9 File Management Tips

You've probably all realised by now that we have entered the digital age (a long time ago) and most of our files are now stored electronically.

Even though it is easier to find an electronic file on a computer than finding a paper file in a filing cabinet, File Management for electronic files should still exist. Just like paper files, file management is used to ensure that you are able to find a file quickly and easily, no matter how long ago it was created.

The following are some file management tips that will help you keep your files organised:

1. All in one basket

You should put all your files in one main folder where you will easily be able to find them and that is in your My Documents Folder. Put all your letters, spread sheets, invoices, PowerPoint presentations in here
so that you'll have a starting place to find them. It would also be easier to back things up too.

2. Create folders with meaningful names

Create folders and name them according to what you are going to put in them. If you name a folder "Invoices" don't put PowerPoint presentations in them. Also, name your folders using plain language and
make sure the names are meaningful. You don't want to come back after a while and having to wonder what is in that folder.

3. Folders within Folders

Create sub-folders within your main folders. For example, you can create "2007", "2008" folders within your Invoices folder. The idea of this is to seperate different files into more specific folder so that they will be easier to find.

4. Have a file naming format

When you name your files, try to have a fixed format. Keep your file names under 35 characters, don't use spaces: use underscores (_) instead. Use hyphens (-) to split unrelated words in your filename. So,
for example, a PowerPoint presentation on flowers on 13th November 2008, you could name the file: flower_presentation-131108.pps.

5. Give your filenames meaningful names

Just like when you name folders, you should give your files meaningful names. So, using the previous example, if you have a Powerpoint presentation on flowers, call it "flower_presentation-131108" and not
just "presentation". The point of this is to know what the file is about without having to open it.

6. Save first, write next

It is good practice for you to hit the Save As box and naming the file correctly, when you first create your file.

7. File ordering

You can order your files according to their Name, Size, Type and when they were last Modified. If there is a file that you use often, it could eventually get lost in the conventinal ordering system. Thte best method is for you to name the file with a "1" or "AA" and order by name. This will push your file up to the top.

8. Perform file maintenance regularly

After a while, your folders will get cluttered with unnecessery or unwanted files that you no longer need. These can also be duplicate files that you may have copied ("Copy of xxx" files) or temporary files that the system forgot to clean up (xxx.tmp files). Remove these by putting them into your Recycle Folder.

9. Never forget to back up

Whatever work you do on your computer you should always back them up regularly. Invest in an external hard drive and copy your files over to it. This will save you a lot of time and a lot of tears, in the event of something going wrong.


Of course, the Search function is great, but if you have a lot of files for your computer to search through then it could take some time. If you follow these file management tips, you will make your life much easier when trying to find a file on your computer.