If you use your computer on a daily basis, whether at work or at home, you will be sure to accumulate plenty of documents, files, and folders. Even though modern computers and operating systems have tried to make it easier for people to find things and, with a few tweaks to the settings of the search tools, they can be a great way to find what you need on the computer, you should still keep things organized. It will not only be easier for the computer to find things, but also for you find them yourself.
Even organized computers take time to search through. Here's how to find files faster!
There are many clear signs that you have a disorganized mess on your computer. If you have 30 or 40 icons all over your desktop, or if you are constantly saving every document into the same folder, then you may need some help getting things organized. The two best tips you can follow to help you with your organization are naming things properly, and putting items in an organized folder system. Having folders that say “stuff” or “random” won’t help you in the long run. Then simply choose a system that works best for you.
A Guide to Organizing Your Desktop
If you have a disorganized desktop, most likely you save every single document and file into your My Document folder without any subfolders. This could be the root of your problems. Many people do this, but it is not a good system. Most don’t really bother creating an organization system on their PC because it takes time and patience. Here are some tips to help you find a system that suits your needs:
- If more than one family member uses the same desktop, you might want to organize things in a system based on who uses the computer. Make folders with everyone’s names. If there are files that everyone uses, make a common folder for those shared files.
- Create subfolders within these folders to further organize your documents. Here your own system comes into play as well. Music can go by genre or artist. Photos can be saved by when they were taken. It is really up to you.
- Create a folder for documents that you open on a regular basis. Making them easier to find when they’re needed.
- Create a separate folder for any projects you are currently working on.
Stick with the System
When you have a system finally implemented, stick to it. If you go back to just saving everything to the desktop or to “My Documents”, then it would be a waste of time to have started the system in the first place. It takes a few seconds to save a document where it should be; and with a little bit of discipline, you can easily learn to stay organized.
Subfolders are your Friend
Don’t be shy about using subfolders. Use as many as you need: it’s fine to go 7 or even 10 subfolders deep, but if you’re creating more than that, you might want to revaluate how many files are actually going into each folder.
Names are Key
Naming your files and folders is just as important as organizing them. Take the extra few seconds to give all of you files and folders relevant and logical names. If you can, keep the names short, this is the key to making your files more findable.
To keep this system of organization going, make sure to implement it on all of your computers. Always take the few extra seconds to make sure your files into the corresponding folders. If you slack off after starting a new system of organization then you will have an even bigger mess than what you started with. Half will be organized and the other half will be in chaos and once again you won’t be able to find anything.
Keep your desktop organized and you’ll always find what you need, when you need it.
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