Comments on: 11 Steps to Declutterize Your Computer

By: Start Fresh ~ Clear the Clutter « Cactus Wrangler

Start Fresh ~ Clear the Clutter « Cactus Wrangler — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:10:18 +0000

[...] Declutterize your Computer [...]

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:11:59 +0000

I’ve been on a Mac since 1984. I have moved files every time I’ve bought a new computer. So I wind up with old files, and sometimes duplicate files. I’m a writer and speaker, so I’ve got all the speeches, research notes, drafts of books and articles, years of emails, bright ideas, all that. Macs last far longer than most PC’s. I just sent my old G4Tower to my little sister to use for her autistic daughter. It’s still running great and I bought that one in 1998.

As for backup – yes – I backup every hour using a “Time Machine” program built into the Mac OSX system. I also use a removable hard drive backup several times a week and swap that off site. AND I have a laptop that is synched with the desktop. So if one freezes up i can use the other one. I learned THAT the hard way!

By: tgroom57

tgroom57 — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:42:20 +0000

Wow, Beth. Just two questions- how long have you had this computer? (!) and how long between the decluttering? is it an annual thing? I just rescued a busload of data files for a client (photos and music) and almost nobody keeps a second copy of their work. A ‘fire-proof’ copy that is,- one you can access immediately if your computer siezes up or you lose the hard drive.

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:19:18 +0000

Ahh – Thanks for reminding me – I didn’t include the last step. After I’ve dragged everything to it’s proper spot – then I drag the folders back into my main work folder to – as you say – tidy up the Desktop again. That is vital just for the value of having a clean space from which to work. I put them on the Desktop individually at first because it is easier to see the folders I’ll be dragging the files to. It SOUNDS far more onerous than it is. After I ran the duplicates program and made some decisions about that, it was far easier to do this project. I actually knocked 10 GB off my computer by deleting all the duplicates and unnecessary files.

This whole project took me 2 weeks. I let the duplicates program just sit on the desktop and committed only an hour a day to it. Sometimes I did it while watching a favorite TV show – so I was multi-tasking. Then when I did the drag and drop, it was surprisingly easy. Mac’s don’t have weird things like “Press the Start button to turn your computer off!” LOL

Why don’t you do a Windows version of this, and we can trade links on our blogs to each other. Mac People will get my system, and Windows people will get yours. We can help both our sets of readers that way. I’ve struggled with what to do for years as the detritus grew on the hard drive. Every time I would do a de-clutter with Spring Cleaning or Grupa Dupa, I would have a nagging feeling that I still had a problem. This “cleaning out of the attic” was a drastic move, but necessary. Now my computer runs so much faster, my searches are so much easier and cleaner, and I feel like I’ve got my arms around the data again.
Cheers,
Beth

By: tgroom57

tgroom57 — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:05:20 +0000

Aaaargh… Beth! and a Happy New year to you! There is no way I am going to do this, and I am amazed you do it. Your step 5 is the biggest problem- the new folders MUST NOT all sit on your desktop. They must sit in My Documents, or create a folder called that if Mac doesn’t have it. If you are ‘looking for work’ you are allowed your Job search folder on the desktop. The aim is to tidy away the stuff from the desktop into relevant folders and have at least half the desktop frame clear, preferably two-thirds. (Til next time)

But there is so much else – I am tempted to offer a ‘Part II’ blog on mine…
What do you think?