Define the rules under various conditions to perform different actions. Macworld is your best source for all things Apple. His latest book, a children's book parody for adults, is called "The Kid in the Crib." Assigning tags 5. Declutter allows you to quickly group items into desktop folders by their name or extension. I set out to discover how experts tackle both tasks. N.B. In this tutorial we show you how to organize your files, folders, music, photos, emails, and contacts on a Mac. For all these cases, your mouse pointer displays a gre⦠These are important files and folders that when lost, can be devastating to the owner. This tutorial will cover some tips on organizing two main are⦠This is a great productivity boosting concept with a unique and simple implementation. Lex lives in New Jersey with his wife and three young kids. In macOS, tags provide you with an alternative way to organize your files and folders, and can make items in Finder easier to locate. And thatâs how desktops of Mac users happen to look like. In general, only create new folders if you find yourself repeatedly coming back to save similar files in ⦠Senior Editor Dan Frakes literally shuddered as I described how I store all my articles for. Random items arrangement (no perfectionist would bear). If you canât resist the temptation to keep your things on the Desktop, you can at least have them organized in smart folders with Declutter. To arrange favorites alphabetically, “I just get files into the broadest container that effectively files it and call it a day.”. Set tasks, such as Autotidy and Organise Files; specify all the other parameters. You may have a folder for each of your friends; that list may be getting long. So at least check out those tags â maybe youâll love them. It never happens, and for that reason I have created a Hazel rule that automatically removes files that are more than three days old.” Those files are safe to remove, Federico says: “If they’re on the desktop for three days, they’re not that important—it means I’m just lazy.”. You can quickly group items on the desktop into folders. I consider the Finder to be storage for documents and files that I’m working on or may need to edit one day, while Evernote I use more for reference documents.” This approach, explains Katie, “keeps all these items out of my Finder and cuts down on the clutter.”. When he had several files for a project scattered all around his drive, he found it “really convenient to be able to keep [them] in their original locations…and still view them in a single tag screen.”, Casey Liss of the Accidental Tech Podcast, Casey Liss is arguably the most famous of the three hosts of Accidental Tech Podcast. Ask yourself:Â. Those colorful labels can help you organize files on your Mac even better. Ideally, you should store as much as nothing on it. But Federico and Katie prefer to let Hazel handle routine clean-up, and to rely on Evernote for storing certain kinds of less-frequently needed files. “I find this much faster than doing the same kind of search using Spotlight,” he says. He turns to Spotlight only when he “can’t find something the old-fashioned way, or when I want to answer an open-ended question like ‘How many images did I create last month?’”, Speaking of the “old-fashioned way,” here’s how John approaches the Finder: “I mostly use List-view windows sorted by the various dates (Added, Modified, Created), rooted at the top level of some major subsection of my files (for example, my Dropbox or Pictures folder). For instance: to make all your images go to the /Pictures system folder â in an âOrganise Filesâ task, youâll set the action âMoveâ, file type âImagesâ, to âPicturesâ. Type a name and press Enter. So at least check out those tags â maybe youâll love them. Nor has he yet availed himself of Apple’s new attempts to simplify file organization: “I haven’t started using Mavericks Tags yet, but I plan to.”, While some Mac users I spoke to aren’t overly concerned with where their files are specifically, John definitely cares. Microsoft Edge Windows 10 Edge for Mac More... Less. Selectively disclosing the contents of a few folders within List view helps me work with a handful of deeply nested files without being overwhelmed by all the other files I’m not working with in the same hierarchy, and without requiring constant navigation or multiple windows.”. A folder will appear and the name will be ready to edit. “I use Hazel to automatically name and file many of my files. in a single folder, with no other taxonomy in place. Select all the ⦠But, in his own words, his file storage setup is “pretty unremarkable.”. Select the folder that you want to move inside of another. Time intervals for automatic clean-ups vary from every 1 minute to every 8 hours. You may sort everything by color, place or whatever you wish. If however you drag something to a separate drive or a separate server, the item will be copied. So, yeah. He uses neither All My Files nor Tags, though he echoes that now-common refrain: “I intend to explore Mavericks Tags, but I haven’t really found a compelling reason to use them yet.”. With Hazel, Federico can automatically organize files (and delete unneeded ones), so that his Mac cleans up his files before anything gets too unwieldy. Federico Viticci runs MacStories. What can be deleted or moved to appropriate folders? This single folder full of 742 unsorted Macworld articles gives you a clue. It is easy to create new folders. For even faster access to anything you have on your Mac, use Spotlight. Press Command + Space, start typing the objectâs name or content and choose from the suggestions. Generally, when you drag a file or folder from one location to another inFinder, the item is moved, but this relates only to the cases when you move the item within the same hard drive. This way I have access to all my files wherever I go.”, Like Katie, Federico relies on nested folders synced via Dropbox. However, with daily use, our computers can quickly become as cluttered as anything else in our lives. Create a folder. To remove a tag from a file or folder, again right-click (or control-click) and then click the tag that you want to remove. Obviously, there are plenty of strategies you can consider when you’re determining how best to organize your files. WORK related project files 2. When youâre creating folders, think minimal. Bear in mind the main simple idea: if you keep everything in order, it will stay that way. How many files on your desktop are really important and often used ones? Computers are the ultimate file cabinets. We give you the scoop on what's new, what's best and how to make the most out of the products you love. The best part is that using it is incredibly easy, intuitive and quick. Personally I find that pretty much useless because I want to find my photos not my files - finding a particular photo i9s impossible with your old method unless you know where you put it I try to avoid system modifications like this if I can help it, but Default Folder is indispensable,” he says. Alternatively, use the Automatic Mode. As you follow a file organization system that you can stick with, you should always be able to find your files. Whether you have a mild case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or you just want to be able to quickly find the files you need, you'll appreciate the benefits of a tidy Mac. Weâll go through everything you need to know about creating, using, searching, and removing tags on your Mac. The same goes for a Mac desktop. Sure, youâll need some time to teach the app how to deal with all the files. Rather than leave his desktop cluttered with icons, though, Casey has a single folder that files get shuttled into quickly. Yet, sometimes you can afford to place there some files you work with at the moment. Your system doesn't have to start out perfect and you should always be looking for ways to improve it. For Fun (images and movies) 5. Casey is content to clean up his desktop on his own with his Incoming folder, and he uses the broadest organization scheme possible (like me!). So, develop tidy habits, put all the files where they belong, say goodbye to junk. When you click on it, it will expand to show you the individual files. And like Katie, he stores a lot of documents in Evernote, and uses a keyboard launcher (Alfred) for quickly finding specific files by name. First of all, it totally makes sense to keep your docs in Documents, pics in Pictures, etc. 1. Just take a look at this desktop. “I also store many things in Evernote, rather than directly in the Finder. No need to tell you how to clean up or sort your desktop items by name, kind, date, etc. Note that you can add multiple tags (colors) to any file or folder. Subscribe to the Macworld Digital Magazine. There is still a challenge when the quantity of everything you have on the desktop is close to overwhelming. Messy, cluttered. Optionally, hold down the Command Key on your Mac's keyboard, then... Click the Move to... button. This way I have access to all my files wherever I go.”, While she’ll occasionally launch a file by name using launchers such as LaunchBar or Alfred, she says it’s usually faster to dive into her nested folder structure, ‘because I’m very particular about filing all my documents in their proper places.’”. If you drag a whole disk or if you drag a file onto a blank CD, for example, youâll drag an alias rather than a copy. I try to hold myself to keeping files there no longer than a week”—although Casey admits that “currently I have 11 files in there, the oldest of which is about a year old. On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window. He relies on a couple of third-party utilities to help manage all his files, too. If your desktop often resembles a similar picture, you may want to do something about it. Just donât colorize everything. Create a rule. The easiestway to tag an item on your desktop, simply right-click (control-click) and find the Tags section and choose a color. N.B. We have a full tutorial on how to use Stacks on your Mac that goes into great detail. One such thing you may want to know for an organization is how to make a folder on Mac. On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock to open a Finder window, then navigate to where you want... Move items into folders. In Mail, click on the email that you want to sort. That is the recipe for finding the required pieces of data quickly, saving your time for something that is really important. Select Organize > New Folder. 1 â Keep your files nested under the app folder until a common thread emerges. Use folders and rules to organize your inbox on a Mac. Click on the folder to which you want to send the message or messages. Macworld Senior Editor Dan Frakes literally shuddered as I described how I store all my articles for Macworld in a single folder, with no other taxonomy in place. For most, properly named and located folders and files are just enough, but you may also try using Finder tags. In this case, those have to be nicely arranged for your convenience and eye pleasure. Katie relies on Evernote to store files that she doesn’t need to access via the traditional Finder hierarchy. Lex uses a MacBook Pro, an iPhone 5, an iPad mini, a Kindle 3, a TiVo HD, and a treadmill desk, and loves them all. In this way, you can organize your files and folders in such a manner that will make your work and personal life easier. Bartender â to manage your menu bar items. Those colorful labels can help you organize files on your Mac even better. You can use tags to organize your files and folders on your Mac. How do I organize my files? John also added the few files that he opens the most often to his Quicksilver catalog. Macworld Senior Contributor, podcaster, and verbose OS X reviewer John Siracusa organizes his files “by category, from general to specific.” Mostly. A stack is a collection of similar files, but itâs different from a folder. The app is quite easy to grasp. Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc. As already established in the previous paragraph, Smart Folders allow you to curate all the different files on your Mac in one place and organize them in a ⦠Programs and Applications 4. You can easily find all kinds of files in Finder if you properly use folders and tags for them. But for the basics, you can use one of these methods to enable and group Stacks from your desktop. Folders are a great way to organize albums even further. Organize files in folders on Mac Create a folder. With Hazel, Federico can automatically organize files (and delete unneeded ones), so that his Mac cleans up his files before anything gets too unwieldy. Mac lets you nest folders within other folders in the Notes app. For example, Pages, Keynote, and most iCloud enabled apps routinely make a folder ⦠Click âThis Macâ and then click the + in the right corner. Select your inbox or another folder you want to work with. But if we’ve learned just one thing, it’s this: Nobody except for Federico Viticci uses Tags…yet. When it comes time for John to find his files again, he uses “the Finder, Open dialog boxes, and the Terminal…about equally.”, One feature he doesn’t use is OS X’s All My Files feature. OrganizermaX is an all-new version which has been thought from the ground up: it has got a very simple to use interface. https://macmost.com/e-1641 You can use folders to organize your files inside the Documents folder on your Mac. Click on New Folder. UpToDown, Mac, Excellent and highly recommended program that helps you keep your Mac clean and tidy. Right? “However, I’ve created a symbolic link to this folder in my Dropbox account…. “I have way too many files for All My Files to be useful to me,” he says. That said, a stack of papers in my home office’s To Be Filed box could make a grown man cry; I’m afraid the files on my Mac are organized no better. But he’s already started experimenting with Tags in Mavericks. Or the few that you use often for certain period of time. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Just don’t colorize everything. As a result, you are more productive and organized. It may sound a bit too strict or limiting but, in fact, itâs a nice thing to get used to. So I may in the future.” She doesn’t use All My Files, either. When your copied data, temporary or often-used files, and quick notes are stored in Unclutter, you can easily keep the desktop clutter-free. Learn how to organize files on your Mac desktop from the following tips. There are several ways to tag a file or folder with colors or keywords. Launch Photos on your Mac. If you want to save the Smart Folder so you can come back to it, click Save and then name the folder. Displaying tags 4. It's easy to do. After youâve managed to clean up your digital working space, everything should be better arranged and easier to find. One example: “After moving away from iPhoto, I set up a Hazel rule that runs on my Mac mini server and automatically sorts photos in Year/Month subfolders in my Dropbox so that photos are available on all my devices.”, Federico also uses a smart strategy to ensure that date-named folders sort effectively: He uses a mixed filename style (like “11 – November”). Either right-click on My Albums in the sidebar, or hover above and then click on the + ⦠John uses St. Clair Software’s $35 Default Folder X to quickly navigate to frequently accessed locations for saving files. Moving files and sorting them is boring, so I let Hazel do that for me with rules for renaming files using variables (such as dates, which Hazel can automatically extract from a PDF) or AppleScript.”, Federico relies on Noodlesoft’s $28 Hazel to apply discipline to his file management: “Like many others, I’m guilty of saving temporary files to my desktop thinking that, sometime during the day, I will clean it up and trash them. For most, properly named and located folders and files are just enough, but you may also try using Finder tags. Macworld senior contributor, John Siracusa. You could create a folder named âfriendsâ to house all of those albums, which helps keep your Photos app organized further. The same happens if you drag an item into some applications. I have dozens of Hazel rules set up, but I have several specialized rules set up for my Desktop, Downloads, and Scanned folders so that Hazel will look at these documents to determine what they are, based on their type, content, or other criteria, and will then automatically name and file them for me.”, And Hazel isn’t the only app Katie relies on for keeping her files organized. Also like John, Katie uses third-party utilities to keep her files organized. My own Mac stores oodles files of all types—my photos, my music, and thousands of text and Word documents. And if you believe itâs better to see once â watch Unclutter in action. And use those great Mac apps to help you with all that. If you need a powerful app to completely organize not only your Desktop but also Downloads and other folders in a Mac â go for Spotless. “I tend to use more nesting for things I create myself than for things I get from elsewhere,” he says. In a new Finder window, click File > New Smart Folder. To finally tidy up that messy desktop (or any other folder), you either drag the items to the menu barâs Drop Target or schedule automatic clean-ups. Soon youâll start feeling a little more organized, focused and productive. Type the name of your new folder and press return on your keyboard. When you have a lot of albums, it may be better to clean it all up by organizing albums into folders, which are like collections of albums. Major Geeks, Easy File Organizer is a one-click folder manager to unclutter your Desktop and folders. You can use Stacks instead of creating subfolders. A cluttered desktop shouldnât be an issue after you apply all of these tips and recommendations. The Stacks feature in the new macOS Mojave is also a good thing to try. But once youâve done it, the results are incredible. That way, he can trigger those files quickly—and he keeps that list of files very short. But the operative descriptor there is “your”: You need to find an approach that’s all your own—one that you can stick to. You can put folders inside of folders and use as many as you need to group your files however you want them. Whether you own a Windows PC, a Mac, or mobile devices, your files are probably continuing to accumulate and may be at a point where it's getting difficult to find what you want, In this article, I'll help you understand how to organize files on your computer, make them easier to find, and understand how folders and data work. This is an excellent way to organize tasks for a project or categories for a topic. How To Organize the Files On Your Mac It important to come up with an organization system for your files on your Mac that meets your needs. Unclutter is a handy window that sits above your desktop and can be summoned whenever needed. “I’ve been using Default Folder since the days of the classic Mac OS. Katie says that she tries “to stick to Apple’s preferred organization method by keeping all my documents in the Documents folder, Photos inside iPhoto, media in iTunes,” and so on. Your desktop is supposed to be clean and display that amazing HD... Find files faster: name your files and folders strategically. This guide will teach you how to make a folder on Mac. Click View > Use Stacks from the menu bar. Thus, youâll have your most used photos, screenshots, books, documents, etc.
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