a href="/wiki/Rename_(computing)" title="Rename (computing)">rename</a>, or <a href="/wiki/File_deletion" title="File deletion">delete</a> these files directly by using a <a href="/wiki/File_manager" title="File manager">file manager program</a> such as <a href="/wiki/Windows_Explorer" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows Explorer">Windows Explorer</a> (on Windows computers) or by <a href="/wiki/Command-line_interface" title="Command-line interface">command lines</a> (CLI). </p><p>In <a href="/wiki/Unix-like" title="Unix-like">Unix-like</a> systems, <a href="/wiki/User_space" class="mw-redirect" title="User space">user space</a> programs do not operate directly, at a low level, on a file. Only the <a href="/wiki/Kernel_(operating_system)" title="Kernel (operating system)">kernel</a> deals with files, and it handles all user-space interaction with files in a manner that is transparent to the user-space programs. The <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating system</a> provides a level of <a href="/wiki/Abstraction_(computer_science)" title="Abstraction (computer science)">abstraction</a>, which means that interaction with a file from user-space is simply through its filename (instead of its <a href="/wiki/Inode" title="Inode">inode</a>). For example, <kbd><a href="/wiki/Rm_(Unix)" title="Rm (Unix)">rm</a> <i>filename</i></kbd> will not delete the file itself, but only a <a href="/wiki/Hard_link" title="Hard link">link</a> to the file. There can be many links to a file, but when they are all removed, the <a href="/wiki/Kernel_(operating_system)" title="Kernel (operating system)">kernel</a> considers that file's memory space free to be reallocated. This <a href="/wiki/Data_remanence" title="Data remanence">free space</a> is commonly considered a security risk (due to the existence of <a href="/wiki/File_recovery" class="mw-redirect" title="File recovery">file recovery software</a>). Any secure-deletion program uses kernel-space (system) functions to wipe the file's data. </p><p>File moves within a file system complete almost immediately because the data content does not need to be rewritten. Only the paths need to be changed. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Moving_methods">Moving methods</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Moving methods"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There are two distinct implementations of file moves. </p><p>When moving files between devices or partitions, some file managing software deletes each selected file from the source directory <b>individually</b> after being transferred, while other software deletes <b>all files at once</b> only after every file has been transferred. </p><p>With the <code><a href="/wiki/Mv_(Unix)" title="Mv (Unix)">mv</a></code> command for instance, the former method is used when selecting files individually, possibly with the use of <a href="/wiki/Wildcard_character" title="Wildcard character">wildcards</a> (example: <code>mv -n sourcePath/* targetPath</code>, while the latter method is used when selecting entire directories (example: <code>mv -n sourcePath targetPath</code>). Microsoft <a href="/wiki/Windows_Explorer" class="mw-redirect" title="Windows Explorer">Windows Explorer</a> uses the former method for <a href="/wiki/Mass_storage" title="Mass storage">mass storage</a> file moves, but the latter method using <a href="/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol" title="Media Transfer Protocol">Media Transfer Protocol</a>, as described in <a href="/wiki/Media_Transfer_Protocol#File_move_behavior" title="Media Transfer Protocol">Media Transfer Protocol § File move behavior</a>. </p><p>The former method (individual deletion from source) has the benefit that space is released from the source device or partition imminently after the transfer has begun, meaning after the first file is finished. With the latter method, space is only freed after the transfer of the entire selection has finished. </p><p>If an incomplete file transfer with the latter method is aborted unexpectedly, perhaps due to an unexpected power-off, system halt or disconnection of a device, no space will have been freed up on the source device or partition. The user would need to merge the remaining files from the source, including the incompletely written (truncated) last file. </p><p>With the individual deletion method, the file moving software also does not need to cumulatively keep track of all files finished transferring for the case that a user manually aborts the file transfer. A file manager using the latter (afterwards deletion) method will have to only delete the files from the source directory that have already finished transferring. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Identifying_and_organizing">Identifying and organizing</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Identifying and organizing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:FileFolders.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/FileFolders.svg/200px-FileFolders.svg.png" decoding="async" width="200" height="369" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/FileFolders.svg/300px-FileFolders.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/FileFolders.svg/400px-FileFolders.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="494" data-file-height="912" /></a><figcaption>Files and folders arranged in a hierarchy</figcaption></figure> <p>In modern computer systems, files are typically accessed using names (<a href="/wiki/Filename" title="Filename">filenames</a>). In some operating systems, the name is associated with the file itself. In others, the file is anonymous, and is pointed to by links that have names. In the latter case, a user can identify the name of the link with the file itself, but this is a false analogue, especially where there exists more than one link to the same file. </p><p>Files (or links to files) can be located in directories. However, more generally, a <a href="/wiki/File_directory" class="mw-redirect" title="File directory">directory</a> can contain either a list of files or a list of links to files. Within this definition, it is of paramount importance that the term "file" includes directories. This permits