Where Did I Save That Document? Organizing Your Computer Files
 by: Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

What happened to the paperless office? We generate more paper now than we ever did before the advent of the computer! A computer's hard drive can get just as cluttered as any other part of the office. With seemingly limitless storage capacity, it's easy to create piles of files on your computer. This section will help you file your documents more logically and find them more easily.

1. Use directories and subdirectories. The first step in creating your electronic filing system is to create the structure. Let's say you had a filing cabinet where you stored your paper files. If every folder were labeled "My Documents," you wouldn't find anything. Microsoft automatically sets up a folder titled "My Documents," where you can save your documents. If you save EVERYTHING under this directory, you will never be able to find what you need. Just like your paper files, you should save your computer documents into folders, sometimes called directories and subdirectories.

2. Set up your filing system. The most important thing is to point all your saved files into ONE main directory. You won't believe how incredibly easy it is to do backups: you simply burn one directory to a CD. I don't use the "My Documents" directory (although you can, with subfolders). In Windows Explorer, I created a directory called c://a_laura under my c: drive. If you put the letter "a" in front of your name with an underscore, it will always be the FIRST directory in the folder list, making saves faster. Under your main directory, create subfolders with the main categories of documents you save. Don't worry about the TYPE of document (word processing, spreadsheet, database, etc.), just think about the category. For example, I use the following subdirectories:

a_laura/business
a_laura/personal
a_laura/school

Then within each subdirectory, I create additional folders. Under my business directory, I use:

c://a_laura/business/articles...Associations, Backups, Book, Clipart, Contracts, Courses, Keynotes, Marketing, Media, Newsletters, Policies, Postcards, Products, Promotional, Templates, Websites

Many of the above then have additional subdirectories. Some folders go eight subfolders deep.

3. Save documents in the correct location. Each time I create a document, regardless of the program it was created in, I save it in the appropriate directory. You will have Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations all in the same directory, which doesn't matter because the correct files display when you open a file from the correct software program. Select "File," "Save As," and use the "up" arrow until you locate the correct directory. Change your saving preferences in Word under "Tools," "Options," "File Locations." When you save a new document, it will automatically go to the correct directory location.

4. Create naming conventions for your files. Now that you've located the correct directory, you have to give it a name that will make it easy to find later. I save contracts in the format YYMMDD CLIENT PROGRAM. I would save a contract under c://a_laura/business/contracts/2003. All the contracts within that directory would be listed in chronological order. When I first started using computers, they were all DOS-based (now I'm feeling my age). I used to have to name files with eight letters. Thank heavens for Windows! Now we have a 255-character capability for file names, so go ahead and make the name as long as you want! The bigger the name, the more likely you will be able to find it again using a keyword search. Ask yourself, "If I want this file again, what words or phrases would I think of first?"

5. Find what you need. If your directory system hits a snag, don't despair! You can still find that file you created using the "Search" feature of your operating system. If I'm out of town and John needs to quickly locate a file to send to a client, he can go to the Start Menu, Search, files or folders, select a_laura, and type in any words he thinks would describe the document, and it's there! We also have a printout of my file directory, so he can quickly locate files in Windows Explorer as well.

My colleagues and clients are always amazed when we're on the phone together and they request a piece of information, I can locate it in seconds. It's easy to create documents and save them. The big trick is retrieving them again. Using the five steps I described above, you will be able to find the files you want, when you want them, in 30 seconds or less.

Make it a productive day!

About The Author

(C) Copyright 2004 Laura Stack, MBA, CSP. All rights reserved. Portions of this newsletter may be reprinted in your organization or association newsletter, provided the following credit line is present:

"Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP, is "The Productivity Pro"® and the author of Leave the Office Earlier. She presents keynotes and seminars on time management, information overload, and personal productivity. Contact her at 303-471-7401 or [email protected]."

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