in Technology and Computers

How to Streamline Your Computer Desktop

In no time at all my computer desktop, even though I have a big screen, gets cluttered and disorganized with files, shortcuts, and things I have pinned. It bothers me. I haven’t found a really great way to fix it and tidy it up. Keeping everything really isn’t a long term solution, but it works short term.

It is easy to make folders you can keep on your desktop for moving files into. Label them with whatever works for you: House, Bills, Family Photos, Work, etc.

You create a new folder by right clicking your mouse. Then find "new" and click on "folder". Very easy. I doubt it is any more complicated with other operating systems, like a Mac.

Once you have folders you use your mouse to drag and drop files into the folders. Put your mouse on the file/image/shortcut, hold it down rather than clicking to open the file. If it opens just close it again and try again. Once you have a hold on it, move it to the folder you want it in and let it go. It does need to be fairly centred on the folder or it will just move to beside the folder. The folder will have a halo/ highlight when the file is in range to drop. So it isn’t tricky, once you get used to it.

You can make folders inside of folders. Same process to create a new folder. So you can sort everything into smaller topics/categories inside each main folder.

Important to note – Having all these things on your main desktop will slow things down. Unless it is something you use everyday, or often, move all these folders off the main desktop and into Documents or Pictures which already exist in Windows. You can use the File Explorer or just drag and drop your files and folders into the existing Documents or Pictures folders. using File Explorer you can create new folders also.

You can have all your files and folders just as you want to use them, without taking up space or bandwidth on your computer desktop.

Eventually you should clean up all the files and folders. There will be things you no longer need, those are easiest to choose to delete.

Delete any file by right clicking and choosing "delete". You may have a long list of options but delete will be there.

Once your desktop is cleaned up think about adding a new wallpaper. There are an endless supply and variety of them online.