Settings is where I store the configuration files and other program data files for my installed software
Tip #2. When You Decide on Your System, Stick to It!
Tip #3. Choose the Root Folder of Your Structure Carefully
Every data file (document, photo, music file, etc) that you create, own or is important to you, no matter where it came from, should be found within one single folder, and that one single folder should be located at the root of your C: drive (as a sub-folder of C:). In other words, do not base your folder structure in standard folders like “My Documents”. If you do, then you’re leaving it up to the operating system engineers to decide what folder structure is best for you. And every operating system has a different system! In Windows 7 your files are found in C:\Users\YourName, whilst on Windows XP it was C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\My Documents. In UNIX systems it’s often /home/YourName.
These standard default folders tend to fill up with junk files and folders that are not at all important to you. “My Documents” is the worst offender.
Every second piece of software you install, it seems, likes to create its own folder in the “My Documents” folder. These folders usually don’t fit within your organizational structure, so don’t use them! In fact, don’t even use the “My Documents” folder at all. Allow it to fill up with junk, and then simply ignore it. It sounds heretical, but: Don’t ever visit your “My Documents” folder! Remove your icons/links to “My Documents” and replace them with links to the folders you created and you care about!
If you only have one hard disk (C:), then create a dedicated folder that will contain all your files – something like C:\Files. The name of the folder is not important, but make it a single, brief word.
There are several reasons for this:
When creating a backup regime, it’s easy to decide what files should be backed up – they’re all in the one folder!
If you ever decide to trade in your computer for a new one, you know exactly which files to migrate
You will always know where to begin a search for any file
If you synchronize files with other computers, it makes your synchronization routines very simple. It also causes all your shortcuts to continue to work on the other machines (more about this in tip #24, below).
Once you’ve decided where your files should go, then put all your files in there – Everything! Completely disregard the standard, default folders that are created for you by the operating system (“My Music”, “My Pictures”, etc). In fact, you can actually relocate many of those folders into your own structure
The more completely you get all your data files (documents, photos, music, etc) and all your configuration settings into that one folder, then the easier it will be to perform all of the above tasks.
Once this has been done, and all your files live in one folder, all the other folders in C:\ can be thought of as “operating system” folders, and therefore of little day-to-day interest for us.
Tip #6. Move the Standard User Folders into Your Own Folder Structure
Even if you’re not using them, Windows will still often treat them as the default storage location for many types of files. When you go to save a standard file type, it can become annoying to be automatically prompted to save it in a folder that’s not part of your own file structure.
Tip #9. Use Shortcuts! Everywhere!
This is probably the single most useful and important tip we can offer. A shortcut allows a file to be in two places at once.
The “correct” place for a file, according to our organizational rationale, is very often a very inconvenient place for that file to be located. Just because it’s correctly filed doesn’t mean it’s easy to get to. Your file may be “correctly” buried six levels deep in your sub-folder structure, but you may need regular and speedy access to this file every day. You could always move it to a more convenient location, but that would mean that you would need to re-file back to its “correct” location it every time you’d finished working on it. Most unsatisfactory.
A file may simply “belong” in two or more different locations within your file structure. For example, say you’re an accountant and you have just completed the 2009 tax return for John Smith. It might make sense to you to call this file 2009 Tax Return.doc and file it under Clients\John Smith. But it may also be important to you to have the 2009 tax returns from all your clients together in the one place. So you might also want to call the file John Smith.doc and file it under Tax Returns\2009. The problem is, in a purely hierarchical filing system, you can’t put it in both places. Grrrrr!
So why are shortcuts so great? Because they allow us to easily overcome the main limitation of hierarchical file systems, and put a file in two (or more) places at the same time. You will always have files that don’t play nice with your organizational rationale, and can’t be filed in only one place. They demand to exist in two places. Shortcuts allow this! Furthermore, they allow you to collect your most often-opened files and folders together in one spot for convenient access. The cool part is that the original files stay where they are, safe forever in their perfectly organized location.
So your collection of most often-opened files can – and should – become a collection of shortcuts!