the existence of directory hierarchies, i.e., directories containing sub-directories. A name that refers to a file within a directory must be typically unique. In other words, there must be no identical names within a directory. However, in some operating systems, a name may include a specification of type that means a directory can contain an identical name for more than one type of object such as a directory and a file. </p><p>In environments in which a file is named, a file's name and the path to the file's directory must uniquely identify it among all other files in the computer system—no two files can have the same name and path. Where a file is anonymous, named references to it will exist within a namespace. In most cases, any name within the namespace will refer to exactly zero or one file. However, any file may be represented within any namespace by zero, one or more names. </p><p>Any string of characters may be a well-formed name for a file or a link depending upon the context of application. Whether or not a name is well-formed depends on the type of computer system being used. Early computers permitted only a few letters or digits in the name of a file, but modern computers allow long names (some up to 255 characters) containing almost any combination of <a href="/wiki/Unicode" title="Unicode">Unicode</a> letters or Unicode digits, making it easier to understand the purpose of a file at a glance. Some computer systems allow file names to contain spaces; others do not. Case-sensitivity of file names is determined by the <a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">file system</a>. Unix file systems are usually case sensitive and allow user-level applications to create files whose names differ only in the case of characters. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Windows" title="Microsoft Windows">Microsoft Windows</a> supports multiple file systems, each with different policies<sup class="noprint Inline-Template" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Avoid_weasel_words" class="mw-redirect" title="Wikipedia:Avoid weasel words"><span title="The material near this tag possibly uses too vague attribution or weasel words. (February 2014)">which?</span></a></i>]</sup> regarding case-sensitivity. The common <a href="/wiki/File_Allocation_Table" title="File Allocation Table">FAT</a> file system can have multiple files whose names differ only in case if the user uses a <a href="/wiki/Disk_editor" title="Disk editor">disk editor</a> to edit the file names in the <a href="/wiki/FAT_directory_table" class="mw-redirect" title="FAT directory table">directory entries</a>. User applications, however, will usually not allow the user to create multiple files with the same name but differing in case. </p><p>Most computers organize files into hierarchies using folders, directories, or catalogs. The concept is the same irrespective of the terminology used. Each folder can contain an arbitrary number of files, and it can also contain other folders. These other folders are referred to as subfolders. Subfolders can contain still more files and folders and so on, thus building a tree-like structure in which one "master folder" (or "root folder" — the name varies from one operating system to another) can contain any number of levels of other folders and files. Folders can be named just as files can (except for the root folder, which often does not have a name). The use of folders makes it easier to organize files in a logical way. </p><p>When a computer allows the use of folders, each file and folder has not only a name of its own, but also a path, which identifies the folder or folders in which a file or folder resides. In the path, some sort of special character—such as a slash—is used to separate the file and folder names. For example, in the illustration shown in this article, the path <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">/Payroll/Salaries/Managers</span> uniquely identifies a file called <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">Managers</span> in a folder called <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">Salaries</span>, which in turn is contained in a folder called <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">Payroll</span>. The folder and file names are separated by slashes in this example; the topmost or root folder has no name, and so the path begins with a slash (if the root folder had a name, it would precede this first slash). </p><p>Many computer systems use <a href="/wiki/Filename_extension" title="Filename extension">extensions</a> in file names to help identify what they contain, also known as the file type. On Windows computers, extensions consist of a dot (period) at the end of a file name, followed by a few letters to identify the type of file. An extension of <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">.txt</span> identifies a text file; a <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">.doc</span> extension identifies any type of document or documentation, commonly in the <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Word" title="Microsoft Word">Microsoft Word</a> <a href="/wiki/File_format" title="File format">file format</a>; <a href="/wiki/List_of_file_formats" title="List of file formats">and so on</a>. Even when extensions are used in a computer system, the degree to which the computer system recognizes and heeds them can vary; in some systems, they are required, while in other systems, they are completely ignored if they are presented. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Protection">Protection</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Protection"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Many modern computer systems provide methods for protecting files against accidental and deliberate damage. Computers that allow for multiple users implement <a href="/wiki/File_permissions" class="mw-redirect" title="File permissions">file permissions</a> to control who may or may not modify, delete, or create files and folders. For example, a given user may be granted only permission to read a file or folder, but not to modify or delete it; or a user may be given permission to read and modify files or folders, but not to execute them. Permissions may also be used to allow only certain users to see the contents of a file or folder. Permissions protect against unauthorized tampering or destruction of information in files, and keep private information confidential from unauthorized users. </p><p>Another protection mechanism implemented in many computers is a <i>read-only flag.