When It ComesTo Computer Files…

Jul 2, 2011 by Holly Ralston-Oyler

If you Google for “How to organize a computer” you will come up the article “How to organize your computer to find information faster,” giving you these tasks for better organization: clean our the old files, empty old email folders, delete unused downloads, eliminate duplicate files and, so the list goes on and on. All great information – IF, and that is a huge if, you  know what the files are. Jump right in like I did and start eliminating files you are not familiar with and you are in a world of hurt.

According to Computer Chaos Control author John Cini,  “the second article Google lists is on the popular software review/download site, Tucows.com, titled “How to Organize Your Computer:  Look at ways you can get your computer organized,” by Michael E. Callahan, known around the world by the trademarked name Dr. File Finder. His advice is much more helpful and on target:

“Early on in my use of computers I realized it was important to know where you had things. If you can’t find a thing than it’s basically like you don’t have it at all, right? Now, keep in mind that the advice I’m going to give is strictly my opinion. I don’t know if anyone has written a definitive guide to organizing your computer, but I’m sure if they did that was their opinion too.”

Mr. Callahan then proceeds to layout a brief action plan for Documents, Downloads, and Program Organization, which touches on some of the initial parts of the system explained in “Computer Chaos Control.”  For “Documents,” he tells you to create the following folders (and USE them!):

• Mom
• Dad
• Sister
• Brother
• Family
• Taxes
• Scouts
• And so on

Under “Downloads,” he says, “If you always save downloads to the same place you can’t lose one. You’ll always know where the files you’ve downloaded have gone.”  That’s a very good start to a useful folder system.   Then for “Program Organization,” Dr. File Finder tells us this critical policy:

“… every computer I own has a similar directory (folder) structure.   Why?  Well, primarily because it makes everyone feel comfortable no matter what computer they’re on.  That’s one of the big reasons behind the success of the fast food giants like McDonald’s and Burger King and Taco Bell — familiarity.  You can go into a McDonalds in New York or one in Los Angeles and they’re pretty much the same.  Makes you feel at home and comfortable.  It all seems very familiar.  Why shouldn’t your computer be the same way?“

Then he maps out another folder directory, revealing that “All of my data and most of my programs are on Drive D and the directory structure of every Drive D on every computer is the same.  Each folder is for specific types of programs.  So, a list of the folders looks like this:”

• Comm
• Data
• Editorial
• Email
• Internet
• Tools
• Utilities

Callahan concludes, “Having this uniformity on multiple computers also makes it easier to synchronize files between computers. … Every ‘My Documents’ folder has the same sub-folders.  And they are synchronized at regular intervals.  So, if my entire computer were to crash and even my backups were destroyed virtually every file could be found on another computer on my network. Redundancy! It’s as good as a backup.”

“Think of your computer like you would your house.  If you just dropped things wherever you happened to be in your house, soon you wouldn’t be able to find anything.  Garbage, papers, clothes, toys, cans, bottles, milk jugs — yeah, it would be a mess.  Instead, most people have a special place for trash, a hamper for clothes, a recycling bin for bottles and cans.  There’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place. … Your computer should be no different.“

Do You Want Your Computer To Run Faster Or Find Files?

The other subject that keeps coming up in your searches for computer files and how to organize them is “making your computer run faster”. Mine runs fast enough, thank you very much. It is always a mile in front of me and I doubt I will ever be its equal.  So basically, I am still looking for the “how to organize my computer files” information. Seriously, ALL I want to do is be able to find something, just one thing at this point, on my computer with breaking into tears of frustration.

I am my own worse nightmare when it comes to computer files and I know that. I have never been able to categorize in a simple way. I get the basics, but then my brain takes off in a million different sub-category directions and the files follow. Nothing logical about that. So, if I am trying to remember a file name I assigned a file this time last year, I’ve already loss the battle. Our brains and the computer brain think logically.

You will find the filing system developed by Mr. Cini to be a simple  one to learn, easy to set up (yes-it will take some time, but not a lot) and best of all, one that works.

For additional information read the book review and be sure to sign up for your FREE chapter of Computer Chaos Control of organizing your photos, videos, audios and program downloads.