The Best Way to Organize Your Computer Files

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 มิ.ย. 2024
  • Today, I'll share a simple process for organizing the files on your computer - and keeping them that way.
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    ⏱ TIMESTAMPS:
    01:41 - Two important rules for file organization
    02:22 - The tree structure explained
    04:08 - In-depth look at my folder structure
    07:31 - How to name your files
    08:33 - The best cloud sync app (and why you need it)
    10:30 - How to back up your files (cloud sync isn't enough)
    13:09 - Use shortcuts and quick access
    14:36 - Audible and a book recommendation
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ความคิดเห็น • 1K

  • @Thomasfrank
    @Thomasfrank  3 ปีที่แล้ว +61

    Want to be more organized? Take my FREE course on building your productivity system: collegeinfogeek.com/go/skillshare-course/ (this is an affiliate link, so using it also supports my channel 😀 )

    • @not_toxic1211
      @not_toxic1211 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I have a very organized computer btw thanks for this video :)

    • @climatechangedoesntbargain9140
      @climatechangedoesntbargain9140 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Purely hierarchical organisation does not work

    • @sharmavinit9536
      @sharmavinit9536 ปีที่แล้ว

      4:45 CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO CREATE SUCH TREE LIKE STUCTURE

    • @romeoneverdies
      @romeoneverdies 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      i also recommend splitting root folders into personal and general folders. (personal being files you create and general being files you acquire trough public means) for example a picture of your cat is not the same as a picture of A cat. one is personal one is general in nature. in personal you can subdivide by your life categories as you called them and the general one you can subdivide into medium format. this makes it possible to organize YOUR files vs public files but also makes it easier to backup your files which you Cant find on the internet vs files that you CAN find on the internet. for example you wouldn't want to backup funny memes the same you would want the photos of your kids or something like that. ) and if eventually you want to share these general files lets say between computers of the house or maybe a partner you can easily maintain privacy by just not sharing the personal tree and only sharing the general tree (files which can already be found publicly on the internet anyway) you can even create a 3rd root folder that is personal but shared ... (called shared or shares)

    • @grego15
      @grego15 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I am very surprised that I recognize so many of my old favorite Post-Hardcore bands that I saw live back in the early 2000's on your music folder list. Major props. I wish I could have seen the full list because there were a few I had forgotten of and I only saw the start of your list. Glad to know you have a great taste in music. 🎸🙌🤘
      These are just the ones I've seen:
      A Day To Remember, A Static Lullaby, As I lay Dying, AFI, Alexisonfire, All That Remains, Angels & Airwaves, Armor For Sleep, Atreyu, August Burns Red, A7X, Brand New, Bloc Party, Bullet For My Valentine, Circa Survive, Chiodos, Coheed, MCR...

  • @Leto85
    @Leto85 ปีที่แล้ว +228

    Tip: If you have files that belong in two folders, place the file in the folder you think it belongs the most. Then place a shortcut of that file in the other folder.

    • @kosuvorov-x
      @kosuvorov-x ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Tip: Tags solve this problem 😉

    • @sharmavinit9536
      @sharmavinit9536 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      4:45 CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW TO CREATE SUCH TREE LIKE STUCTURE

    • @Leto85
      @Leto85 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@kosuvorov-x How does that work?

    • @tulipgirl_
      @tulipgirl_ ปีที่แล้ว

      @@sharmavinit9536 UP!

    • @gabreiliusgen4519
      @gabreiliusgen4519 ปีที่แล้ว

      Literally me!!

  • @jeffreyhuang3814
    @jeffreyhuang3814 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1570

    I just move all my desktop files to a folder called "desktop."

    • @doingeven5196
      @doingeven5196 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Same

    • @Vgang101
      @Vgang101 4 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      They're already on a folder called desktop though...

    • @jeffreyhuang3814
      @jeffreyhuang3814 4 ปีที่แล้ว +128

      @@Vgang101 Inside that folder create a folder called desktop, and inside that one create another, and inside that one another, until you have an inception 20092019 layers deep.

    • @treeoflife7151
      @treeoflife7151 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      😂😂😂

    • @nishilbright2007
      @nishilbright2007 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😂 😂 😂

  • @kjekelle96
    @kjekelle96 ปีที่แล้ว +92

    The problem with a tree-structure is that when a particular file belongs in more than one separate folder it becomes a hasstle. A better solution in some cases would be that we could tag each and every file on our computer, throw all the files of one types in a big dump, that then organizes them per tag, so that you don't have to have multiple copies of one file in multiple places in order to find them when you need them. Some people will definitely understand what I mean. Some probably won't.

    • @maxdustycake
      @maxdustycake ปีที่แล้ว +11

      That's exactly what I struggle with and why I arrived on this video. If I make a presentation for a specific project, should it go in that project folder or in a presentations folder... I am not sure what you mean by "organize them per tag". Do you have a specific recommendation on how to do that?

