Where You Should Put Stuff

Windows tries hard to be simple enough for a 3-year-old to grasp. Why else would a folder named something so uninspired as My Documents exist? Of course, in dumbing down the product, Microsoft missed the point--a single folder isn't the most efficient place to file absolutely everything. Here are a few pointers for storing files so you'll actually be able to find them later.

My Documents

Subfolders offer a great way to organize your files without keeping around a lot of out-of-date or irrelevant information. Navigate your way to C:\My Documents (you might need to create this folder if you're running the original version of Windows 95 and have never installed Microsoft Office) and create subfolders by selecting File, New, Folder.

My Documents ... In Another Place

Windows 98 takes extra pains to make sure you don't overlook My Documents by placing a shortcut right on the desktop. But--and here's the tricky part--it doesn't have to point to C:\My Documents. You can make it point to nearly any folder. If you have a Work folder inside My Documents and want quicker access to it, here's what to do: Right-click the My Documents icon on the desktop and select Properties. There you'll find C:\My Documents listed alongside an option to browse for another folder to take its place. Click Browse, locate such a folder, and click OK. Click OK once more to make the change stick.

Stashing Your Downloads

It's always a good idea to hold onto programs, data, and other files you download--at least until they're out of date--but instead of further cluttering My Documents, create and use a folder called Downloads. (Feel free to call it My Downloads if you love the Microsoft approach.) The desktop is a good place to put this folder, but My Documents could be an equally good home.

Folders on the Desktop

The Windows desktop--home of My Computer, the Recycle Bin, and that tacky wallpaper you downloaded--makes a good place to put things you need to get at fast. If you have crucial folders on your drive that you'd like to access more quickly but that you don't want to move, right-click and drag them onto the desktop. When prompted, select the Create Shortcut option, and you're set. (You'll probably want to rename the Shortcut to get rid of the "Shortcut to" in the title. Right-click the Shortcut and choose Rename.)

See the desktop--fast! If your keyboard has a Windows key on it, you have an extra-quick way to get straight to the desktop. Hold down the Windows key and press D. All apps are instantly minimized, giving you an unadulterated view of the desktop. You'll find that this is a lot faster than minimizing windows by hand, or even right-clicking the taskbar and selecting Minimize All Windows. To restore programs to their previous state, press Windows-D again.

All Is Not Lost

If you can't find a file in your well-contrived system, fret not. If you can remember its name, its approximate modification or creation date, or a phrase from within the document, you can find the file. Click Start, Find, Files or Folders. Click the Name & Location tab, and under Look in:, make sure you've set your sights on an appropriately narrow or broad field. If you know the file is in a subfolder inside the Windows folder, enter C:\Windows\ here, and check the "Include subfolders" box. Enter a file name or snippet of text from the document. If you know the date the file was last modified or when it was created, click the Date tab and enter the date. If the file is still lost ... well, maybe you put it in C:\Recycled?

If Matt Lake kept his physical desktop and filing system as well organized as his Windows desktop and hard drive, he'd be able to find those long-overdue bills.