Is your computer a neat place where you can find exactly what you need when you need it? Or, is it a messy jumble of documents, photos, videos, and applications? It’s easy to neglect our trusty computers — after all, unwanted, unneeded, and disorganized files don’t take up physical space in your home or office. But without some method of sorting, purging, and logical organization and storage, it’s hard to find what you need. And why keep things that you’ll never use again?
January is Clean Up Your Computer Month, and it’s a great time to get your files in order! This graphic shares a handy three-week plan to get your computer files streamlined and organized. Give it a try! (Just click the graphic to see a larger version.)
Week one focuses on sorting and placing files into folders. Week two helps you prioritize what’s important by deleting files you won’t need again, and placing seldom-used files in an archive area. Week three instructs you to find appropriate storage options for your archived items. Yes, you need to back up your computer files. The sooner the better! You could do this by copying your files onto a flash/jump drive or external hard drive, but what happens if there is a fire in your home or office and it’s destroyed? What if it’s stolen, lost, or simply malfunctions?
To avoid this catastrophe, I recommend you also find a cloud storage service to backup all the “keepers” on your computer. This way, neither theft, fire, or breakage will keep you from accessing your valuable files. There are many other cloud storage services available, including DropBox, Google Cloud, and SingleHop (which provided this neat graphic.) Some are truly “backup” services that you set and forget. Others are simply “in the cloud” storage locations, which means you’ll have to remember to upload your files regularly to keep you safe.
No matter what storage option you choose, don’t delay. Make a plan (try the three-week plan above!) and stick to it.