With dozens of emails a day, countless videos and about a million photos from trips all around the world, my computer can get messy very quickly. While I already spilled my secrets to keep your inbox under control, I thought that it was time to share my best tips to easily organize your computer and make the most of it!
Clean up
The very first step to a quicker and better computer is to clean up your photos, videos and music. Go through all your folders and get rid of any duplicates, blurry shots or songs that you already have on your favorite Spotify playlists. Go a bit further if you want to and add labels to your photos to quickly find what you are looking for.
Look for hidden files
My techy husband (!!) is a lifesaver when it comes to computers and such. He actually does repair and updates on his free time so he really knows his stuff! One of the best tip he gave me was to look out for hidden files. I used to often end up with a very slow iMac and I couldn’t figure out why. Turns out that I needed to empty my trash within some programs (iPhoto for example) and look out for unnecessary backups from video editing softwares. Of course, don’t forget to regularly empty your bin to keep your computer running like a champ!
Update
Your computer and your programs need to be updated every once in awhile to be working in the most efficient way possible. Have a look on the app store and launch your programs to see if there’s any update available. This will ensure that you’re always up to date with the latest version and encounter less bugs.
Use an external hard drive
If you’re a blogger, having an external hard drive is almost compulsory. I shoot dozens of photos per day and, when stored together with all my video footage, it real adds up! I currently have two external hard drives plugged in my computer at all times. The first one contains all my blog photos & videos while the other contains more personal photos and documents. Even if you’re not a blogger, do regular back ups to make sure that all your beloved memories are always safe and sound.
Organize into folders
Our computers have become extensions of our brains so it’s pretty important to implement an organisation system that works for you. I personally divide my files into two big categories: personal & professional. I then use folders to further classify everything. For example, in my personal folder, I keep folders for home documents such as bills, a health folder, a travel folder, and so on… Don’t be afraid to try out new systems until you find one that works for you.
Keep a clean desktop
For years, I used to have a very cluttered desktop filled with documents that needed attention, cute photos of baby animals and photos that I needed to put up on the blog. Needless to say that it wasn’t working for me at all. Since then, I’ve made a rule for myself to always clean up my desktop at the end of the day. I delete what I don’t need anymore, put photos and documents into designated folders and keep the one or two things that still need my attention right in the center.
Do you have any tips to keep your computer in tip top shape? I would love to know!
Great tips!