Clean Up Your Windows XP Desktop

Does your Windows XP desktop look like the motherload of icons exploded? Do icons fill up half your screen, so much that you can't really enjoy that pretty wallpaper you spent all that time finding? Wouldn't you like a way to clean up your desktop and organize your work at the same time?

Here are some tips to clean up your desktop and make it work for you.

First, remember that you can re-name shortcut icons just as you can do with files. With shortcuts you can forgo the file extension, i.e. *.doc, *.txt, etc. The 'shortcut to DocumentB.doc' can be renamed 'DocB' or anything of your choice. This will allow you to take back some desktop space and help you identify the shortcut to your own scheme.

Now that we're done with the renaming the icons, it's time to group them together by our own needs. Think of the computer desktop as a real desktop. The pens, pencils, and rules go in a certain corner, while binders that you need regularly go to in another. It is the same idea with your computer desktop.

For example, on my desktop, all the icons that open the 'daily' files, that is, all the files that I use very frequently, for updates and whatnot, go on the left hand side. All the programs that I use semi-regularly go on the top of the desktop, and all the reports I have yet to finish go on the right hand corner.

To do this nicely, you need to right click on any blank area in your desktop. There is an option called "snap to grid". This will help you 'align' your icons when you are arranging them. Choose this instead of 'Auto Arrange' (unselect this option if it is selected), because really, does the computer have any idea how to auto arrange your life except by alphabetical order, time, or size? It's how you use it that counts.

If you're with me so far, here's another way to save space on the desktop without going to the 'start' button. If you want a document or a program to open just as your computer starts up, drag the icon toward the 'start' button at the bottom left of your screen, keep holding it and move it toward the 'all programs', 'accessories', and finally release it in the 'startup' section. This way, the document (or program) will start up just as your computer starts. If you're a graphic artist, this might Photoshop or CorelDraw, if you're an accounting person, you can put your Quickbooks program in there. Then there would be no need to have the icon stay on the desktop.

I can go a week without going to that 'start' menu, how about you?