Before you can jump into long-term digital housekeeping, you need to get rid of a lot of these files and applications you are not using any longer.
Format and Rebuild
The first way to do this is to copy the files you want to keep on an external drive or cloud service, completely clear your hard drive, and reinstall your operating system. It’s simple and straight-forward, and it’s the method that I usually employ when making major changes to my files.
Delete the Spare
Automated Cleaning
Once you are done cleaning up the files you can see, it’s time to get to the ones you didn’t even know were there. Your computer is filled with system log files, browser caches, and all kinds of other temporary files, most of which you have never seen before. Most of them are also completely unnecessary.
Reorganization
After the cleanup is finished, it is time to reorganize your files.
Conceptually separate your folders into two categories: Working and Storage.
I currently have only two folders in the Working category: Downloads and Desktop. I recommend that you keep this number to a minimum as well. Having nothing there except the immediately actionable tasks current means never losing a working file from my sight, and thus less time lost searching or trying to remember what I should be working on.
As soon as you’re done with a file you kept in your Working directories, feel free to move it to its appropriate spot in Storage, or delete it. The folders in the Storage category should resemble a well-balanced tree, with descriptive and distinct titles for both folders and files.
The rule should be that any file which goes into your Storage folders should be renamed to fit your naming style.