“Only ever have one copy of a file – never have two copies of the same file. Use a shortcut instead”
Tip #10. Separate Application Files from Data Files
Application files are the components of the software you’ve installed (e.g. Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop or Internet Explorer). Data files are the files that you’ve created for yourself using that software (e.g. Word Documents, digital photos, emails or playlists).
Tip #11. Organize Files Based on Purpose, Not on File Type
Tip #12. Maintain the Same Folder Structure on All Your Computers
Tip #13. Create an “Inbox” Folder
Tip #14. Ensure You have Only One “Inbox” Folder
Once you’ve created your “Inbox” folder, don’t use any other folder location as your “to-do list”. Throw every incoming or created file into the Inbox folder as you create/receive it. This keeps the rest of your computer pristine and free of randomly created or downloaded junk. The last thing you want to be doing is checking multiple folders to see all your current tasks and projects. Gather them all together into one folder.
Here are some tips to help ensure you only have one Inbox:
Set the default “save” location of all your programs to this folder.
Set the default “download” location for your browser to this folder.
If this folder is not your desktop (recommended) then also see if you can make a point of not putting “to-do” files on your desktop. This keeps your desktop uncluttered and Zen-like:
Tip #15. Be Vigilant about Clearing Your “Inbox” Folder
This is one of the keys to staying organized. If you let your “Inbox” overflow (i.e. allow there to be more than, say, 30 files or folders in there), then you’re probably going to start feeling like you’re overwhelmed: You’re not keeping up with your to-do list. Once your Inbox gets beyond a certain point (around 30 files, studies have shown), then you’ll simply start to avoid it. You may continue to put files in there, but you’ll be scared to look at it, fearing the “out of control” feeling that all overworked, chaotic or just plain disorganized people regularly feel.
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Visit your Inbox/to-do folder regularly (at least five times per day).
Scan the folder regularly for files that you have completed working on and are ready for filing. File them immediately.
Make it a source of pride to keep the number of files in this folder as small as possible. If you value peace of mind, then make the emptiness of this folder one of your highest (computer) priorities
If you know that a particular file has been in the folder for more than, say, six weeks, then admit that you’re not actually going to get around to processing it, and move it to its final resting place.
File Everything Immediately, and Use Shortcuts for Your Active Projects
Use Directory Symbolic Links (or Junctions) to Maintain One Unified Folder Structure
Did you know that it’s actually possible to store your files on the D: drive and yet access them as if they were on the C: drive? And no, we’re not talking about shortcuts here (although the concept is very similar).
By using the shell command mklink, you can essentially take a folder that lives on one drive and create an alias for it on a different drive (you can do lots more than that with mklink – for a full rundown on this programs capabilities, see our dedicated article). These aliases are called directory symbolic links (and used to be known as junctions). You can think of them as “virtual” folders. They function exactly like regular folders, except they’re physically located somewhere else.
mklink /d c:\files d:
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Needless to say, you must run these commands from a command prompt – click the Start button, type cmd and press Enter
Customize Your Folder Icons
Tidy Your Start Menu
In this structure, Utilities means software whose job it is to keep the computer itself running smoothly (configuration tools, backup software, Zip programs, etc). Applications refers to any productivity software that doesn’t fit under the headings Multimedia, Graphics, Internet, etc.
With the Windows Start Menu (all version of Windows), Microsoft has decided that there be two parallel folder structures to store your Start Menu shortcuts. One for you (the logged-in user of the computer) and one for all users of the computer. Having two parallel structures can often be redundant: If you are the only user of the computer, then having two parallel structures is totally redundant. Even if you have several users that regularly log into the computer, most of your installed software will need to be made available to all users, and should thus be moved out of the “just you” version of the Start Menu and into the “all users” area.
To take control of your Start Menu, so you can start organizing it, you’ll need to know how to access the actual folders and shortcut files that make up the Start Menu (both versions of it). To find these folders and files, click the Start button and then right-click on the All Programs text (Windows XP users should right-click on the Start button itself):
The Open option refers to the “just you” version of the Start Menu, while the Open All Users option refers to the “all users” version. Click on the one you want to organize.
A Windows Explorer window then opens with your chosen version of the Start Menu selected. From there it’s easy. Double-click on the Programs folder and you’ll see all your folders and shortcuts. Now you can delete/rename/move until it’s just the way you want it.