</i> When this flag is turned on for a file (which can be accomplished by a computer program or by a human user), the file can be examined, but it cannot be modified. This flag is useful for critical information that must not be modified or erased, such as special files that are used only by internal parts of the computer system. Some systems also include a <i><a href="/wiki/Hidden_file_and_hidden_directory" title="Hidden file and hidden directory">hidden flag</a></i> to make certain files invisible; this flag is used by the computer system to hide essential system files that users should not alter. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Storage">Storage</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Storage"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Any file that has any useful purpose must have some physical manifestation. That is, a file (an abstract concept) in a real computer system must have a real physical analogue if it is to exist at all. </p><p>In physical terms, most computer files are stored on some type of data storage device. For example, most <a href="/wiki/Operating_system" title="Operating system">operating systems</a> store files on a <a href="/wiki/Hard_disk" class="mw-redirect" title="Hard disk">hard disk</a>. Hard disks have been the ubiquitous form of <a href="/wiki/Non-volatile" class="mw-redirect" title="Non-volatile">non-volatile</a> storage since the early 1960s.<sup id="cite_ref-Mee_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Mee-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Where files contain only temporary information, they may be stored in <a href="/wiki/RAM" class="mw-redirect" title="RAM">RAM</a>. Computer files can be also stored on other media in some cases, such as <a href="/wiki/Magnetic_tape" title="Magnetic tape">magnetic tapes</a>, <a href="/wiki/Compact_disc" title="Compact disc">compact discs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Digital_Versatile_Disc" class="mw-redirect" title="Digital Versatile Disc">Digital Versatile Discs</a>, <a href="/wiki/Zip_drive" title="Zip drive">Zip drives</a>, <a href="/wiki/USB_flash_drive" title="USB flash drive">USB flash drives</a>, etc. The use of <a href="/wiki/Solid_state_drives" class="mw-redirect" title="Solid state drives">solid state drives</a> is also beginning to rival the hard disk drive. </p><p>In Unix-like operating systems, many files have no associated physical storage device. Examples are <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced"><a href="/wiki//dev/null" class="mw-redirect" title="/dev/null">/dev/null</a></span> and most files under directories <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">/dev</span>, <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">/proc</span> and <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">/sys</span>. These are virtual files: they exist as objects within the operating system kernel. </p><p>As seen by a running user program, files are usually represented either by a <a href="/wiki/File_Control_Block" title="File Control Block">file control block</a> or by a <a href="/wiki/File_handle" class="mw-redirect" title="File handle">file handle</a>. A file control block (FCB) is an area of memory which is manipulated to establish a filename etc. and then passed to the operating system as a parameter; it was used by older IBM operating systems and early PC operating systems including <a href="/wiki/CP/M" title="CP/M">CP/M</a> and early versions of <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS" title="MS-DOS">MS-DOS</a>. A file handle is generally either an <a href="/wiki/Opaque_data_type" title="Opaque data type">opaque data type</a> or an integer; it was introduced in around 1961 by the <a href="/wiki/ALGOL_60" title="ALGOL 60">ALGOL-based</a> <a href="/wiki/Burroughs_MCP" title="Burroughs MCP">Burroughs MCP</a> running on the <a href="/wiki/Burroughs_B5000" class="mw-redirect" title="Burroughs B5000">Burroughs B5000</a> but is now ubiquitous. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="File_corruption">File corruption</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: File corruption"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Data_corruption" title="Data corruption">Data corruption</a> and <a href="/wiki/Data_degradation" title="Data degradation">Data degradation</a></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237032888/mw-parser-output/.tmulti">.mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner img{background-color:white}}</style><div class="thumb tmulti tright"><div class="thumbinner multiimageinner" style="width:408px;max-width:408px"><div class="trow"><div class="tsingle" style="width:202px;max-width:202px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Bitrot_in_JPEG_files,_0_bits_flipped.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="Photo of a child" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_0_bits_flipped.jpg/200px-Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_0_bits_flipped.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="267" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_0_bits_flipped.jpg/300px-Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_0_bits_flipped.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_0_bits_flipped.jpg 2x" data-file-width="360" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption">Original <a href="/wiki/JPEG" title="JPEG">JPEG</a> file</div></div><div class="tsingle" style="width:202px;max-width:202px"><div class="thumbimage"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Bitrot_in_JPEG_files,_1_bit_flipped.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_1_bit_flipped.jpg/200px-Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_1_bit_flipped.jpg" decoding="async" width="200" height="267" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_1_bit_flipped.jpg/300px-Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_1_bit_flipped.