    • @ammarramic
      @ammarramic ปีที่แล้ว +24

      Try having the file in one place and use a shortcut for the other places you need it in.

    • @andrewest1635
      @andrewest1635 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ammarramic Very Good Idea!

    • @anacastanon5201
      @anacastanon5201 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes, like when you have several subfolders with the same name like "Material". What I started to do is adding the name of the main folder to Material like "Work Material" If it's an specific project I would add numbers to the main folder and repeat each subfolder, like 01 Project Name, 01 Material, 01 Books. I also would like to know other ideas.

    • @mr.dingleberry4882
      @mr.dingleberry4882 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@maxdustycake Organizing by file type makes little sense when your file system gets even slightly complex, thats why it should be on the bottom of the organization hierarchy. For example: work > project > all files associated with that project sorted by type (images, presentations, text files).

  • @lucialorenzo7746
    @lucialorenzo7746 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    Thank you for this video! I love being organised and I’m always looking for new ways to store my files. A little tip for everyone: take the time while organising your files to clean your computer. A few weeks ago I started doing that and I have deleted more than 100 GB of stuff already :)

  • @HoneyLaBronx
    @HoneyLaBronx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    This is a GREAT topic!!!!! Literally I have found myself talking to children ages 6 and up and I tell them "Listen... one of these days, you're going to get a phone or a computer. Start NOW... Make a folder for photos. A folder for audio. A folder for documents. Etc...... Create a system that makes sense to you, and STICK WITH IT!!! You will thank me!!"

  • @swabikedude
    @swabikedude 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I appreciate you giving all options during your videos and not saying you MUST do one or the other - it allows us to select the best option that will work for us...and you're speaking is flawless with zero to no fillers when speaking. Nice job!!!

  • @pipwills9349
    @pipwills9349 4 ปีที่แล้ว +107

    I've just spent 2 hours reorganising my files for the first time in years... I love you and hate you in equal measure! Great video, thanks :)

    • @RaoBlackWellizedArman
      @RaoBlackWellizedArman 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😐

    • @angelicamarcano8183
      @angelicamarcano8183 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      How did you decided to organise your files? what order did you give it?

    • @konondayo5397
      @konondayo5397 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      first time in years? jesus what the hell are you doing to your pc

    • @ngocinh160
      @ngocinh160 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@konondayo5397 honestly IDK how to use a laptop so I just dowbload every school work, and picture to a place called download. I have 0 folder.

    • @Brandon-gw4ed
      @Brandon-gw4ed 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      😀😀😀😀

  • @dvklaveren
    @dvklaveren 4 ปีที่แล้ว +312

    A trick I use is that the computer doesn't distinguish between a shortcut and a folder. If you create a shortcut to a folder, you can drag items into that shortcut and that will transport it to the corresponding folder.
    I use this method to simulate the whole sorting tree in an easily copied file of interlinked shortcuts that I call my 'moving bin'.
    Within that moving bin, I can sort my files kind of like a filtering process, moving all the way down to the bottom in batches until all files are where they are supposed to be!

    • @sanjacobs6261
      @sanjacobs6261 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      That's so clever!

    • @dvklaveren
      @dvklaveren 4 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      @@lauramalagodi4633 So, basically, I've set up an extra folder in my directory called "Moving Bin", which itself has folders labeled the likes of "A - Move to Work Files" (I add the A prefix so it's always at the top of the page if I sort alphabetically). And within those folders, I basically simulate my file structure, until at the very end of each tree, I link to shortcuts that lead to the actual folders where I would want to store them.
      Then finally, I create a shortcut to my moving bin folder(s) in the folders I'd like to sort through.
      Whenever you click-and-drag a file over a folder icon or a shortcut-to-a-folder icon, it will know to put the file in the folder that your shortcut refers to.
      This way, you don't have to drag your actual moving bin folder into any folder literally and wait for the computer to move the 100GB+ files or whatever. You can just copy the shortcut to the file and drag into that instead. I know that that sounds like common sense, but I don't think many people actually think to create a folder that's purely to move things around with.
      I find this a very efficient way of working, since I can just turn my brain to 50% attention and click-and-drag my files in a way that I think makes sense into this mock version of my folder structure. If I ever come to the conclusion that I've made a mistake, I just feed the things I've misfiled back up through the top (the moving bin) and then keep going without worrying too much about a couple of unfiled, 'difficult' files that are waiting for me to adjudicate on.
      This also is a good way of getting an intuition of what isn't working about your file directory; you shouldn't even have to think about how you're filing your files, it should be relatively automatic, so whenever you have to think more than 20 seconds about where a file goes, you should probably be making a new folder for this specific type of file.
      Let's say that I have a picture that I'd like to file and I go through my file structure.
      I go Moving Bin>A - Move to My Pictures>Creative>D&D>Characters>Lajila. Oh wait, I actually meant to but this into ongoing projects. I drag the file back into Moving Bin (shortcut);
      Moving Bin>A - Move to My Pictures>Creative>Ongoing Projects>Lajila>Lajila_Corbid.psd
      Actually, I think I need to be more specific, because this includes another character as well. Then I would create a new folder.
      On and on it goes until I've sorted through all my files. I don't stop until everything is sorted.

