3 Tips to Clean Up Your Computer Desktop

Okay, fess up. If I looked at your computer desktop right now, how many of you have a desktop littered with so many files that you can hardly see your background image? I see it all the time, and I also get it. It is much easier to save a file to the desktop, than saving it to its proper home.

I have always told my clients that your computer is an electronic filing cabinet. Just like your paper system, your computer also needs to have a filing system. How you set it up needs to make sense to you so you can find the file when you need it.

Below are three tips to organizing your computer desktop:

1. Create a file system that works for you. Under your “My Documents” folder, create folders that fit into your lifestyle. A simple lineup of folders includes Financial Documents, Photos, and Family Records. Within each folder, create subfolders with the given year, then within that, the given month. By doing this, it’s easier to hunt down your files in the future.

2. Rework Your Downloads Folder. Typically your Downloads folder can get cluttered quickly with downloads from the internet. Instead of directing downloads to your desktop, create a folder within your My Documents folder that houses these downloads. Also, when downloading and given the option of where to store the file, redirect the file so it goes to its proper home. It’s also a good idea to clear old downloads you don’t need every month so you don’t take up valuable memory on your computer.

3. Use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. Right click, or go to your computer settings, to cleanup your desktop files. It will take the files you haven’t used in a certain period of time, and move them to an archive folder. You can also right click and aesthetically organize the files on your desktop so they are lined up, and easier to view and manage.

The last thing you want to see when you turn on your computer is a screen plastered with icons. That can add to the stress you feel. Instead, download a beautiful desktop wallpaper and picture turning on your computer and seeing a photo of something that makes you calm and happy. That should be your goal.

Photo: Business Insider