Celebrating National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day

Every year on the third Monday of October, we celebrate National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day. This day was created by the PC Museum in Brantford, Canada in 2010. It has been said that an organized desk makes for organized thought and increased efficiency, and your virtual desktop is no different. Today, we’re going to talk about some ways in which you can celebrate National Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day, while also optimizing your computer’s performance. Let’s begin.

Get Rid of Unused Files

If you’ve had your computer for a while, there are bound to be old or unused files hanging around and taking up space. Now would be a good time to go through all your files and determine which ones you can get rid of. While you’re at it, go ahead and delete any temporary files and cookies. All of these files take up space and over time, when old and unused files start piling up, it can affect the performance of your computer.

Organize Your Files

Now that you’ve got those pesky old files out of the way, consider organizing any important files that you need to keep on your computer. You can get as detailed as you’d like by creating new folders and sub-folders, or you can go as far as creating an entirely new file structure for yourself.

Another great way to organize files is by creating a file naming convention. Most often, this is achieved by naming files by their type, along with their date of creation; however, you can name files in any way that you see fit, as long as you can remember the purpose behind your naming convention. If there are any particularly important folders you want at the top of a list, add a “!” before the folder name. This will ensure that folders with “!” always appear at the top of any list of folders.

Cloud Storage and Backup

You may have older files that are still important, or ones that you don’t have to access very frequently. In this case, you might feel comfortable removing them from your primary computer and saving them elsewhere. Nowadays, many people like to use cloud storage in order to free up space on their primary computer or device. This is also great for protecting files in the event your hard drive crashes.

In the old days, people used thumb drives or other external hard drives to create backup files. This is another way in which you can organize older files or important files that require additional protection. The key here is to store your external hard drive in a place where you won’t lose it, since those files won’t do you any good if you can’t access them.

Perform Maintenance

A car that isn’t properly maintained won’t perform very well, and you run the risk of ruining the engine in the absence of regular oil changes. Your computer works in very much the same way, and requires regular upkeep and maintenance. For PC users, defragmenting the hard drive is an essential practice that should be performed once a month in order to maintain efficient performance. Along with this, take a look at your startup menu via the control panel, and remove any unnecessary programs that are slowing down the startup process. Updating your computer’s operating system is also very important, so make sure you check for available updates once in a while.

For laptops, unplug the charger once you’ve got a full charge. By keeping the charger connected at all times you’re running the risk of overcharging, which could damage the battery over time. In addition to taking care of your computer’s insides, take some time to dust and clean the outside. Fan exhausts may get caked with dust, and a gentle brush should help clear any debris. Canned air is great for cleaning the keyboard, and alcohol wipes work well for cleaning the screen. Make sure you turn your computer off before you clean it.

Set Reminders in Your Calendar

In order to stay on top of maintenance and the organization of your virtual desktop, use your computer’s calendar to set reminders at regular intervals. These tasks can be performed whenever you have free time, whether it’s during a break at work or during any downtime you might have. Keeping up with maintenance will ensure that your computer is running efficiently, and you’ll be far less likely to run into problems later on.

You may also want to customize your virtual desktop with a nice background or a unique theme, just make sure it’s something that you’ll feel comfortable looking at for extended periods of time—you wouldn’t want to strain your eyes! Lastly, if a friend or a coworker doesn’t know how to defragment their hard drive or isn’t savvy with cloud storage or other aspects of computer maintenance, lend them your expertise. Sharing your skills with others is a great way to boost morale around the office.