    • @MK-ih6wp
      @MK-ih6wp 4 ปีที่แล้ว +59

      @@dvklaveren you should make a video to demonstrate this!

    • @beetletiger2933
      @beetletiger2933 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      please make a demonstration of this

    • @ravenengland9232
      @ravenengland9232 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      @@dvklaveren I agree, might make more sense if you illustrated this technique.

  • @marufranco5281
    @marufranco5281 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I actually went through the trouble of checking every single folder, opening every single non-system file and categorize it, while also deleting stuff i actually will never need.
    These were all my files that i have been hoarding since more than 15 years ago.
    You would be surprised how much space it adds up and ends up saving you many hundred of gigs in space.
    Needless to say it took more than 3 years to do, it is finished and feels refreshing, every file i get it goes exactly where it should go, i basically did what this video says without having watched it before
    Also it's great for when you need to migrate to another system, everything is format ready, the external drive i have has the same hierarchy tree but it lets me know which folders i should back up and which ones i don't need to.
    For example the Appdata folder or folders that have configs and preferences, very important to backup aswell.
    When you migrate to a new PC it will be easier , you will have plenty of space to spare and you will be sure you won't be missing anything important.
    And yeah, i did actually look at every single image that i have, that means every single meme i downloaded since 15 years ago, deleted the ones that didn't make me laugh anymore and only kept the best of the best.
    Not only that i also used Handbrake to batch convert to MP4 all the video files i had or cared about, the filesizes of almost every video file got reduced to around 10 to 20% without damage the image quality or resolution (Made plenty of tests before doing this, be careful , you don't want to downgrade your files, make sure to keep the same resolutions, audio bitrates and framerates), that alone saved me hundreds of gigs aswell.
    Felt really accomplished about it because for years i have been hoarding files, i also managed to find stuff that i thought was gone forever.
    After a while of doing this you get good at it, you get good at deciding which stuff you won't need in the future and delete it, where it should go and organize things faster in general, in real life i also decluttered a bunch of physical objects using the same logic and managed to get it done in 1 day.

    • @DanteLikesRock
      @DanteLikesRock ปีที่แล้ว +1

      nice, dude. I'm doing that right now actually. Handbrake is amazing.

    • @ianvitalis
      @ianvitalis ปีที่แล้ว

      Hey Maru, this is exactly what I wanted to affirm that I'm not so crazy when it gets to organizing.
      My files/folders aren't a total mess but require some work in order for me to get satisfactory relief. Procrastinated for a while now, but I need to have this done in the shortest time possible. I believe yours wasn't organized from word go. 3yrs is way too long.

    • @ianvitalis
      @ianvitalis ปีที่แล้ว

      To reiterate, I was in this video bout 6 months back, but trying to get my flow correct from every source, considering that my revived passion for film/photography and music requires tons of work and probably ease in switching from PC to Mac [editing value] in the near future.
      Let's stay organized folks, aids productivity.

    • @marufranco5281
      @marufranco5281 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@ianvitalis It can take less than 3 years for sure but the amount of stuff i was hoarding was massive (Keep in mind it's stuff i have been hoarding for more than 15 years that's been all over the place, it's easier to accumulate stuff than it is to organize it)
      I didn't work at it every single day just most days when i had the chance and when i did it was several hours non-stop.
      If it's just videos and photos it definitively can be done in a couple of months.
      Just be careful with "compulsive decluttering" that's a thing and it sucks when you regret getting rid of something, one of the reasons it took so long for me is that i carefully considered each file and the files tree didn't really take shape at first-
      Procrastinated to even start for a long while but the benefits of finally doing it is worth it in many ways

  • @HaVoCX64
    @HaVoCX64 4 ปีที่แล้ว +419

    me trying to organize my 1.5 TB of trash files
    *confused screaming *

    • @meuscompromissos4860
      @meuscompromissos4860 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      We're gonna make it!
      But I'm confused indeed. Even my browsers favorites are messy.

    • @KRoOoOoZ
      @KRoOoOoZ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      "trash files" = pirated porn videos

    • @Israphella777
      @Israphella777 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@meuscompromissos4860 mine too😂😭

    • @JM-lh8rl
      @JM-lh8rl 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Meus Compromissos It’s so relieving to know I’m not the only one whose life is breaking down from being too messy

    • @xFredman
      @xFredman 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Since I got this computer, which was about 5 years ago, I installed everything in the Program Files (x86).
      I regret not sorting my files so much...