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Bitrot_in_JPEG_files%2C_1_bit_flipped.jpg 2x" data-file-width="360" data-file-height="480" /></a></span></div><div class="thumbcaption">Corrupted JPEG file, with a single <a href="/wiki/Bit" title="Bit">bit</a> flipped (turned from 0 to 1, or vice versa)</div></div></div><div class="trow" style="display:flex"><div class="thumbcaption">While there is visible corruption on the second file, one can still make out what the original image might have looked like.</div></div></div></div> <p>When a file is said to be corrupted, it is because its contents have been saved to the computer in such a way that they cannot be properly read, either by a human or by software. Depending on the extent of the damage, the original file can sometimes be <a href="/wiki/Data_recovery" title="Data recovery">recovered</a>, or at least partially understood.<sup id="cite_ref-techwalla-corruption_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-techwalla-corruption-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A file may be created corrupt, or it may be corrupted at a later point through overwriting. </p><p>There are many ways by which a file can become corrupted. Most commonly, the issue happens in the process of <a href="/wiki/Write_(system_call)" title="Write (system call)">writing</a> the file to a <a href="/wiki/Disk_storage" title="Disk storage">disk</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-housonchronicle-corruption-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> For example, if an <a href="/wiki/Graphics_software" title="Graphics software">image-editing program</a> unexpectedly <a href="/wiki/Crash_(computing)" title="Crash (computing)">crashes</a> while saving an image, that file may be corrupted because the program could not save its entirety. The program itself might warn the user that there was an error, allowing for another attempt at saving the file.<sup id="cite_ref-howtogeek-corruption_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-howtogeek-corruption-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Some other examples of reasons for which files become corrupted include: </p> <ul><li>The computer itself <a href="/wiki/Shutdown_(computing)" title="Shutdown (computing)">shutting down</a> unexpectedly (for example, due to a power loss) with open files, or files in the process of being saved;<sup id="cite_ref-techwalla-corruption_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-techwalla-corruption-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-housonchronicle-corruption-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-howtogeek-corruption_12-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-howtogeek-corruption-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Download" title="Download">download</a> being interrupted before it was completed;</li> <li>Due to a <a href="/wiki/Bad_sector" title="Bad sector">bad sector</a> on the <a href="/wiki/Hard_disk_drive" title="Hard disk drive">hard drive</a>;<sup id="cite_ref-techwalla-corruption_10-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-techwalla-corruption-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-housonchronicle-corruption-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>The user removing a <a href="/wiki/Flash_drive" title="Flash drive">flash drive</a> (such as a <a href="/wiki/USB_flash_drive" title="USB flash drive">USB stick</a>) without properly <a href="/wiki/Mount_(computing)" title="Mount (computing)">unmounting</a> (commonly referred to as "safely removing");<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-datarecovery.net-corruption_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-datarecovery.net-corruption-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Malicious software, such as a <a href="/wiki/Computer_virus" title="Computer virus">computer virus</a>;<sup id="cite_ref-techwalla-corruption_10-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-techwalla-corruption-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-housonchronicle-corruption-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>A flash drive becoming too old.<sup id="cite_ref-datarecovery.net-corruption_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-datarecovery.net-corruption-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <p>Although file corruption usually happens accidentally, it may also be done on purpose as a mean of <a href="/wiki/Procrastination" title="Procrastination">procrastination</a>, as to fool someone else into thinking an assignment was ready at an earlier date, potentially gaining time to finish said assignment or making experiments, with the purpose of documenting the consequences when such file is corrupted. There are services that provide on demand file corruption, which essentially fill a given file with random data so that it cannot be opened or read, yet still seems legitimate.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>One of the most effective countermeasures for unintentional file corruption is <a href="/wiki/Backup" title="Backup">backing up</a> important files.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In the event of an important file becoming corrupted, the user can simply replace it with the backed up version. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Backup">Backup</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Backup"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Backup" title="Backup">Backup</a></div> <p>When computer files contain information that is extremely important, a <i><a href="/wiki/Back-up" class="mw-redirect" title="Back-up">back-up</a></i> process is used to protect against disasters that might destroy the files. Backing up files simply means making copies of the files in a separate location so that they can be restored if something happens to the computer, or if they are deleted accidentally. </p><p>There are many ways to back up files. Most computer systems provide utility programs to assist in the back-up process, which can become very time-consuming if there are many files to safeguard. Files are often copied to removable media such as writable CDs or cartridge tapes. Copying files to another hard disk in the same computer protects against failure of one disk, but if it is necessary to protect against failure or destruction of the entire computer, then copies of the files must be made on other media that can be taken away from the computer and stored in a safe, distant location. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Grandfather-father-son_backup" class="mw-redirect" title="Grandfather-father-son backup">grandfather-father-son backup</a> method automatically makes three back-ups; the grandfather file is the oldest copy of the file and the son is the current copy. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="File_systems_and_file_managers">File systems and file managers</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: File systems and file managers"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The way a computer organizes, names, stores and manipulates files is globally referred to as its <i><a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">file system</a>.</i> Most computers have at least one file system. Some computers allow the use of several different file systems. For instance, on newer MS Windows computers, the older FAT-type file systems of <a href="/wiki/MS-DOS" title="MS-DOS">MS-DOS</a> and old versions of Windows are supported, in addition to the <a href="/wiki/NTFS" title="NTFS">NTFS</a> file system that is the normal file system for recent versions of Windows. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. Standard FAT allows only eight-character file names (plus a three-character extension) with no spaces, for example, whereas NTFS allows much longer names that can contain spaces. You can call a file "<link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">Payroll records</span>" in NTFS, but in FAT you would be restricted to something like <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r886049734"><span class="monospaced">payroll.dat</span> (unless you were using <a href="/wiki/File_Allocation_Table#Long_file_names" title="File Allocation Table">VFAT</a>, a FAT extension allowing long file names). </p><p><a href="/wiki/File_manager" title="File manager">File manager</a> programs are utility programs that allow users to manipulate files directly. They allow you to move, create, delete and rename files and folders, although they do not actually allow you to read the contents of a file or store information in it. Every computer system provides at least one file-manager program for its native file system. For example, <a href="/wiki/File_Explorer" title="File Explorer">File Explorer</a> (formerly Windows Explorer) is commonly used in Microsoft Windows operating systems, and <a href="/wiki/GNOME_Files" title="GNOME Files">Nautilus</a> is common under several distributions of Linux. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Block_(data_storage)" title="Block (data storage)">Block (data storage)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Computer_file_management" class="mw-redirect" title="Computer file management">Computer file management</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_hierarchy" title="Data hierarchy">Data hierarchy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_camouflage" class="mw-redirect" title="File camouflage">File camouflage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_copying" title="File copying">File copying</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_conversion" class="mw-redirect" title="File conversion">File conversion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_deletion" title="File deletion">File deletion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_directory" class="mw-redirect" title="File directory">File directory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_manager" title="File manager">File manager</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">File system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Filename" title="Filename">Filename</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flat-file_database" title="Flat-file database">Flat-file database</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Object_composition" title="Object composition">Object composition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Soft_copy" class="mw-redirect" title="Soft copy">Soft copy</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-lower-alpha"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Can also be shown as kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, etc.</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Computer_file&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1239543626"><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=file">"Online Etymology Dictionary"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150924134509/https://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=file">Archived</a> from the original on 2015-09-24<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2015-08-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Online+Etymology+Dictionary&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etymonline.com%2Findex.php%3Fterm%3Dfile&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEckertThomas_J._Watson_Astronomical_Computing_Bureau1940" class="citation book cs1">Eckert, W. J.; Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, New York. (1940). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002523225"><i>Punched card methods in scientific computation</i></a>. New York: The Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, Columbia University. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200612015646/https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002523225">Archived</a> from the original on 2020-06-12<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=What+Causes+a+Corrupt+File%3F&rft.aulast=Gorski&rft.aufirst=Victoria&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.techwalla.com%2Farticles%2Fwhat-causes-a-corrupt-file&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-housonchronicle-corruption-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-housonchronicle-corruption_11-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWilliams2019" class="citation news cs1">Williams, Jane (2019-01-14). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://smallbusiness.chron.com/mean-file-corrupt-70768.html">"What Does It Mean When Your File Is Corrupt?"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Houston_Chronicle" title="Houston Chronicle">Houston Chronicle</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190715235553/https://smallbusiness.chron.com/mean-file-corrupt-70768.html">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-07-15<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Houston+Chronicle&rft.atitle=What+Does+It+Mean+When+Your+File+Is+Corrupt%3F&rft.date=2019-01-14&rft.aulast=Williams&rft.aufirst=Jane&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fsmallbusiness.chron.com%2Fmean-file-corrupt-70768.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-howtogeek-corruption-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-howtogeek-corruption_12-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-howtogeek-corruption_12-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGlenn2017" class="citation web cs1">Glenn, Walter (2017-12-14). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.howtogeek.com/336099/what-is-a-corrupted-file-and-is-there-a-way-to-get-it-back/">"What Is a Corrupted File, and Is There a Way to Get It Back?"</a>. How-To Geek. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20181206135510/https://www.howtogeek.com/336099/what-is-a-corrupted-file-and-is-there-a-way-to-get-it-back/">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-12-06<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=What+Is+a+Corrupted+File%2C+and+Is+There+a+Way+to+Get+It+Back%3F&rft.pub=How-To+Geek&rft.date=2017-12-14&rft.aulast=Glenn&rft.aufirst=Walter&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.howtogeek.com%2F336099%2Fwhat-is-a-corrupted-file-and-is-there-a-way-to-get-it-back%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-13">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.securedatarecovery.com/services/hard-drive-recovery/what-causes-flash-media-corruption">"What Causes Flash Memory Corruption?"</a>. <a href="/wiki/SecureDataRecovery" title="SecureDataRecovery">SecureDataRecovery</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200728192611/https://www.securedatarecovery.com/services/hard-drive-recovery/what-causes-flash-media-corruption">Archived</a> from the original on 2020-07-28<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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How-To Geek. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190330123333/https://www.howtogeek.com/118546/htg-explains-do-you-really-need-to-safely-remove-usb-sticks/">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-03-30<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Do+You+Really+Need+to+Safely+Remove+USB+Flash+Drives%3F&rft.pub=How-To+Geek&rft.date=2016-09-28&rft.aulast=Hoffman&rft.aufirst=Chris&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.howtogeek.com%2F118546%2Fhtg-explains-do-you-really-need-to-safely-remove-usb-sticks%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://support.office.com/en-us/article/open-a-document-after-a-file-corruption-error-47df9d48-2165-4411-a699-1786ac734bc3">"Open a document after a file corruption error"</a>. <a href="/wiki/Microsoft_Office" title="Microsoft Office">Microsoft Office</a> Support. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190828234354/https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Open-a-document-after-a-file-corruption-error-47df9d48-2165-4411-a699-1786ac734bc3">Archived</a> from the original on 2019-08-28<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Open+a+document+after+a+file+corruption+error&rft.pub=Microsoft+Office+Support&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.office.com%2Fen-us%2Farticle%2Fopen-a-document-after-a-file-corruption-error-47df9d48-2165-4411-a699-1786ac734bc3&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-datarecovery.net-corruption-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-datarecovery.net-corruption_16-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-datarecovery.net-corruption_16-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.datarecovery.net/newsletters/what-kills-flash-drive.aspx">"What kills your Flash Drive and how you can avoid it"</a>. DataRecovery.net. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180906021351/https://www.datarecovery.net/newsletters/what-kills-flash-drive.aspx">Archived</a> from the original on 2018-09-06<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2019-03-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=What+kills+your+Flash+Drive+and+how+you+can+avoid+it&rft.pub=DataRecovery.net&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datarecovery.net%2Fnewsletters%2Fwhat-kills-flash-drive.aspx&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AComputer+file" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFNeagoe2018" class="citation web cs1">Neagoe, Robert (2018-08-14). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://windowsreport.com/fix-windows-10-file-corruption-issues/">"Fix Windows 10 File Corruption Issues"</a>. 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href="/wiki/Template:Computer_files" title="Template:Computer files"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Computer_files" title="Template talk:Computer files"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Computer_files" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Computer files"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Computer_files" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Computer files</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Types</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Binary_file" title="Binary file">Binary file</a> / <a href="/wiki/Text_file" title="Text file">text file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_file" title="Data file">Data file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_format" title="File format">File format</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_file_formats" title="List