Week 1

Course Orientation, USB Setup, and Technical Documentation

This week introduces the course, the workbook, the USB lab drive, and the documentation habits students will use throughout the semester.

Lesson recap

Week 1 is about building the muscle memory you'll use every week: a clean folder structure, predictable file names, and screenshots that prove what you did. Technicians don't get paid for fixing things — they get paid for proving they fixed things. Treat your USB drive as your portfolio in progress: the folders you set up now will hold every piece of evidence through the final LAN build in Week 15. If a file isn't named correctly or saved in the right folder, the grade reflects what's submitted, not what you meant to submit.

Learning goals

Explain the purpose of the workbook and USB lab drive
Set up the required folder structure on the USB lab drive
Create and save basic course files in the correct folders
Use clear file naming rules
Take a basic screenshot
Explain why technical documentation matters

Key terms

Technical Documentation

Written or visual records that explain what was done during a technical task.

Screenshot

An image capture used as evidence.

File Path

The location of a file or folder, e.g. E:\03_Labs\Week01\readme.txt

Folder Structure

The organized layout of folders used to store files.

Evidence

Proof that a technical task was completed.

Naming Convention

A consistent pattern for naming files so they sort and search predictably.

Curated videos

How to Screenshot on PC (Snipping Tool + shortcuts)

Kevin Stratvert

The Best Way to Organize Your Computer Files

Thomas Frank

This Simple File Management System Changed My Life!

Jeff Su

Commands

explorer E:\

Win+Shift+S

PrintScreen

Checkpoint checklist

Set up USB lab drive folder structure
Create README file in 00_READ_ME_FIRST
Take and save folder structure screenshot
Practice basic documentation with a short lab note
Saved required evidence
Answered the reflection questions

Pro tips from the instructor

★Never use spaces in file names — use underscores. Spaces break command-line tools and confuse scripts.
★Always include your last name in the filename. Graders open dozens of identical-looking files.
★Save the screenshot immediately to the correct folder. Don't trust the clipboard to survive a crash.
★Eject the USB drive properly (Safely Remove Hardware). Yanking it out can corrupt your portfolio.

Try this — stretch exercises

Optional hands-on practice that goes beyond the workbook. Check items off as you complete them — progress saves in this browser.

0/2

Make a second backup copy of your USB folder structure to cloud storage so a lost stick doesn't end your semester.
Open your README in a code editor (VS Code, Notepad++) instead of Word — you'll see why for the rest of the course.

Files to save this week

📁 Week01_README_YourLastName
📁 Week01_USBFolderSetup_YourLastName.png
📁 Week01_DocumentationPractice_YourLastName