Is Your Computer Desktop a Mess?!! [Quick Solution Inside]

by WillR
41 replies
Warriors,

If you're anything at all like me then your computer desktop constantly resembles a graveyard of old folders, files, notes, software programs, and desktop shortcuts.

Well, here's a very easy way to fix it.

1. Right click anywhere on your desktop and click on New > Folder.

2. Name the new folder 'Desktop 2' or whatever else you like and then press 'Enter'.

3. Drag all the files, folders, and shortcuts that are clogging up your desktop into this new folder you have just created. I tend to just leave behind the basic shortcuts to the programs I use at least once a week.

4. Now your Desktop is looking good, right? Whenever you need to access any of the clutter all you simply do is double click on the 'Desktop 2' folder and it will open up your second desktop.

A clean desktop is a productive desktop!

Enjoy!
#computer #desktop #inside #mess #quick #solution
  • Profile picture of the author Giftys
    Ha! I do that. I name the folder, "Need to Clean Out"

    Guess what? It never gets cleaned out.
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  • Profile picture of the author terryd
    But that means those icons that i never use that clog up my desktop are two clicks away instead of one!.............it's kind of like shoving things under the carpet isn't it?......I might just give it a try!
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    • Profile picture of the author Tina Golden
      I use Fences, too, and love it. I definitely keep too many things on my desktop but with my ADHD, out of sight really does turn into out of mind. With Fences, I have everything rounded up and grouped by categories such as Current Projects, Websites and House & Kids.

      Tina
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      • Profile picture of the author entry
        Cool tip Will.

        Just a question, what fond are them symbols on your sig?

        

        and how did you get them there?
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        I Have to say a Massive...THANK YOU to every Warrior who has helped me, and thanks to every warrior who helps me in the future...
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        • Profile picture of the author Kay King
          I love Fences - keeps the sites from the other marekting stuff and the writing work separate and the software shortcuts available.

          I just cleaned up my desktop two days ago - must be going around.

          I have quite a few folders in my "fences". One of my pet peeves online is it seems whenever sites say "we've improved" - it usually means you now have to click 2-3 times instead of once to get to the same place...so I keep clicks minimal on my own system by using the desktop.

          kay
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          So sit down, be quiet, and don't touch anything.
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  • Profile picture of the author kuma1234
    Originally Posted by Craig Desorcy View Post

    Good tips Will.

    I use
    Fences - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

    Then I have one folder on my desktop that says "Now" which stores
    everything I'm working on plus lists such as "Good Domain Ideas" etc.

    I have two monitors and both desktops are clean.

    Your environment is real important for productivity and clean focus.


    Craig
    Thanks for the tip on Fences.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marketing Cheetah
    Newsflash: Desktop is the only thing which will never get organized. You download everything to desktop, you save your temporary work to your desktop and so on. So the list fills up quickly. If you want some extra touch then go and download cubedesktop. You will be able to have 10 desktops and you can flip them with shortcut keys or single mouse click.

    Easy solution: Go to your desktop, press ctrl + A and shift + del. You will feel like you are in heaven.
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  • Profile picture of the author joetann
    Ha thats a cool tip. Mine is always clogged up with the likes of 'index.php' 'template.css' 'logo.jpg' etc etc lol. I clean it every couple of days
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  • Profile picture of the author Mohammad Afaq
    Originally Posted by Craig Desorcy View Post

    Good tips Will.

    I use
    Fences - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

    Then I have one folder on my desktop that says "Now" which stores
    everything I'm working on plus lists such as "Good Domain Ideas" etc.

    I have two monitors and both desktops are clean.

    Your environment is real important for productivity and clean focus.


    Craig
    Fences is crashing the Windows Explorer. Windows explorer crashes as soon as I open fences.

    Any ideas to why that might be happening?
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  • Profile picture of the author J Bold
    I've considered doing exactly this and just didn't do it yet, ha ha.

    I reorganize every month or so, on my desktop and then keep putting things in random places for days on end again, heh.

    Just do things that way, I guess.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Shook
      I call mine Saver.

      Then Saver 2.

