Is Your Computer As Tidy As Your Office? Our Top Ten Tips for Digital Tidiness!

Today we’ll address our top ten tips for keeping your work or personal computer spotless so you can finally find your files, easily back them up and help keep your computer running fast and efficiently!

Our Top Ten Tips:

1. Adopt a One-Folder System – If you take nothing else from this post, let it be this. By branching out your filing system from one master folder, you implicitly create a system that is logical and make backing up as simple as a single drag and drop.
2. Use Clear Subfolders – Break that master folder into logical categories so you never lose track of what’s where. Start with top level categories like ‘Projects’ and branch out from there: ‘Work’, ‘Tax’, ‘Photos’ and then get more granular from there.
3. Name Files Properly – Always use clear, descriptive names for your files and include dates or version conventions to avoid any confusion. A good convention to get you started is: ‘File Name – Kind of File – Date – Version Number’. For instance: ‘My New Book – Draft – 02-06-25 – V3.docx’
4. Declutter Your Desktop – Your desktop is not a digital laundry basket! Keeping it as clean as possible will not only help you stay productive, it will even help your computer run more smoothly as it won’t have to render all those random files at startup.
5. Use External Drives for Large and Unused Files – Keep external drives for archives and big old files you don’t need daily.
6. Set Backup / Tidying Schedules – While we’re on the topic of backups, make sure you do this regularly. We would recommend spending 5-10 minutes per week backing up your ‘One Folder’ to at least two external drives (this can be done by simply merging the newer files, rather than copying the whole folder each time) and then cleaning up any large unused files from your computer’s ‘One Folder’. But remember to ensure you keep a physical backup at a different location from your home in case of theft or a natural disaster.
7. Regularly Clean Downloads – Don’t let your Downloads folder become a junk drawer. Empty it every few days and file away what matters as you go. If you’ve got anxiety about deleting something you need, remember that you initially downloaded that file; chances are you can download it again if you need to.
8. Keep Software Separate To Your Files – This one is a bit more niche, but if it is possible with your hardware and setup, try installing all your software and applications on one internal drive while storing all your working files on another. This not only protects your data, but ensures the maximum storage space for your applications to run on the other drive. This works particularly well on large desktops where it is much easier to install extra SATA drives.
9. Monitor Your Storage Space – You wouldn’t fill your bedroom with furniture from floor to ceiling! The same applies to the disk space on your computer. Keep a keen eye on it and make sure you address any storage issues long before they become a problem. If you suddenly run out of space, it’ll significantly slow down your computer.
10. Utilise Colour Coding – If your operating system allows you to colour code your files and folders, use it! You’ll be amazed at how quickly your brain will create new associations, making it incredibly easy to navigate unwieldy computer directories in seconds.

Tidy Computer, Tidy Mind!

So there you have it! Digital tidiness really does save you time, money and sanity. If your hard drive is already messy, why not use a rainy day to clean it up and create a proper system? We promise it’ll be worth it regardless of how much screen time you use.

If you treat it like your home, cleaning regularly and filing things away as you go, it’ll look after you when you need it most.