Best practices for organizing folders & files and saving data in Windows_Part 1 of 2
Note: this is a bit lengthy so I've broken it into two questions. This is part 1 of 2.
Hello,
I would love to get some advice on how to most efficiently organize files & folders in Windows 7. There are obviously an unlimited number of ways to approach this but hopefully some suggestions can be posted by a few people who are happy with their current system — because I definitely am not.
For your information, I recently reformatted Drive C because I was getting multiple conflicts and the very small amount of remaining free space was in-the-red. (Much of the bloat was expired trial software and who-knows-what-else that had sneaked in the back door during downloads.) In the process, I also upgraded from MS Office 2010 to 2013. As a result, I feel sort of like it's a fresh start and I need to set some New Year's-type resolutions on how to better utilize my system.
In case it is helpful or relevant:
• Drive C in my computer, is a 125 GB solid-state drive which I try to reserve for software applications only.
• Drive E is a 500 GB internal drive intended to be the primary location for current data.
• Drives F & G are internal drives and H is external.
• These last three drives contain a wide variety of backup and old data, much of which is disorganized and redundant.
(I feel a bit like I am sitting in a confessional airing [or "erring"] out my dirty laundry — but I doubt I will run into any of you at the grocery store so I suppose it's OK.) :P
Also:
• I have always used Windows Explorer for organizing and accessing applications, folders & files.
• I have never and, for a number of reasons, do not now want to use my desktop for that purpose.
• I have never really used Favorites, Libraries or Homegroup and there is generally no one else on the Network. In fact, I've commonly found myself wishing there was a way to hide these trees because it always takes 3-4 extra clicks:
Data (E:) > Libraries > My documents > etc.
to get where I'm going anyway — but that may be because I don't understand their benefit.
Perhaps the two things I'm looking for most are:
1) how to best organize folders & sub-folders and how/where to save files so that they are readily retrievable and don't fall through the cracks. I've tried a few different things over time but as I mentioned above, I'd love to hear some other ideas.
2) please see Part 2 of 2
Thanks
Hello,
I would love to get some advice on how to most efficiently organize files & folders in Windows 7. There are obviously an unlimited number of ways to approach this but hopefully some suggestions can be posted by a few people who are happy with their current system — because I definitely am not.
For your information, I recently reformatted Drive C because I was getting multiple conflicts and the very small amount of remaining free space was in-the-red. (Much of the bloat was expired trial software and who-knows-what-else that had sneaked in the back door during downloads.) In the process, I also upgraded from MS Office 2010 to 2013. As a result, I feel sort of like it's a fresh start and I need to set some New Year's-type resolutions on how to better utilize my system.
In case it is helpful or relevant:• Drive C in my computer, is a 125 GB solid-state drive which I try to reserve for software applications only.
• Drive E is a 500 GB internal drive intended to be the primary location for current data.
• Drives F & G are internal drives and H is external.
• These last three drives contain a wide variety of backup and old data, much of which is disorganized and redundant.
(I feel a bit like I am sitting in a confessional airing [or "erring"] out my dirty laundry — but I doubt I will run into any of you at the grocery store so I suppose it's OK.) :P
Also:
• I have always used Windows Explorer for organizing and accessing applications, folders & files.
• I have never and, for a number of reasons, do not now want to use my desktop for that purpose.
• I have never really used Favorites, Libraries or Homegroup and there is generally no one else on the Network. In fact, I've commonly found myself wishing there was a way to hide these trees because it always takes 3-4 extra clicks:
Data (E:) > Libraries > My documents > etc.
to get where I'm going anyway — but that may be because I don't understand their benefit.
Perhaps the two things I'm looking for most are:1) how to best organize folders & sub-folders and how/where to save files so that they are readily retrievable and don't fall through the cracks. I've tried a few different things over time but as I mentioned above, I'd love to hear some other ideas.
2) please see Part 2 of 2
Thanks
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ASKER
Thanks for the insightful feedback.
@Steve_Brady - You are most welcome and I was happy to help.
.... Thinkpads_User
.... Thinkpads_User
You're welcome. As always, glad to help!
ASKER
I spent quite a bit of time online prior to this recent reformat trying to find software of various types. Some of that was investigating backup software because I've not ever found any that was completely satisfying. Consequently, I have on many occasions, just sorted everything by Date Modified and then dragged all folders and files modified within the last 3 (or some other number) months and dragged them to a different hard drive (usually just before going to bed with the hopes that the transfer might be complete by morning). Sometimes I would remember to include data files residing outside of my main data folders (eg Outlook .pst files, browser favorites, etc.) and sometimes I would not. I don't know when I thought I would get back to sort through it but at least I could go to sleep knowing that I had a backup copy of most important things somewhere.
I noticed a comment on a forum somewhere saying something to the effect: "Large capacity storage drives have become so inexpensive that it's easier to just purchase another few TB HD when your previous one is getting full." That rang completely true with me (as you can see from my "My Computer" screen.) It makes me wonder how many people (also) have a couple or three external drives sitting in a desk drawer somewhere waiting for who knows what.
I have run across some duplicate file identifier (and remover) applications being advertised from time to time. Do you have any experience with any of them or do you know much about that technology? I have not yet looked at any responses to Part 2 of this question but I wonder what it would do with my numerous (slightly different) filenames.
Oh, and I agree completely with your very first sentence since it is obviously not a question with a right or wrong answer. I'm really just curious to hear what a few experts have found works for them. :)
Thanks again.