Keep Computers Working Efficiently

You finally figured out how to turn on the computer, and even can surf the Internet. You e-mail, download files, create spreadsheets and have become a whiz at using various word-processing programs. Now that you have mastered operating the computer, how about taking some time to clean out and organize your overloaded system folder.

Like your desk at work, which oftentimes gets cluttered with memos, mail and other work-related items, a computer can get cluttered, too. Outdated programs, junk e-mails and old documents take up valuable disk space and slow down computer systems. With so many files on the hard drive, it often is difficult to locate the document you need.

Take some time to purge and organize the files on your computer. The Institute for Business Technology offers valuable tips to help you clean out and organize your computer, as well as your paper files at www.ibt-pep.com.

1. First, make sure your paper systems are uncluttered and well-structured.
* Throw out old or marginally useful information.
* Divide remaining paper files into three classes: Working, Reference and Archives. Arrange the Working files to be nearest to you, and the Archives to be out of your office or work area.
* Create a subject filing structure for each of these classes of paper by mapping out your key functions.

2. Now, go into your computer system and set up the same filing structure for your electronic documents. The closer your paper and electronic systems parallel each other, the easier it will be to remember where to file things and where to search for them.

3. If you use e-mail (especially in a corporate environment), you may have hundreds, or in extreme cases, even thousands of messages in your in-box. Begin deleting them, starting with the oldest.

 4. Messages you want to save should be put into the electronic folders or the directories you set up in step two.

5. Now, do the same with word-processing and/or spreadsheet files.

6. If you need to recapture space on your hard drive, organize your electronic archive system with the same categories you established in step one and transfer your files off of your hard drive to floppies or another storage medium.

7. Go through your hard drive and also examine if there are any programs you are not using. Delete or transfer these programs to another storage medium.

8. If you are on the Internet and are being swamped with messages, remove yourself from distribution lists that are causing you to be swamped and are not providing critical information.

9. Go through your documentation and clear out manuals for programs you no longer use.

10. In the future, set up a certain time each day to process both your paper and e-mail - do it daily, like brushing your teeth - so the "plaque" will not build up in your system.

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