Just as you can use a filing cabinet and folders to organize paper documents, you can also use your computer as an electronic filing system to manage your digital files, including photos and documents.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Create a file system in Windows
Step 1. Select the files you want to organize
To select multiple files that are in the same Internet Explorer folder, click the first file you want to select and then hold down Shift or ⇧ Shift.
Step 2. Choose a location for your file system
Windows has default names for its main folders, such as "Documents", "Pictures", "Music", and so on. but you can also create folders wherever you want.
Step 3. Create a new folder
This folder will function as your filing cabinet. In it you will save other organized subfolders.
- Open Windows Explorer and right-click on the location where you want to create a folder.
- Click on "New".
- Click on "Folder." The folder name will appear selected so you can overwrite it.
- Write the name you want to give your new folder.
- Press ↵ Enter.
Step 4. Add subfolders inside the main folder
Double-click the name of the parent folder to open it. In the same way that you created the main folder, you can create subfolders to organize your files.
Step 5. Move the files to the new folders
You can open two Windows Explorer windows side by side, and then drag files from the original location to the new folder.
Step 6. Create a backup of the organized files
Use the Windows backup feature to copy your files to an external hard drive or to the cloud. If your computer's hard drive is failing, you can use backup to restore your files to another hard drive.
- Click on "Start."
- In the search box, type "backups."
- Click on "Backup and Restore."
- Click "Configure Backups" and follow the steps in the wizard.
Method 2 of 2: Create a file system on Mac
Step 1. Select the files you want to organize
To select multiple files that are in the same folder, click the first file you want to select and then hold down Shift or ⇧ Shift.
- Control + click one of the files and then click "New folder with selection."
- Enter a name for the new folder.
- Press ⏎ Return.
Step 2. Add subfolders within the main folder
To open the parent folder, press and hold the ⌘ Command key while double-clicking the folder. In the same way that you created the main folder, you can create subfolders to organize your files.
Step 3. Create a backup of the organized files
Use the "Time Machine" feature to copy files to an external hard drive, Time Capsule, or an OS X server on the network. If your computer's hard drive is failing, you can use backup to restore your files to another hard drive.
- In the Time Machine menu, click "Time Machine Preferences."
- Click "Select Disk."
- Select an external hard drive, Time Capsule, or any other storage solution from the list and then press "Use this disk."
- After choosing a disk to create your backup, click "Add or remove backup disk" if you want to add other disks for added security.
Advice
- It would be nice if you rename the files to add the creation date, so you can easily sort the files alphabetically and they will appear ordered by creation date. When renaming files to include the date as part of the name, use the format YYYY. MM. DD. For example, 2010.09.29. You can skip the century digits and just use 100929.
- To sort files by name in Windows Explorer, click the "Name" column heading.
- When you connect an external hard drive to your computer, you will be asked if you want to use the drive to create a backup via "Backup and Backup" on Windows or "Time Machine" on Mac.