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Unsaved work lives only in RAM and vanishes if power cuts. Saved work stays in permanent storage.
Today you find out where your work actually lives when you close the lid, pull a USB stick, or the power cuts mid-sentence. That matters for every file in your Something Real project, from a Work Experience log to a small-enterprise budget.
Imagine you have typed half a page of your Project Brief and the computer suddenly restarts. What do you think is still there when it comes back on, and what is gone? Hold your answer. We will sort real cases in a few minutes.
Power-cut rule: if you have not saved, the work is only in short-term working memory (RAM). A restart, crash, or power cut wipes it. Once you save, it lives in permanent storage and can still be there tomorrow. Save often while you work: autosave helps in cloud apps, but long gaps between saves still punish you if the machine dies.
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Your teacher will walk the two rows below, then name the three homes for saved files. Listen first; you do not need to memorise every cell.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| RAM (working memory) — short-term memory while programs are open | Unsaved work vanishes if power is lost or the app crashes | Half a Work Experience reflection typed but never saved: gone after a restart |
| Permanent storage — where files live after you save (disk, USB, cloud) | Saved work survives shutdowns, so your portfolio is still there tomorrow | Your {{code:01_project_brief}} in Project Portfolio after you pressed Save |
Once a file is saved, it still has to live somewhere. Your teacher will name these three buckets (you will sort cards into them next):
{{img:img_three_places_workflow}}
Same Project Brief ({{code:01_project_brief}}) ends up in three places:
Evidence goes in a new document called {{code:01_saved_in_three_places}}: three screenshots (filename visible each time) with one caption each, for example Local — Documents on this PC. You will build that proof after a short teacher demo.
Sort each card into the place it actually lives. First talk it through as a class without dragging. Then place the cards and check.
Keep this table handy during the Portfolio Build. Your teacher will leave it visible on the projector.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| I cannot find my {{code:01_project_brief}} | Open your Project Portfolio folder in school cloud first. If it is only on this PC, check Documents and Desktop, and use the machine's search box with the filename. If it is still missing, tell your teacher and create a one-line stub before the three saves. |
| The brief only opens in the browser | In Word Online or Google Docs use File → Download (for example as .docx). Save or move that download into Documents. Use the downloaded file for the USB or {{code:USB_Simulated}} copy too. |
| There is no USB stick available | On the Desktop, create a folder named {{code:USB_Simulated}}. Copy the file into that folder and treat it as portable storage for today's evidence. |
| The USB stick does not appear | Unplug and replug it. On Windows open File Explorer and look under This PC. On Mac open Finder and look in Locations. On a Chromebook look under Files → USB. Try another port if needed. |
| I am not signed into school cloud | Open the cloud your teacher named: {{code:onedrive.com}} or {{code:drive.google.com}}. Sign in with your school account. Do not tick "remember me" on a shared school machine if your teacher has asked you not to. |
| I do not know how to take a screenshot | Windows: {{kbd:Win+Shift+S}} then paste with {{kbd:Ctrl+V}}. Mac: {{kbd:Cmd+Control+Shift+4}} (selection goes to the clipboard) then paste with {{kbd:Cmd+V}}. If you used {{kbd:Cmd+Shift+4}} by mistake, the image lands on the Desktop — drag or Insert that file into the evidence doc. Chromebook: {{kbd:Ctrl+Overview}} (Overview is the rectangle-with-lines key at the top; also labelled Show windows), or {{kbd:Ctrl+Shift+Overview}} for a region, then paste. The shot must show the filename {{code:01_project_brief}}. |
| My cloud copy is missing after I uploaded | Refresh the browser tab and open the Project Portfolio folder again. Confirm you uploaded into the folder, not only onto the cloud home page. |
If a stick will not show or cloud asks you to sign in again, that is normal on school machines. Use the Common Issues table and the {{code:USB_Simulated}} folder rather than waiting. Open Need the clicks after the demo? below only if you are stuck after watching the demo.
Every shot must show the filename {{code:01_project_brief}} in a different location UI.
If the brief only opens in the browser, download first (Word Online or Google Docs: File → Download), then move the download into Documents. Use that file for portable copy too.
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