Computers, just like your home office, can get to be a mess. Files everywhere, no system of organization and a hard drive that’s so gunked up and slow you have time to take a shower while your system loads.
Well, invest just a little time and you can have your computer decluttered and zipping along.
You’ll be organized and ready for anything that comes at you.
Here’s how to declutter your computer:
#1 Remove unused programs.
This step is easy but it can take some time. Programs can take up large amounts of memory and storage space. If you’re not using them, get rid of them, but it’s important to get rid of them in the proper way. Each operating system is a bit different but the basic method is to get into your computer’s control panel and click on “add or remove programs.” As you scroll through the programs, simply uninstall those you’re not using. You may need to restart your computer after some programs are removed.
#2 Archive old files.
Chances are you have old files stored on your computer that you no longer access. However, maybe you don’t want to get rid of them completely. You have a couple of options. One is to burn them to a CD or DVD. Label it and store it in a safe place.
Another option is to purchase an external hard drive and store old files on that. You can also use a service that backs up your file or stores them for you. Note: Images, video and audio files take up the most space on your computer. Archiving them or storing them externally is a great way to save space.
#3 Organize your files. Each person will have their own organization system. That being said, creating a series of folders and subfolders is generally the first step. Organizing your files doesn’t take much time once you have a system. Consider including not only the purpose of the file or a main category but also a date. For example, if you’re storing articles you would label the main file: Your Business Name
Create a sub file: Articles
Create a sub file within that based on topic or date. Date probably makes more sense: August, 2009 for example. And make sure to name each file within the folder appropriately so searching for the content is quick and easy.
#4 Organize your bookmarks.
Just as you may have random files floating around your hard drive, you more than likely have a ton of bookmarks that are not organized in any particular way. Most bookmarking systems allow you to create folders for your bookmarks. This is great because it enables you to find them quickly and you can create more bookmarks without having to worry about scrolling through that long list of them.
To get the job done, simply click on “bookmarks” on your browser toolbar and choose the “organize” feature. This will allow you to make folders with logical names to store and organize your bookmarks.
#5 Defrag your hard drive and clean up your hard drive. If you’re computer is still moving slowly, consider analyzing your system and defragging your hard drive. Defragging it essentially lets your computer organize things internally and make space. It doesn’t affect where you’ve placed your files and folders so don’t worry about losing anything. Once again, get into your control panel and look for “Disk cleanup” or analyze systems. It may be in your administrative tools as well.
Stick to your system. Once you’ve created a system for storing and organizing information, stick with it. This way you won’t’ have to do a major purge every couple of months. Your computer will stay clean and clutter free.
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