      Saver 3

      And Saver ad infinitum.
      Signature


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  • Profile picture of the author Jake Gray
    I have my own system developed. What I do is when I create text documents, I drag them into a square and put them in the lower left corner. Any folders are on the top right corner. On my desktop, it may be a bit cluttered, but it's quite organized.
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    • Profile picture of the author Drake Kerrigan
      Originally Posted by Fraggler View Post

      Desktop > Right Click > View > (Uncheck) Show desktop icons.

      What mess?
      LOL Love it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Santos
      Originally Posted by Fraggler View Post

      Desktop > Right Click > View > (Uncheck) Show desktop icons.

      What mess?
      lmao That's brilliant.

      I tend to wait until my desktop is completely filled before moving certain files and folders to a "Misc." folder. Then I let the files spread like cancer once again and consider moving them to the previously-created "Misc." folder, but I realize that there's too much crap in said folder and I don't want to mix anything up. So I create "Misc. 2" and allow this to continue.

      All these options to create new folders, compressed files, even 'briefcases' but no file cabinet!
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    HAHA this is so ironic this topic is posted at this time. I just helped some people using remote desktop.

    Before I could do anything I had to clean a desktop that looked like an utter WAR ZONE each time!

    PFD's
    exe's
    zips's
    images
    folders
    more PDF's

    Crazy PC World!
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  • Profile picture of the author nelsonbiglar
    Just delete everything and when you need the information back just go into the Recycle Bin, select all the files you want back and right click... RESTORE... back in business!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Haha some of you guys have some funny ways of taking care of things. Love it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Ray Erdmann
      Another vote for 'fences'...been using it ever since someone on here posted a link to it AGES AGO....cool thing about it as well is if I start doing any screen recording...one click of my mouse (setup as a 'double click' in my mouse options) hides all the icons on my desktop!
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  • Profile picture of the author Always-A-Warrior
    Originally Posted by WillR View Post

    Warriors,

    If you're anything at all like me then your computer desktop constantly resembles a graveyard of old folders, files, notes, software programs, and desktop shortcuts.

    Well, here's a very easy way to fix it.

    1. Right click anywhere on your desktop and click on New > Folder.

    2. Name the new folder 'Desktop 2' or whatever else you like and then press 'Enter'.

    3. Drag all the files, folders, and shortcuts that are clogging up your desktop into this new folder you have just created. I tend to just leave behind the basic shortcuts to the programs I use at least once a week.

    4. Now your Desktop is looking good, right? Whenever you need to access any of the clutter all you simply do is double click on the 'Desktop 2' folder and it will open up your second desktop.

    A clean desktop is a productive desktop!

    Enjoy!

    lol ... thats a good one. But what if by mistake I end up deleting Desktop2 file. Oh well we can figure that out when it happens. Time to clear the desk.
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    • Profile picture of the author WillR
      Originally Posted by Always-A-Warrior View Post

      lol ... thats a good one. But what if by mistake I end up deleting Desktop2 file. Oh well we can figure that out when it happens. Time to clear the desk.
      I should have put a disclaimer. If pain persists, please see your Doctor.

      Rule #2: Always back up everything on your PC!

      I just did a MASSIVE backup today and man it feels good!
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      • Profile picture of the author Always-A-Warrior
        Originally Posted by WillR View Post

        I should have put a disclaimer. If pain persists, please see your Doctor.
        That's a good one too, but what if the Doctor is sick himself. lol
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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    Haha, I've done this many times, as a "quick fix".

    Problem is, my desktop soon fills up again, and I ended up dragging the old desktop folder into a new one. So now I have a folder containing several other desktop folders, each containing other desktop folders.

    It's even more of a muddle than it was to begin with. Really should look at burning some stuff I rarely use to CD, and deleting it off here.

    In fact, I think I'll do it today.
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  • Profile picture of the author paulie888
    Originally Posted by Craig Desorcy View Post

    Good tips Will.

    I use
    Fences - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

    Then I have one folder on my desktop that says "Now" which stores
    everything I'm working on plus lists such as "Good Domain Ideas" etc.

    I have two monitors and both desktops are clean.

    Your environment is real important for productivity and clean focus.


    Craig
    Thanks for sharing this tip, Craig. Have never used Fences before, but I think it'd be really great for organizing shortcuts and folders by topic/area. This will save considerable time whenever you have to look for something, and it'll eliminate the clutter on the desktop which tends to make you lose focus!

    Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    I never put anything on my Desktop - there are only software icons on it. I rarely use even those: for the programs I use often I placed their icons down on the Taskbar. The advantage: they are always visible and need only one click to start from there

    Documents, PDFs, downloads, images etc - always go directly where they are supposed to be. I never ever saved anything to my Desktop. Am I doing something wrong?
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    • Profile picture of the author abhi1
      Originally Posted by Drew Castle View Post

      Haha, I do the same thing, except I call my folder "Stuff"
      haha and mine is called "Junkyard"
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  • Profile picture of the author Giftys
    I used to use "Now" to name them. But then I would have a "Now2" and "Now3". Then I started using "Today"... "Today2" etc. The other day I took everything off the desktop and in a hurry, titled it, "Clean this out Today" Ha!
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    • Profile picture of the author WillR
      Originally Posted by Giftys View Post

      I used to use "Now" to name them. But then I would have a "Now2" and "Now3". Then I started using "Today"... "Today2" etc. The other day I took everything off the desktop and in a hurry, titled it, "Clean this out Today" Ha!
      Another good tip, whenever you do a backup of your computer always make sure you do a quick screenshot of your desktop. This way if your computer ever gets lost, stolen, or the hard drive crashes, you will know exactly which programs you used to have on your computer/desktop.

      Trust me, it's not as easy as you think when you have to try and remember every little program you have been using.
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      • Profile picture of the author noangel
        I have main folders like MARKETING and inside it I have sub-folders
        like Amazon, SEO, Facebook, Offline, etc.

        I also have a folder called PROGRAMS and put all the programs I use
        in there and then a folder called COMPUTER HEALTH and put all the
        computer protection stuff in there and try to run them once a week,
        then a folder called TRADING, etc.

        I like to use Folder Marker and make the folders on my desktop different
        colours so they stand out.

        The Marketing Folder got so big it's now inside a new folder called
        NEW MARKETING! lol!

        Angela
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      • Profile picture of the author Giftys
        Originally Posted by WillR View Post

        Another good tip, whenever you do a backup of your computer always make sure you do a quick screenshot of your desktop. This way if your computer ever gets lost, stolen, or the hard drive crashes, you will know exactly which programs you used to have on your computer/desktop.

        Trust me, it's not as easy as you think when you have to try and remember every little program you have been using.
        Great tip Will, thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrea Wilson
    My sister has been cleaning up our desktop for me. Its been a habit for me to download everything into our desktop and now when i checked I noticed that all of my files are compressed into one folder,. File name is nothing fancy, its simply called 'FOLDERS'.

    Andrea
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    • Profile picture of the author Steven Wagenheim
      My desktop is so neat and organized that it's disgusting.

      There's something to be said for being OCD.
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      • Profile picture of the author David Uebergang
        Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim View Post

        My desktop is so neat and organized that it's disgusting.

        There's something to be said for being OCD.
        + 1

        If my desktop wasn't so neat I wouldn't be able to day dream about that lovely beach I have saved as my desktop...
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        • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
          Originally Posted by David Uebergang View Post

          + 1

          If my desktop wasn't so neat I wouldn't be able to day dream about that lovely beach I have saved as my desktop...
          On my Lenovo Thinkpad, the default wallpaper is plain black with the word "Think" written in big letters.

          I suppose we all derive pleasure from different things, and I happen to enjoy being reminded of how stupid I am.
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  • Profile picture of the author LetsGoViral
    I've been doing that all the time and now I have 10 "desktops".
    Signature
    Time of thinking is over.
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  • Profile picture of the author Online Bliss
    haha and mine is called "Junkyard"
    Mine is called "Could Be Crap" seriously.

    Having a huge monitor makes things seem a lot better
    but everything does tend to run a lot faster when it's cleaned up
    and put in another folder somewhere!
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    with the Guy in the Shades!
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