  • @IvanferreroIt
    @IvanferreroIt 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    One of the best file management tutorial I’ve found on the Web.

  • @SpintoPlaysMC
    @SpintoPlaysMC 4 ปีที่แล้ว +737

    Are... are there people who don’t already live like this?

    • @danielrothstein1409
      @danielrothstein1409 4 ปีที่แล้ว +119

      There...there are people who live like in all sorts of ways.

    • @itstobiii
      @itstobiii 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      good question, but great video though!

    • @Aline_ArtStudio
      @Aline_ArtStudio 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      My friend have all his word files in an map called documents, he spends like 20 minutes just to find the right file 🤦‍♂️

    • @JonMichaelDeBona
      @JonMichaelDeBona 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      If there are, it's a world I don't want to live in.

    • @SamiPaju
      @SamiPaju 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Yeah. Everyone who uses Mac and doesn't need to spend time on this bullshit, since Spotlight + Alfred will find the right files and folders instantly, no matter where they are.
      This video really reminded me again how backwater Windows is.

  • @maxcermus13
    @maxcermus13 4 ปีที่แล้ว +649

    -i watch this video to procrastinate but still being able to feel like i'm learning something but i actually don't-

    • @alx1703
      @alx1703 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      I do that too, like all the time lol

    • @RejaMarjana
      @RejaMarjana 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      D*mn.. i do

    • @abdiaziz4180
      @abdiaziz4180 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😂😂😂😂

    • @rnf976
      @rnf976 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Lmaoo doing this right now

    • @gappyspins
      @gappyspins 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lmaoo fr

  • @michelehagle1414
    @michelehagle1414 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Hi Thomas, thank you for researching/creating/posting the 1st/only TH-cam video I've ever finished watching!! This was fantastic- super informative, really well-presented without being patronizing, and information I appreciate. Thank you!

  • @markphelan7437
    @markphelan7437 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. My head was melted trying to figure out a way to organize my files in a logical way that makes them accessible. This is food for thought. I'd also like to explore the possibility of using tags to search for files especially when it comes to photos and videos.

  • @SofoniBeats
    @SofoniBeats 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    It is really cool you have these types of channels. I am a person I love to stay organized and it's always cool to learn new ways of being organized

  • @justthatpm
    @justthatpm 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    File organization is so important! It really helps me keep a clear mindset and also avoids me getting frustrated and giving up when trying to find a file.

    • @nlx78
      @nlx78 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      For my Desktop I use Fences but there are similar tools out there to have your icons organized in several of these fences and have them either blend in with your background with just the title you gave visible. Also the option to just hover over the one you want for it to open etc. Now I just have 8 of them for things like Software, Video/Photo Software, Shortcuts Websites, Games, Movies and Series etc.

  • @universalsa55
    @universalsa55 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you, Thomas, I just started to watch your videos, and I am learning soooo much. I appreciate the way you explain clearly and entertaining. Keep up the great work!

  • @pierrebriquet
    @pierrebriquet ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I built a smart folder builder for shortcuts, because I have too many projects and subjects I participated at work, so working in different tree types (year, department, person, product) is always necessary, and without search folders because it is slow. Totally worth it.
    Because of your tips, I also maintain important folder shortcuts, on going projects, and main reports, presentations and spreadsheet that I currently using, it's awesome (because rely on recent files is not okay). It changed my productivity forever.

  • @ishmamhaq3720
    @ishmamhaq3720 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I love you bro, you saved me, just bought a laptop and trying to organize files,

  • @compassionatepeercounseling
    @compassionatepeercounseling 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Great video!! It was super well rounded with the relationship between organizing files and nature. I also appreciate the essentialism system hint and book recommendation. That was cool! I was looking at how to choose between organizing by dates or categories and you answered that.

  • @buildingbetterbusinesses
    @buildingbetterbusinesses 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    We started our youtube channel about two months ago and file structure is everything 🤪 Thank you for the video Thomas!

  • @leonahmoses4450
    @leonahmoses4450 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    What I love about your videos is that you make something educational so much fun with your cool personality. I enjoy watching your content

  • @truonghoangnhan110
    @truonghoangnhan110 4 ปีที่แล้ว +35

    Have not watched the whole video but already liked your video for using MCR album as example for music

  • @SoAnxious718
    @SoAnxious718 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Super helpful!!! I’m trying to make my filing system a lot cleaner for seamless searching between work files, school files and my side business. My current system isn’t bad-category based but the tree method seems like it would be a lot more efficient

  • @HelloDreamPlans
    @HelloDreamPlans 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was looking for a video like this for months! :) thank you!

