Organizing Your Computer

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When was the last time you replaced your computer? When you switch computers, whether it was by force or by choice, you usually find yourself wishing you were more organized. I knew a new computer was on the horizon eventually, so I had to make a list of the programs that I use regularly that do not come as standard issue on most computers. It helped that I could look up my registration key or license code on the old computer while I was setting up the new one. Sometimes it is a matter of remembering your username and password to log into a website and download the software.

I was more than willing to make the switch and endure the trials and troubles that might come while setting up the new computer because none of our computers was less than six years old, so it was past time to update. One of the first things we did was setup Dropbox and One Drive. This gave me access to backups of my files once I got the programs installed. Downloading all the software took some time. I want to be very organized with the new computer because I know that history dictates that the new computer and I will have the next five to seven years minimum to become good friends. So I am trying to set up folders and files in a logical way. I realize it would be easier to just copy the old computer hard completely, or at least all the non-system files, but I know this is also a perfect time to make sure everything is backed up to our external hard drive and only add the files I will actually use on the new computer. There is no point in moving digital clutter with me to the new device.

Are your digital photos saved in a safe place? Are they organized by date? Subject matter? Person? Place? Event? It doesn’t really matter how you sort them, or even if you name all the files. What is important is that you DO sort them by some method that makes sense to YOU. It doesn’t have to happen all at once. This is a project you can work on over time when you have a few minutes. Backup all the ones you have stored on all your devices into an external device or location on the cloud. Start with a clean slate on your new device. When you download new photos on the new device, sort just that batch into some semblance of order. If nothing else, create a folder called “Photo Backup July 2019” then when you have some extra time, go into that folder and rename the files to something that tells you what you will find when you open the file. Maybe these folders will be the start of your whole photo storage system. If you don’t think the system you set up to begin with is working for you, you just change it the next time you add photos to the computer. Any system, as long as it isn’t dump them all in a big folder together with generic names, will be better than nothing.

Have you ever organized your email into folders? I have a folder called Receipts Emailed and another calls Memberships. Guess what goes into those folders? You can have three guesses and the first two don’t count. Sometimes I create a folder for a new group I am joining so I have a place to put the few emails I think I must keep for that particular group. I have a folder called Cooking where any email with a recipe, cooking idea, or tip goes. Speaking of recipes, I have a folder on every computer I use called Recipes. Inside that folder are loads of other folders with names like Chicken, Pork, Beef, Sweets, Vegetables, etc. If I save a new recipe, I decide right then and there which folder it goes in and save it there. On rare occasions, I save a second copy in another folder because I couldn’t decide which category the recipe fit into. It could be a chicken recipe that cooks in the crockpot, so it goes in both the chicken and the crockpot folder. I am willing to use a little extra storage space to make it easier to find by putting it in both folders when appropriate.

How do you organize your digital files? I am always willing to entertain new ideas, so please share in the comments below. Are you willing to organize your digital files and photos?

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up!
The prompt this week is: Willing
The assignment: Write for five minutes on the word of the week. This is meant to be a free write, which means: no editing, no over-thinking, no worrying about perfect grammar or punctuation. Just write.

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