Day 30 - Desktop
Take a look at the background of your computer screen. Is it a mess? Take control of it today! Taking steps to be digitally organized will save you time every day too. Need to make room for more storage on your computer? Want to be able to find files easier when you need them? These few simple steps should be helpful for you!
Depending on the severity of your desktop mess this could take a while. You do not have to do it all at once. Break it up if you have to. Just make sure you come back around to it eventually!
If you are needing more space on your computer and don’t own a portable external hard drive, I suggest you invest in one! They are VERY simple to use. You can store files that are taking up a lot of space & files that you don’t need to access often on an external hard drive.
These steps are specifically for decluttering your desktop, but you can follow them for other areas you have files stored too!
If you take before and after pictures of this task make sure you cover up personal information!
Determine categories for the files you want to keep.
Here are a few examples. You can be as specific as you want here. It all depends on what you use your computer for!
Finances
Work
School
Children (give each person in your family their own folder)
Personal
Specific Events
Try to avoid using categories like, “Random, miscellaneous, etc.”
Assign it a category if you’re going to keep it.
Create & name folders on your desktop for those categories.
Begin moving the files you KNOW for sure you need to keep into those folders.
Trash as you go! No need to go through something twice. If you open document or file that you know you no longer need move it to the trash bin.
Depending on how often you purge & delete files on your computer you may not need to continue. If you don’t need to get rid of any of the items you have saved, you’re done! But I would recommend going through and making sure the items within every folder are still needed and saved in a spot that makes sense to you.
Take note of how much space each folder is taking up.
Click “get info” to display details on the files/documents
Utilize your portable external hard drive to store files you don’t need often that are taking up a lot of space!
Declutter.
Do these steps for each folder that you’ve created on your desktop or wherever you have documents saved.
Open the folder.
Sort the documents alphabetically.
Delete duplicates.
Delete files you no longer need or want to keep.
Delete files that were downloaded to your computer but you only needed temporarily.
Make sure each document is named. This will help you locate them easier.
Create folders within the folder if needed. Again, be very specific in choosing a category that needs a folder, label it accordingly.
move files into the sub folders you’ve created.
Determine how you want to view the files in your folder. Date, Size, Type/Kind, Name, etc.
Repeat for every folder on your computer!
Finishing Touches
Empty the Trash Bin! So satisfying!
Do a quick check to make sure each item in the trash bin is actually trash before hitting the button.
Choose a fun desktop background that hopefully you can see now that your files are organized!
Maintain
When you create or save a file:
Name it.
Determine which category from step one it belongs in.
Move it into the appropriate folder (or folder within a folder.)
If you know you’re done with a file for good - delete it! Don’t wait.
Regularly empty your trash bin. This will free up storage space on your computer.
If you take before and after pictures of this task make sure you cover up personal information!