Do you want to organize files and folders on computer easily? Then you can use the following tips to ensure you organize computer in a way that makes sense to you and that makes retrieving files much more manageable.
Organize computer by creating folders
The creation of folders is the first step to organizing your computer. Let us say you have 500 files on one of your drives. That is a messy sight. Compare that to having five folders. Of course, the latter is desirable as it looks cleaner and better. You want to create folders according to something. For example, if you are the only one who uses your computer, then you can have folders depending on your files and work files. You can organize however you want but remember that it should make sense to you because you need to keep it that way.
Remove duplicate files
There are so many duplicate files. Sometimes you might have downloaded the same file twice, or you might already have had something while you added a second one by mistake. This is normal, but it is a good idea to get rid of all duplicate files. You need to thoroughly check if any duplicate files or folders are there on your computer. If so, then check their contents and then delete the duplicate copy. Duplicate files take up a lot of space, and many people do not realize that. You should help save your computer’s storage space when you can.
Think of file names thoroughly
Whenever you are creating a file or folder, you want to think of the name. This is one of the ways to organize files and folders on the computer. When you have an explicit name, you will be able to remember what the file or folder is all about instantly. Compare this with a name that is confusing or vague where you need to open the file to find out what the contents are. When you are naming your files or folders, you want it to be precise and clear without being too long and super-specific. This will help with convenient and easier retrieval process.
Create shortcuts to organize computer
When you have lots of files and folders, you don’t always want to navigate to get to those. You can create shortcuts so that you can quickly get to them. Don’t make too many shortcuts because it will defeat the purpose of having shortcuts in the first place. You want to be able to get to things that you are working on which is why shortcuts can be particularly helpful. You will have access to what you need to get to pretty quickly. Use shortcuts when you need and ensure that you can delete them when you no longer require them.
Delete programs
There are so many software programs that you have probably downloaded on your computer. How many of them are you using and how many of them do you need? Go through the list of programs that are available on your computer and check which ones are no longer required. If you don’t need any of them any longer, then immediately delete the program from your computer. If the application is something that can be useful in the future, then you can make a note of that. Else you can leave the setup of the program while uninstalling the application.
Check the downloads folder
You need to check your downloads folder so that you delete what is no longer valid. For example, did you download your flight tickets and forget to delete them from your downloads folder? If that is the case, then it is time to clear out whatever your downloads folder contains. It can help to decrease the amount of memory that the folder takes up on your computer. You should ideally keep checking the downloads folder every week so that no unnecessary files are residing in that folder. You can shift the contents to other folders if required or take the necessary action to ensure an organized computer.
Backup regularly
When you organize files and folders on the computer, you want to be sure that your files and folders are safe. That is, you don’t want to lose them. This is why backup is crucial in today’s day and time. When you have lots of files and folders of importance, you need to ensure that you are regularly backing up all of them. You can opt for cloud storage or store your files on an external hard disk. You can do this daily too, so you do not fear about losing any of the critical files that you have on your computer. This will help with long term storage of your files.
Organize computer by tackling photos
Photos take up way too much space which is why you can organize a computer by looking at which photos you have stored on your computer. If you have the habit of taking pictures of your smartphone and saving them on your computer, you need to sort through your photos. If you love to take photos, then you probably have more photos. Since better quality photos take up space, you can think of storing them either on a separate hard disk, or you can store them on cloud storage. Organizing photos and deleting unnecessary ones is quite helpful.
Background of computer
The background of your laptop or desktop matters regardless of how childish that sounds. When you have a background that inspires you, you will be able to be more productive at work. If it doesn’t serve that purpose, then you will be less productive at work. You want to choose your background wisely, and after some thought, you should use the background of your choice. It is the first thing that you see when you turn on your computer so you might as well put some effort in choosing the right one from the start.
Hide files that are unnecessary
Some files are just are not being used right now. You can hide these files. These should be the files that you don’t want access to right now, but you need since you cannot delete them. When you hide files, you will be able to get a cleaner and much neater look. Moreover, if you don’t want other people to take a look, then this is a good idea to do as well. Remember, that you should regularly check whether the hidden files are required or not. When you no longer need them, delete them from your computer.
Maintain
There is no point in organizing if you are not going to maintain it. When it comes to organizing all the files on your computer, you must be willing to put in the effort to do so continuously. This will ensure you can always have quick access to files and your computer is not cluttered with lots of files that only confuse you. You should ensure you are always disciplined as this will help you to save time. You can check for stray files and folders daily to ensure that you don’t have anything that is simply there on your computer.
Use these tips to organize files and folders on the computer for a super-organized computer!