Time Management for Mere Mortals (Part 3)

Organize Your Computer (Part 1)

by Brandon Jubar

If you are reading this article, you are a computer user. (You must be -- this article is only available on the Web.) And chances are that this wonderful technology, which is supposed to make you more efficient, is not being utilized as effectively as it could be. If you're going to organize your life, you need to organize your PC as well!

What's On the Menu?

Every time you load a program onto your Windows-based computer, it automatically creates shortcut icons in your Programs menu. I'm sure this is something you see every time you go to run a program.

To see what I mean, click on the "Start" button in the bottom left corner of your screen. Move your mouse up over the word "Programs" and take note of the number of folders that appear off to the right. Chances are, every application you've ever loaded on your computer has set up a separate folder for itself. If you've had your computer for any length of time, this list can be quite extensive.

But you don't have to live with the default names and locations of these shortcuts -- you can customize them to fit your needs.

Waiter -- My Menu, Please!

In Windows XP, go to "Start" > right-click "All Programs" > select "Explore All Users" > double-click "Programs" in the right pane. You will be looking at the Exploring - Programs two-pane window, which allows you to organize your shortcuts in the same way that you organize files and folders on your hard drive. (If you have another operating system, you can use the Help menu to navigate to this two-pane window.)

Think of your Start Menu Programs just as you would any other type of files. What are the logical groupings? What types of programs do you have? Perhaps some should be organized by manufacturer -- Microsoft, Adobe and Quicken. Or maybe using the type of application works better -- Internet, Desktop Publishing, Financial and Games.

Feel free to change the names of existing folders or create new ones. Nest some folders inside of others, too. The top-level folder "Games" might have sub-folders "Arcade", "Strategy" and "Educational". Do whatever seems logical to you.

The same is true for the actual names of the shortcuts. Why use "MegaSoft Backwash.exe" when the name "Clipart Browser" is more descriptive? Just like with other files and folders on your hard drive, simply right-click a shortcut and choose "Rename" in order to change the name that is displayed.

And finally, eliminate all of those silly shortcuts that you'll never use again. Do you find yourself regularly launching ReadMe files from the Programs menu? Probably not, so why not delete it? All it's doing is cluttering up the place.

Nothing's Set in Stone

Keep in mind that whatever you do to the Start Menu Programs is not permanent and does not delete any applications. These are nothing more than links to the software -- not the software itself. So feel free to experiment, move things around, change names, and create a menu that suits your needs.

Your computer truly can be your friend. But just like any other relationship, it takes a little input on your part. This technological "friend" cannot read your mind, but it can often do what you need... if you only know how to ask.

Life Applications:

How often do you use your computer? What do you use it for?
Have you tried to make your computer more efficient, or have you accepted the defaults that have been provided?
Are you going to try these tips, or simply maintain the status quo?

Copyright 2002-2008 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.