- find files more easily
- reduce mental distractions
- make your computer more efficient
- more easily survive a hard drive crash or virus attack
- feel more in control
- make it easier to share your files/computer
- simply best practice
The process can be done piecemeal for manageability and repeated on a regular basis to keep the computer running smoothly. (In an upcoming post, we focus on organizing files.) Click on "Read More" for decluttering steps.
D E C L U T T E R
2. Look through file folders on the hard drive. Delete old documents, PDFs and spreadsheets that are no longer needed. Delete unused folders in their entirety.
3. Clear out the Downloads folder. Most everything can go. Again, move files that you want to keep into pertinent folders.
4. On the web browser, clear out old bookmarks.
5. Uninstall applications that are no longer accessed, for example, old printer drivers.
6. Empty the recycle bin if it’s not done automatically.
7. Photo, video and audio files can be pared down as well. Remove ones that are uninteresting, old or duplicate.
8. Look at your cloud storage. Thin out files on Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive.