Organize Computer Files for

While I'm not a computer expert, I have traveled a lot, and I know how to organize computer files. I can function almost anywhere in the world with an almost paperless office because I've simplified my files and how I use the internet.

Many people have asked me to share how I do this, so here's my simplified approach.

The equipment I use to organize computer files in my almost paperless office includes the following:

• My laptop computer. I travel a lot, so mobility is very important for me to be able to organize computer files. You can still have an almost paperless office with a PC in your home.
• A flat-bed Scanner. When I receive a piece of paper that I need to keep, I scan it, save it as a .pdf file, and shred or recycle the paper (except for legal documents). There are many scanners available. The Canon scanner I own is small and portable (slightly larger than a laptop). It also came with great software to store, scan, and save documents into digital format like .pdfs so I can then organize computer files instead of paper.
• An external hard drive. I have a 180 GB hard drive that I back up all of my files to monthly. I also keep 2 or 3 of the previous backups in case I need something from an earlier date. It's best to keep the hard drive off-site such as in lock-box at a bank. There are many other backup options available (including uploading the information to a secure server via the internet), so research your options well and choose the one that is right for you.
• A USB flash drive (aka thumb drive). After I organize computer files on my computer, I also store my most important files on my flash drive. I take it with me to transport files to have them printed, if necessary. This also serves as another form of backup. I backup my "My Documents" folder to the flash drive weekly, or more often if I've updated critical files.
• A surge protector. This device helps protect my plugged-in electronic devices from spikes in voltage. Make sure it is labeled as providing protection from voltage spikes and is not just a "power strip", which doesn't protect from voltage spikes.
• A UPS (uninterrupted power supply). When I'm at home, I always use this. A UPS is a small unit where you plug in your computer and other electronic devices, and the device plugs into the wall. It provides back-up battery power to your electronic devices for usually about 5-15 minutes should the power go out, so you can save files and exit from programs properly without losing data. Some of these units provide surge protection also, so you may be able to do without a separate surge protector.

The services I use to organize computer files in my almost paperless office include the following:

• Online statements and bill management. I pay almost all of my bills via the internet, and if available, I request online statements. If I think I will need to save them long term (such as for tax purposes), I download the file as a .pdf and save it to my computer.
• Web-based email service. (such as Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo) The reason I chose Gmail is because I can organize computer files that I've saved in emails and access my email from anywhere in the world where there is internet. This is Very Important for those who love to travel or would love to travel! If you really want to change your life by finally organizing your email, watch Inbox Zero below, which teaches you how to get your inbox to zero every day.




• Digital fax. I don't own a fax machine, and I don't have a separate phone line for receiving faxes. Instead, I send and receive faxes through my email. After researching a lot of the digital fax companies out there, I chose FaxPipe.com. It's a good choice for the average home and for those with a small business.

  Not only do I save money every month by not having a separate phone line, I save a lot when not using all that paper and ink! I automatically receive documents in a digital file format that I can view and save on my computer. In the rare case that someone needs my physical signature and won't accept a digital signature, I save the file to my flash drive, print it out, sign it, scan it with my scanner into a .pdf file, and "fax" the file back using FaxPipe.com or email.

Tip: The best thing I've ever done to reduce paper in my office is to not own a printer. I personally don't do much printing. If I REALLY need to print something, I put the file on my USB flash drive and go to a print shop. You can do the same by burning the file to a CD. If you need to print a lot or if you don't have access to a print shop, then consider purchasing an integrated printer/scanner/copier to save space.

How I Organize Computer Files:

• I use a Windows operating system, so I organize all of my important files under My Documents. When I designed my file organization structure, I first thought of what kind of files I use most. For me, that includes various documents, music files, and pictures, so those are my main folders. Under each of these I sub-divide into sub-folders as necessary. Some sub-folder examples may include: Business, Work, Health, Financial, Bills, Schoolwork, etc.
• I also look at what kind of bookmarks I use on the internet. If there is online information as well as documents I have to save related to the same thing, such as my phone bill, I have matching file names in both my bookmarks and in My Documents. For example, I have a bookmark for the website where I pay my phone bill online, and I also have a folder in My Documents where I download and save my monthly statements and have a scanned copy of my initial contract.

Tip: Organize Passwords:

Have you ever been temporarily locked out of a website because you entered the wrong username and password too many times? One tip to organize passwords is to create a file on your computer to store all of them.

What about security? To prevent other people from accessing your password file, you must password-protect it. If you create your file in Microsoft Word or Excel, you can add password protection to the file. Here are some tutorials on how to password-protect Microsoft Office files:

For Microsoft Office 2003

For Microsoft Office 2007

That way, you only have to remember one password (to access your password file), and can look up the rest. The important thing is to make sure that password is very difficult for other people to guess. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to create your password.

Another tip is to attach and email the password file to yourself and/or put it on a USB flash drive. This way you have access to your passwords when you are traveling or away from your personal computer.

If you're really worried about security, you can type the passwords into the document as above, and then print a copy for yourself and delete the file. Just make sure to keep the hard copy in a secure place.

Tip: Organize Bookmarks (Firefox) and Organize Favorites (Internet Explorer):

The point of saving bookmarks or favorites is to navigate to a frequently-used or important page faster than it would take you to do a search, find the site and click on it, or to type in the URL and hit enter. If it is taking you longer to find the bookmark than it would be to search for it manually, it's time to reorganize.

Organize bookmarks similarly to how you would organize related files on your hard drive, in folders and subfolders. If you need more help, there is a great Firefox tutorial to Organize Bookmarks. If you use Internet Explorer, there is also a good Microsoft article to Organize Favorites.

Although how I organize computer files may not be perfect or applicable for everybody, I hope you've gotten a tip or two that you can use to reduce paper, save time, and simplify your home office.