Organizing Computer Files: Setting Up a System That Works

Once you have gotten rid of all the garbage and unnecessary files on your computer, you are now ready to actually start organizing them into a system that works for you. Not everyone is going to have the same system, but there are some basic principles that should be followed when organizing computer files.

Make the necessary folders for your documents, pictures, and other files. Making folders on your computer makes it a lot easier to quickly find what you are needing on your computer. If you want to check what your earnings looked like last quarter for your home business, you would go to folder named “ Earnings.” When naming your folders, be sure to keep them simple and not complicated as they should be short and concise titles.

When placing your documents and files into your folders, be sure that the names of them specific and you can tell what they are from the name. Don’t have files named 123temp.doc even though that may be the file name when you downloaded the file. Instead rename files so that at a quick glance you can tell what they are. If you have a spreadsheet for a client’s invoices, a good title would be “Client’s Name Invoices Year.” This specifically tells you what the file is but yet it is short and to the point.

Once you have organized your computer files, be sure to keep up with the organization. This means if you make or download any new files, be sure that it is saved in the appropriate place. If you don’t have an appropriate folder set up yet, be sure to set one up for it. This will save you a lot of stress and time when it comes time to find any files or documents on your computer.