of file formats">List of file formats</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_file_signatures" title="List of file signatures">File signatures</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magic_number_(programming)" title="Magic number (programming)">Magic number</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Open_file_format" title="Open file format">Open file formats</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Proprietary_file_format" title="Proprietary file format">Proprietary file formats</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metafile" class="mw-redirect" title="Metafile">Metafile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sidecar_file" title="Sidecar file">Sidecar file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sparse_file" title="Sparse file">Sparse file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Swap_file" class="mw-redirect" title="Swap file">Swap file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/System_file" title="System file">System file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Temporary_file" title="Temporary file">Temporary file</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zero-byte_file" title="Zero-byte file">Zero-byte file</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Properties</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Filename" title="Filename">Filename</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/8.3_filename" title="8.3 filename">8.3 filename</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Long_filename" title="Long filename">Long filename</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Filename_mangling" title="Filename mangling">Filename mangling</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Filename_extension" title="Filename extension">Filename extension</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_filename_extensions" title="List of filename extensions">List of filename extensions</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_attribute" title="File attribute">File attribute</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Extended_file_attributes" title="Extended file attributes">Extended file attributes</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_size" title="File size">File size</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hidden_file_and_hidden_directory" title="Hidden file and hidden directory">Hidden file / Hidden directory</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Organisation</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Directory_(computing)" title="Directory (computing)">Directory/folder</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/NTFS_links" title="NTFS links">NTFS links</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Temporary_folder" title="Temporary folder">Temporary folder</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Directory_structure" title="Directory structure">Directory structure</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_system" title="File system">File system</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Filesystem_Hierarchy_Standard" title="Filesystem Hierarchy Standard">Filesystem Hierarchy Standard</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grid_file_system" title="Grid file system">Grid file system</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Semantic_file_system" title="Semantic file system">Semantic file system</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Path_(computing)" title="Path (computing)">Path</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/File_operation" class="mw-redirect" title="File operation">Operations</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Open_(system_call)" title="Open (system call)">Open</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Close_(system_call)" title="Close (system call)">Close</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Read_(system_call)" title="Read (system call)">Read</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Write_(system_call)" title="Write (system call)">Write</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Linking</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/File_descriptor" title="File descriptor">File descriptor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hard_link" title="Hard link">Hard link</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shortcut_(computing)" title="Shortcut (computing)">Shortcut</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Alias_(Mac_OS)" title="Alias (Mac OS)">Alias</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Shadow_(OS/2)" title="Shadow (OS/2)">Shadow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Symbolic_link" title="Symbolic link">Symbolic link</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Management</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Backup" title="Backup">Backup</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_comparison" title="File comparison">File comparison</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_copying" title="File copying">File copying</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Data_compression" title="Data compression">Data compression</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_manager" title="File manager">File manager</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Comparison_of_file_managers" title="Comparison of file managers">Comparison of file managers</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_system_fragmentation" title="File system fragmentation">File system fragmentation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File-system_permissions" title="File-system permissions">File-system permissions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_transfer" title="File transfer">File transfer</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/File_sharing" title="File sharing">File sharing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_synchronization" title="File synchronization">File synchronization</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/File_verification" title="File 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