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Feature on how to keep your computer’s files organized during the pandemic

(Photo courtesy iStock by Getty Images) A person filing documents traditionally as opposed to digitally

James Boyle
Connector Contributor

Before the pandemic, you could hand things to your co-workers. Now, you work from home. You share files via email or office chat. You know how to attach a file by now. Click the paper clip and… wait… you don’t know where that file went. Developing a file organization system lets you always know where everything is. A little proactivity on the front end can save you time, mitigate frustration and make you more efficient. And, it’s easier than you think.

Your computer uses a hierarchal folder system. Matthew Gomes, Systems Analyst at Bunker Hill Community College says, “Organized folders are really important, but more important than that, figuring out the categories you think are most effective for you.”

Imagine your drive as a file cabinet. Inside are folders labeled with general categories like “Personal”, and “Work.” Inside each are more specific folders like “Car”, “Home”, and “Maintenance”. “One rule I like to give myself,” says Gomes, “is if I gave… all my file folders to a friend I met a week ago… will they be able to navigate my files?”

You don’t need to set this up ahead of time. Whenever you have a document that belongs in a certain category, you can create that folder on the fly and drop it in. The first step has been done for you: the “Documents” folder.

“Documents” should be at the top of your hierarchy. It is the file cabinet. You’ve already got a stack of files in there and you don’t know why. Go in. Look around. Determine what files you need and why.

Make a “Work” folder inside “Documents”. Start dragging work files into it. Make a “Money” folder. Drop your old tax returns there. Do this for everything in there.

Think about the “Downloads” folder, that jumble of files that no one knows where it came from. There are seventeen copies of the same file in there and no one knows what these .zip files are. But don’t organize your “Downloads”. Clean it out. According to Gomes, once or twice a year should be enough. Most of what is in there is trash. Even the photos and videos in there have already been viewed. Want to save those? Drag them to your Documents folder. “And for the love of God,” adds Gomes, “don’t re-download [the same file] a thousand times.”

You can’t enjoy that wallpaper of your kids because your desktop is covered with files. This is like storing clothes on your bed. It makes things harder to find. You need to put them away. Use your desktop as a temporary staging area for your outfits. There’s nothing wrong with having a few projects on your desktop, especially if you are busy. But, (to extend the metaphor) if you aren’t wearing it today, put it away. Gomes said on number of files on his desktop, “I would say there’s probably 30… but I recommend zero.” If you must keep files on your desktop, put them into folders.

Selig Broitman, Adjunct Faculty at Bunker Hill, keeps all his files on his desktop. “I’m talking about thousands,” he says, “but inside folders.” It’s not ideal, but you can create folders on your desktop. Right click on your kids’ photo and select “New Folder.”

File names like “TaxReturn2017.pdf” or “fall2016BIO-101syllabus.docx” might be useful if all your files are jumbled on your desktop. However, finding the right one requires reading the name of every single document until you find it. A folder system mitigates this. Open “Documents”, go to “Work > 2016 > Fall > BIO-101” and then grab “syllabus.docx”. Your files do not need complicated names. The folder they live in identifies them.

A few basic OS functions: Stop using “Save as.” This creates more junk. Just click “Save” each time you change something. The “Restore” button is between “Minimize” and “Maximize.” If you want to attach a file from your desktop to an email, click the “Restore” button to reveal your desktop. Drag the file into your message. Use that second mouse button. Right-click to open a contextual menu that allows you to make new folders, delete and rename files, or copy/paste.

You don’t want your important files mixed up with your trash. Your computer has a recycle bin. Use it. Your deleted files live a life after death there. Until you deliberately empty it, you can go back and rescue them.

Working from home is not for everyone. The less tech-savvy might prefer to go back to handing people things ASAP. Younger professionals are hesitant to return to the office post-pandemic. It might be because they are more comfortable with functions like finding and sharing files. Whatever the case, you sure can’t beat the commute.