Is your desktop unorganized and cluttered? Is it difficult for you to find the right documents in the mess of files fighting for space on your desktop? A messy home screen can hinder your productivity and slow you down. If this sounds like you, you’re in luck. We have put together a list of great tips that will help clear up that mess on your desktop.
Remove Unused Icons
The first thing you have to do is sort which folders are necessary and which folders need to go. If there are folders on your screen that haven’t been used in a while or are not used frequently, consider removing these from your home screen.
An easy hack to figure out which folders were used most recently is to first right-click an empty area on your desktop. Then select view, and click auto arrange icons. This will sort all your folders, files, and apps into a grid format, making it easier to view. Next, you will want to right click an empty space again and go to Sort by > Date modified. This will sort everything with the most recent activity at the top, and ones that haven’t been touched in a while at the bottom.
Create Shortcut Folders
Often times, a screen becomes cluttered when someone uses their desktop to store downloads, images, attachments, and other unnecessary items, which can make finding the correct folder very difficult. To get better organized, consider creating a folder dedicated to unnecessary files and folders. In this folder, create subcategories such as downloads, documents, photos, videos or anything that isn’t essential that is taking up your desktop space. To create a new folder, simply right click on empty space and click New > Folder. Add all the nonessential files and folders here to organize some of the junk taking up your screen.
This folder should be dedicated to storing short term items that you don’t plan on keeping for long. Store all your junk downloads, email attachments, and photos here. Then, when you are done using them, simply delete them from the folder to stay organized. You can also create a shortcuts folder for frequently used items. Doing this will allow you to quickly pull up the program you’re searching for while avoiding the clutter.
Be ruthless in decluttering
Now it’s time to go to work on decluttering the rest of the junk. Start by removing anything that hasn’t been used in the past two months or so, and seriously consider deleting them for good. Delete programs that you no longer use, remove images you don’t need, and move unnecessary files to a designated file that won’t take up space.
After you’ve gone through and decluttered the mess, check to see where your browser is storing your downloaded files. There’s a possibility that your browser downloads files to your desktop by default and you can change this by going to settings then changing the location to your downloads folder.
Be Consistent With the Plan
After you’ve decluttered your desktop, make sure you stick to the rules you’ve put in place. Now is the time to be consistent with moving files to their designated folders and deleting items you no longer need. Sometimes this can be easier said than done, but if you can stick to these rules, your desktop will thank you for it.
Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps
A great alternative to storing everything on the desktop is pinning apps to the Start Menu or the taskbar. This provides a great shortcut option that will reduce the clutter on you desktop. To pin apps, open the apps list via the Windows Start menu and right-click on the app you want to pin. Then, simply select Pin to Start or Pin to taskbar.
Strategically position your wallpaper
An innovative way to minimize clutter and organize your desktop is to use a custom wallpaper. The goal here is to make the custom image the center of your screen, and structure your folders and apps around the image. This will help you to reduce the amount of icons on your screen and will help you to position them with more structure.
If your needs extend past desktop organization, reach out to RJ2 Technologies. Your one stop shop for all your business’s IT services.
