Cleanup and Organize

The PC or even a laptop  is the centerpiece of office productivity. It is the heart and soul of the office, and when it is in cluttered disarray everything else suffers. It can help if you can locate a file that you need immediately, without having your computer lag or hang, or simply, open an e-mail attachment as fast because the customer, who is in front of you, is waiting for an important information.

We have collated here some of the basic facts in computer clean-up and organization, which we feel, should be part of a monthly maintenance routine for all computer users:

1. Uninstall.

Uninstall programs that you no longer need or use. They take up space on your hard drive, may be loading in memory and wasting system resources, and represent a possible security risk since you are unlikely to patch or update software you aren’t even using. Some software applications include an uninstall option in the Start Menu folder. The best place to start, though, is the Programs and Features option in the Windows Control Panel.

2. Delete.

Delete unused, old or duplicate, e-mails, e-mail addresses, bookmarks and favorites. The average  adult has more than 1,800 digital files, according to a survey. That number goes up dramatically, once you factor in all the duplicate, unused or old files that unnecessarily take up your hard drive’s space and make searching for the files you need more time-consuming, and grinding on your processor and hard drive. The Disk Cleanup utility in Windows is one good way to identify and remove unnecessary bits from your hard drive.

3. Clean.

Once you’ve uninstalled unused programs, make sure to clean out your registry as well. Invalid or out-of-date registry settings can slow down your computer’s boot time and cause weird hesitations and freezes during its operation. Messing with the Windows registry can have catastrophic consequences if done wrong and identifying and removing registry entries is is easier said than done. This is one area where using a third-party makes sense. We use CCleaner, which can be downloaded for free.

4. Organize. Organize your files. Once unneeded programs are uninstalled, unused or duplicate files deleted and registry cleaned out, make sure the rest of your files are well-organized. Use a logical file naming system and put files into folders that make sense and are easy to remember and access. You can group files chronologically, or by customer, or by project–it is up to you to determine a system that makes the most sense for you and keeping your digital office functional and tidy.

5. Personalize. Personalize your computer. More personalizing helps you remember things and be better organized. Moreover, with a computer that’s configured to suit your needs.  Explore things and do not hesitate to right click on different tools. The Control Panel is the best place to begin.

Follow these five tips to de-clutter and organize your PC. It can be tough, tedious work depending on the state of your PC, but the effort will be worth it when you are able to work more efficiently and more effectively.