The File submenu on the main menu bar provides the following options:

New - create a new empty knowledge system. To create the system, type in its name (no more than 8 characters) and provide it with extension KNO.

Open - open a new knowledge system for use. Users of SuperMemo 7 often complain that the full name of the knowledge system has to be provided; including the extension. In SuperMemo 7, just the name would suffice. In SuperMemo 8, by providing the name only, the Open File dialog box changes the directory to system’s own directory. Some users suggested adding an extension to system directory; however, this would make it impossible to store knowledge system on CD-ROM without modification (premastering does not accept directory extensions). The fastest way to open a file by typing its name is to follow it with a dot and any character. For example, to open knowledge system BIOLOGY type BIOLOGY.X or BIOLOGY.A.

Organize : Copy - copy the currently opened knowledge system to a new location. To copy a system, type in the destination system name (provide it with extension KNO). If the destination system already exists, it will be deleted before proceeding with the copying procedure. Note that Copy is equivalent to Save As (the different name is used to indicate that the system is not kept in computer memory but on the hard disk).

Organize : Semi-Copy - copy the currently opened knowledge system without its ELEMENTS subdirectory. This subdirectory contains multimedia objects such as video files, sound files, bitmaps, etc. In hypermedia knowledge systems, these files make up over 95% of the knowledge system size. Semi-Copy can be used for fast back-ups of large knowledge systems whose multimedia objects have already been backed up, or have not changed much since the last back-up.

Organize : Move - copy the currently opened knowledge system and deletes the original.

Organize : Backup - create a single-file backup of the entire knowledge system by means of a standard compressor program such as PKZIP, ARJ or RAR.

Organize : Restore - restore a knowledge system from a backup created with Backup : Restore.

Organize : Delete - delete the currently opened knowledge system after confirmation.

Organize : Garbage - delete selected files to reduce the size of the knowledge system (the saving might be the greatest in case you recorded lots of own recordings in pronunciation training).

Organize : View report - view any text file, esp. a SuperMemo report file (by default: text files with extension TXT from the REPORTS directory such as RECOVER.TXT, MERCY.TXT, etc.)

Recover - recover from knowledge system integrity problems.

Reset : Knowledge system - delete all repetition spacing data from the knowledge system. In other words, make it look as it has not been used in the learning process. File : Reset : Knowledge system is useful if you would like to pass your knowledge system to another user, or even distribute it commercially. File : Reset : Knowledge system will remove all data pertaining to your learning process, and leave all items in the pending (or dismissed) state. At the end of this procedure you will be asked if you want to set the sequence of the pending queue along the position of elements in the hierarchy (yes to Do you want to sort pending queue by hierarchy?) or along the increasing ordinal number of elements (yes to Do you want to sort pending queue by ordinals?).

Reset : Optimization matrices - reset only the optimization matrices used in the learning process (RF, OF, etc.).

Reset : Forgetting index record - reset the record of repetition grades used in computing the measured forgetting index

Reset : Sort pending by hierarchy - sort the pending queue along the position of individual items in the hierarchy tree (in the Contents window)

Reset : Sort pending by ordinal - sort the pending queue for ordinals (lower ordinals first)

Import : Learning process - restore the learning process backed up with Export : Learning process (see below). Lack of the file with the extension SM8 does not prevent using this option; however, user profile will be lost.

Import : Q -A text - import a standard Q&A file as produced by SuperMemo for DOS, Windows, Macintosh or Amiga. These text files can also be created manually. For example:

Q: river

A: rivero

Q: school

A: lernejo

Q: hope

A: esperanto

Import : Translation - import a file with the translation of the text registry to a selected language.

Import : Text - import a text file previously generated with File : Export : As text, File : Export : Subset as text or Export as text on the Contents menu.

Import : From SuperMemo 7 - import a database in SuperMemo 6 or SuperMemo 7 format.

Note that you can edit import filters that will let you create a knowledge hierarchy on the basis of string inclusions in the old database. To create a filter, use filter editor the same way as you use hierarchy editor in the Contents window. To each node of the filter, attach the list of strings that will qualify imported items for inclusion in the selected category.

Import : Audiovisual files - import BMP, GIF or WAV files generated by conversion programs from SuperMemo databases for Macintosh or Amiga. File names are 1.BMP, 2.BMP, etc. and are imported to first encountered image or sound component in subsequent items starting with the import node.

Import : Edit import filter - edit import filter for grouping items imported from SuperMemo 7 in hierarchy categories. For that purpose, first create a desirable hierarchy structure for the imported database. Then for each leaf, choose Edit in the filter, type the substring that would qualify an item into a given category at Category inclusion substrings and choose Add as many times as there are inclusion strings per category.

Export : Learning process - store the learning parameters in a text file. This way, you do not have to back up large systems such as Advanced English. It is enough to save the learning process and restore it if necessary. The original knowledge system (e.g. Advanced English) can be taken and provided with learning data restored from the text file. Note that the file with the extension SM8 also stores essential data that make up the user profile.

Export : As text - export the entire knowledge system as a text file (elements, their hierarchy and components). Note that the user profile nor unused registry entries will not be transferred. This file can later be imported to an another system with Import : Text.

Export : Subset as text - export a subset as text. This option is the same as Export : As text with this exception that only the elements belonging to a selected subset are exported.

Export : Q-A text - export SuperMemo Q&A files by using first question and first answer component of each element (if any)

Export : Translation - export translation file that, after being modified, can be imported back with Import : Translation

Export : Lexicon - export the lexicon in the Q&A format for import to SuperMemo. For example, Cross Country’s. WORDS system have been generated using this option in conjunction with Import : Q-A text.

Registration - provide registration password. This option is active only in unregistered SuperMemo and should be used to supply the registration password received from SuperMemo World upon registration.

Hide SuperMemo - hide the authoring shell of SuperMemo 8 and presents the simplified interface that is used by default for SuperMemo beginners.

Exit - exit SuperMemo.

1-10 - open one of the ten most recently opened knowledge systems.