  • @sumaiyasiraj217
    @sumaiyasiraj217 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Been waiting long for this!

  • @adityavardhansingh5178
    @adityavardhansingh5178 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    14:00 To use shortcuts
    I can give you another recommendation. (only for windows)
    1. That you told using Quick Access Toolbar
    2. Use Libraries folder.
    The second option, I find more efficient because it brings all the folders and files in a single folder under "Libraries". You can try a great feature for windows, that I didn't knew, but when I came to know, I found it worth it.
    Just go on to File explorer > In the navigation pane, right click and choose "Show Libraries" > Open Libraries folder and select (USERNAME) folder > Select Add folder option
    There! you are good to go.
    Thumbs up for your good content 👍

  • @lesleyburger2740
    @lesleyburger2740 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Hi Thomas. Great video. Organizing digital files can become a big mess quickly. On top of organizing it in a meaningful way, I also try to cap the number of files/folders inside the parent folder. My rule is that in fullscreen, I should not have scrollbars. This limits the amount of files/folders you can have within a parent folder. The benefit of this is, that you only keep the files/folders that you really want/need to keep. I also do this in OneNote. In my experience, if I have a section with an enormous amount of pages, I don't even bother to look because it just takes too much time to try and find what i'm looking for. This has done wonders for my digital storage. I can find things quick and easy and I don't need terabytes of file storage.

  • @94Comale
    @94Comale ปีที่แล้ว +23

    0:00 Introduction
    1:41 File Structure
    7:31 File Naming
    8:36 Cloud Sync
    13:10 Use Shortcuts
    14:34 Essentialism

  • @MichaelSmolski
    @MichaelSmolski 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is a video that I didn't think I needed, but needed!

  • @samhparker
    @samhparker 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I literally came to your channel and website looking for a bid like this about 5 days ago!!! You heard my prayers. Thanks for the help dude!

  • @JenniferWasylenko
    @JenniferWasylenko 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Omg, I so needed this RIGHT NOW!! I need help!! I clicked and liked the video right away!

    • @intentionalliving7326
      @intentionalliving7326 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Did you do it? 😁

    • @JenniferWasylenko
      @JenniferWasylenko 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@intentionalliving7326 Yes! First I went through and figured out what I can actually delete. That sure opened up a lot of memory! My desktop is clear.

  • @mr.juniorer
    @mr.juniorer 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I praise you Thomas!! You’re always my go-to for thinking/doing things the smart way! Now… on to organizing my laptop! Wish me luck! Love the video by the way!! 😊

  • @kH-bv8ix
    @kH-bv8ix 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I learned ONE thing from this video. My life has been increased. 😁
    That makes me feel good, I'm on the right track. I really enjoy you videos.

  • @lilvin3610
    @lilvin3610 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This is the first time I see he actually has has the Going Merry boat in the background. Absolute legend POG

  • @nickstair6355
    @nickstair6355 4 ปีที่แล้ว +84

    I had to fix my girlfriends sisters computer recently. She saved everything to the desktop...it still hurts my soul thinking about it.

    • @manasavuibaubatiwale3593
      @manasavuibaubatiwale3593 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sheesh 😂😂😂😂 I just winced imagining that 😂😂😂😂😂

  • @nadchos7463
    @nadchos7463 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    pretty sure I watched an even older video of this but can't seem to rmb which vid it was, but I rmb enrolling into college when I was watching his method of organising and implemented it throughout my 3 years in college, never had an issue with finding documents!! not kidding when I say that this vid is a lifesaver when it comes to digital organisation, thank you so much!

  • @ronniesunshine1163
    @ronniesunshine1163 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for uploading this. It was the inspiration I needed to actually use my 1tb of one drive storage I've had for months but haven't used

  • @botten4187
    @botten4187 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Lol just bought a new hard drive today and I was thinking about how to organize my data. Thanks for being so on time 😂

    • @nitink.a567
      @nitink.a567 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I don't upload my documents on g drive or any other cause i dont trust them but i keep it in a pendrive or harddrive, incase of natural disasters etc easy to pick up and run.

  • @beatricekarlonaite6709
    @beatricekarlonaite6709 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Loved this. Would love a video on how to organise your phone files, photos!

    • @tabbywarrior
      @tabbywarrior 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Check out Matt D'Avella video on that

  • @arturgopro8797
    @arturgopro8797 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very useful video Thomas, all you said makes sense about folder structure

  • @mandyweed5584
    @mandyweed5584 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Been waiting for this since your paper organizing video. Kept being disappointed, but here we are!!!! Yay

  • @tuckercoffin2164
    @tuckercoffin2164 4 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    That's how I've been organizing my files lately. I also have a folder called "deltemp" in which I only put things that I am sure I wouldn't mind if they got lost any time, like screenshots that I need once or software I've downloaded.

    • @Teknisk
      @Teknisk 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      I always have some files, data or info thats lost that way.
      Even the temp/ 2 delete folders should be backup ;)

  • @dennmillsch
    @dennmillsch ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Some good info in this video for those starting out. I'm watching this for better organization methods than what I already do. My experience, it seems like there are often compromises in organization. For example, similar to your diagram at around 04:50, I've organized photos by year. Not particular the best method when later you want to find all the photos of your cousins. On the other hand, if you try to organize by who is in the photo, you quickly run into problems because photos often have more than one person. Also sometimes it makes sense to organize photos by content, for example photos of the 3-year process of building our house. Seems to me we need to organize based on the most logical way for us to find a file in the future. Like 10 years from now I might want to see some pictures of building our house. Since this is a major collection of pictures, it makes sense for it to have its own folder rather than digging through multiple folders organized by date. Similarly, in genealogy work, you might want to organize files by surname. But then what do you do with marriage records? Do you file them in two folders for each spouse family? And that was a simple example. Some level of organization is fairly simple, but in other cases it is a challenge. And that's where I'm at right now with over 150 icons on my desktop, 10 of which are large folders specifically for organization. It can be a struggle when you are a person of many interests, skills, hobbies and vocations. Good luck to those working on organization. It seems to be quite an art to do it well.

  • @angelo4739
    @angelo4739 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I’ve been waiting for this😏😏

  • @ChrisLovejoy
    @ChrisLovejoy 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    so so so helpful, thanks Tom!

  • @studykendrick2029
    @studykendrick2029 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    This video encouraged me to finally organize my many files in my Mac. Thank you Thomas just in time for back to school!

  • @dynamic_dynamo
    @dynamic_dynamo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    The quality of the video was mind blowing keep up the awesome work.

  • @anna26uni
    @anna26uni 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you! Backblaze is exactly what I was looking for!

  • @dianalowrie
    @dianalowrie 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Love your video content and pacing. You’re on point!

  • @norrisjanoudi6771
    @norrisjanoudi6771 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I would love to hear your updates/improvements/comments that you have after some time now. I happen to be using a similar organization structure for a while; and for somebody (humbly) proficient like us, we face serious challenges that are tougher to solve.
    Examples:
    Going by year is very efficient for some categories, but what do you do when you stumble upon some files that are 'timeless' in a sense?
    How do you deal with docs that belong in multiple location (duplication is not always ideal)?
    How do create a system that includes family members that have their own system but still be able to share files efficiently?
    And so on...
    Again, I'd love to hear your opinion. Thanks for all the work you do!

  • @davidsolling8818
    @davidsolling8818 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Is that a bass in the background...? OMG, I love it!!

  • @himalayanplanespotter2021
    @himalayanplanespotter2021 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks Tom! I have also seen your productivity video on skillshare and found it really useful.

  • @maureenhanton3450
    @maureenhanton3450 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great info and video. Thanks for all the tips and book recommendation. So glad I found you, will tell my friends!

  • @maurolimaok
    @maurolimaok 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Hi Thomas, what app did you use to draw the mind map at 4:50 at the video?

    • @amyp4632
      @amyp4632 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Following! I have the same question

    • @Owl0823
      @Owl0823 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Looks like Coggle!

  • @LOSOSOS2000
    @LOSOSOS2000 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I could use the graph application / template (file tree presentation) as seen @4:47 in Thomas' video. Thanks to show me where it is to be found!

  • @JoseRodriguez-tx1qz
    @JoseRodriguez-tx1qz ปีที่แล้ว

    I really enjoyed this video. I needed this!

  • @anujmajumdar4615
    @anujmajumdar4615 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I was looking for thissss !

  • @JenniferWasylenko
    @JenniferWasylenko 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Done!! This was the push and advice I needed. It feels so good! Thank you!

  • @JennyDawid
    @JennyDawid 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I'm in the middle of my HDs cleanup. You saved my sanity.

  • @chelseacoleman6586
    @chelseacoleman6586 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you. I needed this.

  • @kyletremblay5295
    @kyletremblay5295 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Been waiting on this one! Seatbelt very much buckled in.

  • @irishpolyglot
    @irishpolyglot 4 ปีที่แล้ว +88

    This definitely beats the "to organize" folder in my "Downloads" default directory.
    Great suggestions I'll be implementing immediately!
    Also, writing my 4 Language Hacking books and saving them consistently in the Dropbox folder was one of the best decisions I've ever made. In the middle of the toughest and most intensive writing period of my life, I got hit by Ransomware that encrypted my entire hard-drive. I had an external backup from a few months ago, but losing months of double-time writing work that I made a lot of sacrifices for would have been devastating.
    Fortunately, I restored a backup and only lost a single paragraph of work :)

  • @KlausBentes
    @KlausBentes 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Have you been watching me? This is exactly what I was looking for!

    • @sohn7767
      @sohn7767 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      He’s reading our minds and uploads accordingly

  • @cindyjohnson6102
    @cindyjohnson6102 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    By far the best organizational guru.....and very fun to watch and learn

  • @JiaFit
    @JiaFit 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I never thought I'd watch a video on organising files yet here I am! Thanks.

  • @jguillermooliver
    @jguillermooliver 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    How do you deal between this kind of organisation and apps like Evernote. How can both complement each other? It'd be very helpful to hear about anyone's ideas.

    • @kareemzidane7039
      @kareemzidane7039 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      For me, i basically make folders/tags in my notes app using same scheme/name of folders on my desk.

  • @clayshippy2652
    @clayshippy2652 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Boy is this ever timely! I am scanning all my old notes and journals into my computer to "down size" my life. I have biology notes from before Noah's flood! So far I am organizing by date... year... but after that I have no clue how to organize them. Thank you Thomas.

    • @wizardofodds8239
      @wizardofodds8239 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Be interesting if you could share the DATES of your biology notes before Noah's flood. How'd you keep them dry? That, and Dates.

  • @JenricAquino
    @JenricAquino 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Wow Thomas! When I started to organize my files and folders, I became more productive! 👊💯

  • @1x56
    @1x56 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Incredible video. Thanks so much!

  • @Hadhoudtn
    @Hadhoudtn 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    One extra tip : I use an app called fences to organize the icons on my desktop :)

  • @samyao7028
    @samyao7028 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    hi Thomas, what app did you use on 4:57?

  • @anshuvb8051
    @anshuvb8051 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for making this video. Very useful.

  • @mikediaz9033
    @mikediaz9033 ปีที่แล้ว

    Extremely enlightening. Kudos, friend 👏.

  • @pb-panda8467
    @pb-panda8467 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    What website/program did you use to create the visual file at 4:50? I want to design one myself.

    • @jeffm6767
      @jeffm6767 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's a mindmapping app called Coggle.

  • @TeresaBarrozo
    @TeresaBarrozo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hi, Thomas! What mind mapping app are you using? Thanks in advance!

  • @Amarox3000
    @Amarox3000 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Super helpful video, plus an audible spon with a book I'm actually interested in! Thankyou!

  • @levantateyora9317
    @levantateyora9317 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I mostly don't comment but you really cover every point. This means you really did your work to record the video keep it up .good work

  • @chrisjay4797
    @chrisjay4797 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    What tool did you use to create the multi coloured decision tree around 4:51?

    • @gabyramirez44
      @gabyramirez44 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Wondering the same thing. Did you ever find out?

    • @eliaskouakou7051
      @eliaskouakou7051 ปีที่แล้ว

      Mind mapping apps

    • @nelsonmugo6808
      @nelsonmugo6808 ปีที่แล้ว

      Awesome. I was wondering the same thing. thank you Elias Kouakou

    • @nelsonmugo6808
      @nelsonmugo6808 ปีที่แล้ว

      emmsnems has commented down there that it looks like it is coggle

    • @Laston
      @Laston ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Coogle or MindNode 😉

  • @skripnigor
    @skripnigor 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    From my experience in Evernote the key thing is to develop a habit of adding tags to your files - this makes building the file tree almost unnecessary. I wish Windows had a more robust file tag system.

    • @RanmaruRei
      @RanmaruRei 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I don't think so. Tags are good. But still without a file tree it will be a mess.

    • @slimanemesbah8500
      @slimanemesbah8500 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      you can rename the file starting with the tag
      exemple: file1 and you want to give a tag ( school)
      do: rename it to:
      school_file1
      or school file1
      or school-file1
      then if you wanna search for a tag: just enter the tag name in the search bar and all the files with this tag will appear

    • @skripnigor
      @skripnigor 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@slimanemesbah8500 Not quite. Tags ≠ folders. You might not necessarily remember that the thing you are looking for is in the ‘school’ category. That’s why usually a note/file has many tags. You will end up with ridiculously long cumbersome file names if you try to cram in all the tags there. In Evernote you get suggestions from your previously entered tags list so you are unlikely to add an unsearchable misspelled tag (schol, shcool, scool, skhcool etc.) to your note.

    • @slimanemesbah8500
      @slimanemesbah8500 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@skripnigor all right, then, try out Tag Explorer, you can get it for free on the microsoft store

    • @Carvin0
      @Carvin0 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@RanmaruRei A file tree is, in effect, a list of tags separated by backslashes (look at the full path). But a file tree forces the list of tags to be in a specific order for no logical reason. If there was a fully robust tagging system (any file type can have tagging metadata), then the "file tree" could be completely flat, and the "structure" would be inherent in the collection of tags (in no specified order) and the boolean (and/or/not) scripts used to search.

