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Are your computer’s desktop

icons a disorganized mess?

by Maria Gracia Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Organizing Technology is available. It’s very tough to find what you need on your computer desktop if your icons are scattered everywhere and not in any sort of logical order. Here are some tips for giving yourself a more organized experience every time you turn on your computer: • Line them up. At minimum, get your icons to line up so they’re in grid- fashion. On Windows computers, when you’re on your desktop, right click a blank area, select VIEW, and choose Arrange Icons. You can also choose to automatically arrange alphabetically or by type. • Categorize them. What I’ve done on my computer is I’ve designated certain areas for similar programs. For instance. all of my Microsoft Office Programs are on the bottom right of my desktop. I simply dragged Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, and Publisher to one area. All of my movie, music, and photo editing programs are at the center left of my desktop, so they’re all together. • Delete icons you don’t need. You don’t need shortcuts to EVERYTHING from your desktop. Keep icons to “programs” on your desktop, and not “individual files” (like Word documents and spreadsheets)…unless you’re in those particular files every single day. • Use simple backgrounds. If your desktop background is “busy”…meaning it’s too colorful or detailed for you to easily see your icons, opt for a solid or less busy background. Back to Organizing Technology Index