Computer Chaos

Isn't it amazing what that metal box called the C.P.U. (Central Processing Unit) can hold? Programs, folders, directories, files, addresses, menus, the list goes on and on. Then there's the hardware it contains. All those little circuits, memory cards, CD-Rom, disk drives, and the modem that let you connect to the world with the touch of your fingertips. I would be lost without my computer. Its power simplifies my life. If only it was a simple matter to keep it from becoming an electronic mess.

Because of the computer's great capacity to store endless amounts of data, it's a wonderful tool to organize everything from your appointments to your collection of zucchini recipes. The catch? You have to know how to organize it all. The computer software doesn't know that your email from your boss has to be filed separately from the email your sister sent you, that is unless you tell it so. The same with that document you prepared for your business meeting. You have to create a file or folder for it to sit in so when you need it, you have easy access to it. It would get lost if you lumped it together with the song lyrics from that zany song you listened to as a kid. When you came across the words of the song on the Internet, you just HAD to have a copy. Where did you file it? Your computer doesn't understand that work and song lyrics don't mix. For all its power, you still have to know how to organize the information you input.

What's the best way to keep clutter from clogging up your hard-drive? Routine file backups. You want a copy of everything before you start sorting and removing. Let me repeat that: making a copy of your hard drive(s) is always the first step. Then you can really play around and be daring with that delete key. If you lose something by mistake, which is what always happens, you'll feel confident that your backup is there to restore your lost file(s).

Take a look at your email inbox. How many pieces of mail do you have in it? How many are unread? Are you subscribed to a number of newsletters, daily quotes or jokes, but find you never have time to read them? Delete those unread messages and unsubscribe! Do you have everything filed in one directory or do you have subdirectories?

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