Note: When you’re reorganizing your Start Menu, you may want to have two Explorer windows open at the same time – one showing the “just you” version and one showing the “all users” version. You can drag-and-drop between the windows.
Keep Your Start Menu Tidy
Once you have a perfectly organized Start Menu, try to be a little vigilant about keeping it that way. Every time you install a new piece of software, the icons that get created will almost certainly violate your organizational structure.
So to keep your Start Menu pristine and organized, make sure you do the following whenever you install a new piece of software:
Check whether the software was installed into the “just you” area of the Start Menu, or the “all users” area, and then move it to the correct area.
Remove all the unnecessary icons (like the “Read me” icon, the “Help” icon (you can always open the help from within the software itself when it’s running), the “Uninstall” icon, the link(s)to the manufacturer’s website, etc)
Rename the main icon(s) of the software to something brief that makes sense to you. For example, you might like to rename Microsoft Office Word 2010 to simply Word
Move the icon(s) into the correct folder based on your Start Menu organizational structure
And don’t forget: when you uninstall a piece of software, the software’s uninstall routine is no longer going to be able to remove the software’s icon from the Start Menu (because you moved and/or renamed it), so you’ll need to remove that icon manually.
Tidy C:
The root of your C: drive (C:) is a common dumping ground for files and folders – both by the users of your computer and by the software that you install on your computer. It can become a mess.
There’s almost no software these days that requires itself to be installed in C:. 99% of the time it can and should be installed into C:\Program Files. And as for your own files, well, it’s clear that they can (and almost always should) be stored somewhere else.
Tidy Your Desktop
Move Permanent Items on Your Desktop Away from the Top-Left Corner
Synchronize
However, if the computers are not always on the same network, then you will at some point need to copy files between them. For files that need to permanently live on both computers, the ideal way to do this is to synchronize the files, as opposed to simply copying them.
If you maintain the same file and folder structure on both computers, then you can also sync files depend upon the correct location of other files, like shortcuts, playlists and office documents that link to other office documents, and the synchronized files still work on the other computer!
Hide Files You Never Need to See
Keep Every Setup File
Whenever you download a piece of software, keep it. You’ll never know when you need to reinstall the software.
Further, keep with it an Internet shortcut that links back to the website where you originally downloaded it, in case you ever need to check for updates.
Try to Minimize the Number of Folders that Contain Both Files and Sub-folders
Useful Folders to Create
For each one, it’s not so important where the actual folder is located, but it’s very important where you put the shortcut(s) to the folder. You might want to locate the shortcuts:
On your Desktop
In your “Quick Launch” area (or pinned to your Windows 7 Superbar)
In your Windows Explorer “Favorite Links” area
Create an “Inbox” (“To-Do”) Folder
Create a Folder where Your Current Projects are Collected
You can locate this folder in your “Inbox” folder, on your desktop, or anywhere at all – just so long as there’s a way of getting to it quickly, such as putting a link to it in Windows Explorer’s “Favorite Links” area:
Create a Folder for Files and Folders that You Regularly Open
You will always have a few files that you open regularly, whether it be a spreadsheet of your current accounts, or a favorite playlist. These are not necessarily “current projects”, rather they’re simply files that you always find yourself opening. Typically such files would be located on your desktop (or even better, shortcuts to those files). Why not collect all such shortcuts together and put them in their own special folder?
As with the “Current Projects” folder (above), you would want to locate that folder somewhere convenient. Below is an example of a folder called “Quick links”, with about seven files (shortcuts) in it, that is accessible through the Windows Quick Launch bar:
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Create a “Set-ups” Folder
A typical computer has dozens of applications installed on it. For each piece of software, there are often many different pieces of information you need to keep track of, including:
The original installation setup file(s). This can be anything from a simple 100Kb setup.exe file you downloaded from a website, all the way up to a 4Gig ISO file that you copied from a DVD-ROM that you purchased.
The home page of the software manufacturer (in case you need to look up something on their support pages, their forum or their online help)
The page containing the download link for your actual file (in case you need to re-download it, or download an upgraded version)
The serial number
Your proof-of-purchase documentation
Any other template files, plug-ins, themes, etc that also need to get installed
For each piece of software, it’s a great idea to gather all of these files together and put them in a single folder. The folder can be the name of the software (plus possibly a very brief description of what it’s for – in case you can’t remember what the software does based in its name). Then you would gather all of these folders together into one place, and call it something like “Software” or “Setups”.