  • @Purpleiris444
    @Purpleiris444 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video! well explained! What helped is understanding why there should be an underscore instead of a space.

  • @katharinehanlon2155
    @katharinehanlon2155 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thank you for these great tips

  • @shuvojitkarmakar1249
    @shuvojitkarmakar1249 4 ปีที่แล้ว +42

    How did you do the tree branch outline at 4:46 and editing it too?

    • @salehalghamdi8315
      @salehalghamdi8315 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Shuvojit Karmakar it’s called mind map program or app

    • @mauriciovega957
      @mauriciovega957 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      It is a web app called coggle

    • @thenamesemil
      @thenamesemil 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mauriciovega957 cool thanks!

    • @ThomasS17
      @ThomasS17 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@mauriciovega957 Thank you! This is the kind of mindmap tool I've been looking for so long. Simple but just what I want.

    • @tabbywarrior
      @tabbywarrior 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Coggle

  • @bradpoolertv
    @bradpoolertv 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Thomas, Great video! What application is shown being used at 4:50 where you are adding categories to each branch of your filing system? Is that just Numbers?

  • @johnnydee7480
    @johnnydee7480 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    I haven’t watched the video yet. But one of the best thumb nails of all time. Great job Thomas.

  • @cezenn
    @cezenn 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    nice video! was lookimg for something like that as a guide. thxs :)

  • @ArthursHD
    @ArthursHD 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Too many levels doesn't always work since Windows has Legacy 260 character limit on path. Plus access time drops with more levels, indexing takes more resources. On other hand practical limit is about 5k Items in one directory. Then there is an option to add meta data, use filters sorting and searching.

  • @Nazrininator
    @Nazrininator 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    After watching this video, I realized that I have always done a pretty good job organizing my computer files, even back when I was in 5th grade!

  • @mexar3254
    @mexar3254 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for this, it really helped me a lot.

  • @juansebastianrodriguez1437
    @juansebastianrodriguez1437 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Man your videos are top 🔥🙌

  • @GiorgosKoukoubagia
    @GiorgosKoukoubagia 4 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    4:46 what program is this, please?

  • @zijingwu7547
    @zijingwu7547 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Hey Thomas! In terms of searching for a file, you should use Alfred!

  • @tendies
    @tendies 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the info!

  • @theories579
    @theories579 ปีที่แล้ว

    It's really helpful for my school project, Thank you so much.

  • @alouis0317
    @alouis0317 3 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    My biggest concern with organizing on the cloud (of any type) is the security of it all. I’m thinking more specifically of tax and related documents. Would you say the cloud is still a good option for these? Or stick to an external drive? Thanks for this video! Will definitely be digitizing most everything else 😊

    • @liachngo
      @liachngo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yeah I don’t trust the cloud for sensitive information either

    • @Gunnl
      @Gunnl ปีที่แล้ว +2

      nothing is 100 % safe ... if however you are really worried about storing your data on 'the cloud', somewhere in other people's computers ... then you can instead buy a NAS, e.g. synology DS 720+ or DS 920+, and have your own privately managed cloud ...

    • @eliaskouakou7051
      @eliaskouakou7051 ปีที่แล้ว

      No Data is safe

    • @WolfinProgress
      @WolfinProgress ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Turn on two factor authentication and you'll be fine

    • @kingofkings9142
      @kingofkings9142 ปีที่แล้ว

      Folders and files can be password protected.

  • @fidget2020
    @fidget2020 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Another useful way to organize folders is to prefix them with a 2 digit number based on the frequency of use. For example, I work on files in my Projects folder way more often than Admin files, so I rename the Projects folder to 00 Project and the Admin folder to 10 Admin, and so on. Least frequent is 90... This way my most frequently used folders are always at or near the top of the folder tree - no more scanning/scrolling down! If you increment the prefixes by 10 (rather then by 1) you can insert an 05 (for example) folder as your folder frequency of use changes. Nice, right?

    • @PeterPepper93
      @PeterPepper93 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      that's very useful piece of advice ! i'm amazed you don'( have more comments !!

    • @fidget2020
      @fidget2020 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Peter Pepper Thanks, Peter. Me too, maybe I should repost with an avatar of a busty young lady...lol
      My system also works really well when working in a mixed language environment as numbers are always easier to follow than words or text. No need to translate, spelling mistakes become less critical, etc.

    • @jatindua5866
      @jatindua5866 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That's really a good piece of advice! I'll use this method. Thanks!

  • @shriidharkulkarni6648
    @shriidharkulkarni6648 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent video... Very helpful. Thanks a lot for upload.

  • @marley1306
    @marley1306 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you so much for the great information