Yes, digital storage is cheap but I think I have taken it too far. I have a terabyte of storage with Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive Storage, Dropbox storage and a backup drive in addition to my computer. Recently I had to take my computer into the Microsoft Store because I couldn’t get the software to load. They weren’t able to get it to load either so they recommended a complete reset of my computer back to factory specs. Worried that I would lose something, I bought another terabyte drive from Microsoft and had them back up everything to the new drive
The downside with so much storage is that I’m not always sure where I’ve put something. I try to put photos on the Google Drive, personal documents on the Microsoft One Drive and business files on the standalone hard drive. I wish I could tell you this plan works but it doesn’t always.
This week I tried to do a little housekeeping and found that I had 3 copies of everything I keep in the My Document folder in three different places. I never knew which one was the most recent version so I decided I had to do something about it. I went through the tedious process of comparing files and eliminating the duplications. Toward the end of the day, I was feeling pretty good about how much progress I had made and how much easier it was to find documents. But before I could pat myself on the back, my worst digital nightmare occurred!
I clicked on a file to delete it from my Microsoft One Drive and didn’t realize I had clicked on the folder instead until I saw the whole folder disappear and the message that 1195 files had been permanently deleted.
My first reaction was an immediate need to vomit and a rush of questions. Years of documents and pictures gone! Could I live without them? Could I rebuild from some other source? After my initial shock, I went to the cloud storage to confirm they were really gone. Then I checked my Recycle bin. Nope, they weren’t there. By this time, I am really panicking. There was no way I could rebuild that information. What could I do?
I’m not a big fan of background applications, as they tend to hog resources and slow down your computer. An exception needs to be made for Hazel (Mac OSX) and Belvedere (Windows). I haven't check but I hope these programs are still available. These incredible programs act like digital housekeepers for your hard drive. You start by telling Hazel or Belvedere which folders to monitor. The program keeps tabs on the My Downloads folder and runs a set of rules every time you add something new to it such as downloading something from the Internet. The program also automatically moves pictures, documents, and music to their respective folders, and even auto-trashes files that have been sitting in my downloads folder for more than a week. The program’s power just grows from there. If you’re already stuck with a cluttered computer, why not set it to do a sweep through the hard drive itself? Give it a decent set of rules and it can do an incredible amount of work for you, organizing files based on their type and generally making your life that much easier. Schedule regular purging sessions (at least once every 6 months) on your calendar to clean up old digital items from your system.
The downside with so much storage is that I’m not always sure where I’ve put something. I try to put photos on the Google Drive, personal documents on the Microsoft One Drive and business files on the standalone hard drive. I wish I could tell you this plan works but it doesn’t always.
This week I tried to do a little housekeeping and found that I had 3 copies of everything I keep in the My Document folder in three different places. I never knew which one was the most recent version so I decided I had to do something about it. I went through the tedious process of comparing files and eliminating the duplications. Toward the end of the day, I was feeling pretty good about how much progress I had made and how much easier it was to find documents. But before I could pat myself on the back, my worst digital nightmare occurred!
I clicked on a file to delete it from my Microsoft One Drive and didn’t realize I had clicked on the folder instead until I saw the whole folder disappear and the message that 1195 files had been permanently deleted.
My first reaction was an immediate need to vomit and a rush of questions. Years of documents and pictures gone! Could I live without them? Could I rebuild from some other source? After my initial shock, I went to the cloud storage to confirm they were really gone. Then I checked my Recycle bin. Nope, they weren’t there. By this time, I am really panicking. There was no way I could rebuild that information. What could I do?
Being a fan of spy and cop shows, I have seen a lot of TV dramas where data was recovered after it was deleted. Was this just TV fiction or could I still get my files back? My understanding was that if I had any hope of recovering my files then I didn’t want to do anything that would generate a file as the system might use the space where my deleted files were stored to put the new file. I briefly considered taking my laptop to a professional to see if they could restore my files. My concern was that since this was the week before Christmas would I be able to find anyone to do the work? I also knew that I couldn’t use my computer until the issue was fixed or it would use the space so I decided that was the last resort.
What to do? What to do? I decided to turn to the internet to see what I could find. A quick search and I found a software called EaseUS Data Recovery that would restore permanently deleted files. I looked at the site to make sure it was legit and then did a search to see if there were any bad reviews. Having done a little due diligence, I nervously purchased a key and downloaded the software. It immediately found my missing folder so I started the process to restore.
While the process was working, I decided to check my email. Low and behold, I see an email from Microsoft. The email says they noticed I deleted a lot of files on my cloud drive. They stated they wanted to remind me that the Recycle Bin on my Cloud Drive would be emptied in 30 days. WAIT? WHAT? There is a Recycle Bin on my cloud drive, too? I quickly opened the cloud drive through my browser and sure enough, all of my deleted files were in the Recycle Bin! Oh, well! Too late. I could have saved myself $69.00 but I consider it a lesson learned.
What to do? What to do? I decided to turn to the internet to see what I could find. A quick search and I found a software called EaseUS Data Recovery that would restore permanently deleted files. I looked at the site to make sure it was legit and then did a search to see if there were any bad reviews. Having done a little due diligence, I nervously purchased a key and downloaded the software. It immediately found my missing folder so I started the process to restore.
While the process was working, I decided to check my email. Low and behold, I see an email from Microsoft. The email says they noticed I deleted a lot of files on my cloud drive. They stated they wanted to remind me that the Recycle Bin on my Cloud Drive would be emptied in 30 days. WAIT? WHAT? There is a Recycle Bin on my cloud drive, too? I quickly opened the cloud drive through my browser and sure enough, all of my deleted files were in the Recycle Bin! Oh, well! Too late. I could have saved myself $69.00 but I consider it a lesson learned.
Why am I telling you about this embarrassing experience? I am recounting all this so someone else doesn’t make the mistakes I made. If you find you are also a digital packrat, there are many articles on the web about how to digitally declutter. I thought I would share some of the ideas I liked:
First and foremost-Don’t panic!
We live in an amazing age where there are solutions to many technical problems. Check out the web or ask around. Someone else might have experienced the same issue and can help you. It can also seem overwhelming to start the declutter process but just take it one step at a time.Backup now!
Storage really is cheap and so worth the price of keeping all those family photos. Before you start doing any deleting — backup everything important to you, whether in the cloud, by syncing with another computer or by using an external hard drive.Identify and Inventory the Problem
The task of physical decluttering often starts by surveying what areas of the house have become overly filled with junk, and deciding on a plan for what should stay and what should go. The job of digital decluttering should begin in the same way.Design a file structure that works for you
There are many ways to structure the files on your computer. But if you’ve got all of your data files — photos, PDFs, text documents and more — cluttering your desktop, you could benefit from establishing and using a basic file structure — much like you would organize your paper files.- First, decide what your highest level folders will be. These are the big parts of your life. From your photos, to work files, to finances to half-written sci-fi novels, these are the categories that will serve as the first portal into your digital life. Many people put them in My Documents”. You could also put them in the cloud. Just make sure you set up a regular sync process. Don’t put them on your desktop because if your computer crashes you may lose everything.
- Put all the free-floating files into the correct top level folders. Put any errant photos in the big photo folder. All taxes, bills and more in the finances folder. (Or whatever folders you’ve made for yourself).
- Then, organize each big top-level folder into smaller, more specific sub-folders, one at a time. Take it one folder at a time, and start putting files (or other folders) in an order that will make sense when you need to find them again. Consolidate existing folders so they begin to fit into your new, more organized file structure. Don’t be afraid to go deep with sub-folders. You don’t really want to have a folder with say, 1 file in it, but you don’t want to stop at a folder that has like, 50 files in it.
- Keep working on organizing your file structure — Once everything is in its proper place — here’s the key part — stick to your file structure! Some folks use third-party apps to automatic certain tasks, others reorganize how their desktop works with an app like Fences for PC. And there's the old "file later" folder you can stick on your desktop, regularly emptying it out. Chances are there's an area on your computer or a type of file that gets most out of hand for you — do extra research on how to keep those types of files organized most efficiently and the rest of your computer filing might be a breeze.
Dump the junk software!
It’s not easy. It’s not fun, either, but it’s absolutely necessary if you have dozens of programs littered across your desktop. Take a good look at the applications you use on a daily basis. You’ll find, in most cases, that it’s only a handful, which raises serious questions about the rest still clogging up your taskbar.Schedule a monthly task to eliminate old downloaded software and programs.
Downloaded files and old software that is no longer used get forgotten. They also take up space and slow your computer. Set up an automated task reminder to spend an hour cleaning out your download folder or eliminating software you never use. If it’s done on a regular basis it won’t be quite as intimidating.
Let Hazel or Belvedere do the work!
I’m not a big fan of background applications, as they tend to hog resources and slow down your computer. An exception needs to be made for Hazel (Mac OSX) and Belvedere (Windows). I haven't check but I hope these programs are still available. These incredible programs act like digital housekeepers for your hard drive. You start by telling Hazel or Belvedere which folders to monitor. The program keeps tabs on the My Downloads folder and runs a set of rules every time you add something new to it such as downloading something from the Internet. The program also automatically moves pictures, documents, and music to their respective folders, and even auto-trashes files that have been sitting in my downloads folder for more than a week. The program’s power just grows from there. If you’re already stuck with a cluttered computer, why not set it to do a sweep through the hard drive itself? Give it a decent set of rules and it can do an incredible amount of work for you, organizing files based on their type and generally making your life that much easier. Schedule regular purging sessions (at least once every 6 months) on your calendar to clean up old digital items from your system.
Why not go into the New Year clutter-free? As an admitted digital packrat, I can tell you it's an amazingly liberating feeling!