Have a “Settings” Folder
These files certainly contain important information that we need, but are often created internally by an application, and saved wherever that application feels is appropriate.
A good example of this is the “PST” file that Outlook creates for us and uses to store all our emails, contacts, appointments and so forth. Another example would be the collection of Bookmarks that Firefox stores on your behalf.
And yet another example would be the customized settings and configuration files of our all our software. Granted, most Windows programs store their configuration in the Registry, but there are still many programs that use configuration files to store their settings.
It can be a very useful idea to create yourself a folder to store all your “settings” – files that are important to you but which you never actually search for by name and double-click on to open them. Otherwise, next time you go to set up a new computer just the way you want it, you’ll need to spend hours recreating the configuration of your previous computer!
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So how to we get our important files into this folder? Well, we have a few options:
Some programs (such as Outlook and its PST files) allow you to place these files wherever you want. If you delve into the program’s options, you will find a setting somewhere that controls the location of the important settings files (or “personal storage” – PST – when it comes to Outlook)
Some programs do not allow you to change such locations in any easy way, but if you get into the Registry, you can sometimes find a registry key that refers to the location of the file(s). Simply move the file into your Settings folder and adjust the registry key to refer to the new location.
Some programs stubbornly refuse to allow their settings files to be placed anywhere other then where they stipulate. When faced with programs like these, you have three choices: (1) You can ignore those files, (2) You can copy the files into your Settings folder (let’s face it – settings don’t change very often), or (3) you can use synchronization software, such as the Windows Briefcase, to make synchronized copies of all your files in your Settings folder. All you then have to do is to remember to run your sync software periodically (perhaps just before you run your backup software!).
There are some other things you may decide to locate inside this new “Settings” folder:
Exports of registry keys (from the many applications that store their configurations in the Registry). This is useful for backup purposes or for migrating to a new computer
Notes you’ve made about all the specific customizations you have made to a particular piece of software (so that you’ll know how to do it all again on your next computer)
Shortcuts to webpages that detail how to tweak certain aspects of your operating system or applications so they are just the way you like them (such as how to remove the words “Shortcut to” from the beginning of newly created shortcuts). In other words, you’d want to create shortcuts to half the pages on the How-To Geek website!
Windows Features that Help with Organization
Use the “Favorite Links” Area to Access Oft-Used Folders
Some ideas for folders you might want to add there include:
Your “Inbox” folder (or whatever you’ve called it) – most important!
The base of your filing structure (e.g. C:\Files)
A folder containing shortcuts to often-accessed folders on other computers around the network (shown above as Network Folders)
A folder containing shortcuts to your current projects (unless that folder is in your “Inbox” folder)
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Customize the Places Bar in the File/Open and File/Save Boxes
The easiest way to customize these icons is to use the Group Policy Editor, but not everyone has access to this program. If you do, open it up and navigate to:
User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Explorer > Common Open File Dialog
If you don’t have access to the Group Policy Editor, then you’ll need to get into the Registry. Navigate to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies \ comdlg32 \ Placesbar
Use the Quick Launch Bar as a Application and File Launcher
That Quick Launch bar (to the right of the Start button) is a lot more useful than people give it credit for. Most people simply have half a dozen icons in it, and use it to start just those programs. But it can actually be used to instantly access just about anything in your filing system:
Put a Shortcut to Windows Explorer into Your Quick Launch Bar
To get it there, locate it in your Start Menu (usually under “Accessories”) and then right-drag it down into your Quick Launch bar (and create a copy).
Customize the Starting Folder for Your Windows 7 Explorer Superbar Icon
Then, in Target field of the Windows Explorer Properties box that appears, type %windir%\explorer.exe followed by the path of the folder you wish to start in. For example:
%windir%\explorer.exe C:\Files
If that folder happened to be on the Desktop (and called, say, “Inbox”), then you would use the following cleverness:
%windir%\explorer.exe shell:desktop\Inbox