Office 365 is a cloud-based productivity suite that is popular with small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It’s offered in a wide variety of subscription plans, making it even more popular among businesses. To deal with users’ concerns with storing/accessing data within Office 365, Microsoft has released Office Delve.

What is Office Delve?

Office Delve is a cloud-based data visualization tool that helps business users get the most out of their data related to Office 365. This nifty tool allows you to:

• Discover new information – Delve displays information from different sources in Office 365 that you may find useful for what you’re currently working on.
• Discover what you need – Documents you have seen before, or have recently worked on, are highlighted and made easier for you to find, regardless of where they are stored. This makes it less taxing to find work you have been doing in the past, and continue from where you left off.
• Discover new connections – Typing a name in Office 365 will allow you to see what a user is working on, their connections, and even connect with them to build relationships and share information. 

How does it work?

Microsoft has powered Delve with a tool called Graph to provide users with information they’ll likely find useful. Graph maps the relationships between the various Office 365 users in your company, and the content/information related to them.

This “map” is then used by Delve to provide users with what they need, when they need it. Content and information is displayed on a card-based screen, which can be found under the Delve tab in the main Office 365 launch screen.

Aside from content such as profile information, links to documents, or information, users can also see: likes, views, comments, and tags, which brings a deeper social integration into Office 365.

Delve also orders content a number of different ways, including:

• What you’ve recently worked on – shows you content in card-form that you have recently opened or worked on
• Content that has been shared with you – shows the content your colleagues have shared with you
• Content that has been presented to you – shows content that colleagues have presented recently, or content that has been sent to you

While this idea works great on the desktop, many Office 365 users access their systems from their mobile devices. The good news is that Delve is also available to mobile users. On your device, you can browse cards with files, swipe left or right on each card to view files, and even search for colleagues and view files they have shared with you and their recent activity.

Is my data safe with Office Delve?

In Delve, only you can see your documents because there are no changes in permissions. Unauthorized third parties cannot view your activities, like what documents you opened, what emails you sent out and received, or what conversations you had on Skype for Business. Other people can see that you edited a document, but only if they have access to that same file.

If you are looking to learn more about Delve, contact us today.

More and more small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are relying on Microsoft’s Office 365 as their productivity suite of choice. When this software solution was released years ago, the developers mentioned that they see Office 365 as the ideal tool to help colleagues become more productive, collaborate more efficiently, and get work done. Bringing all these elements together is Microsoft’s Office Delve.

What is Office Delve?

Office Delve is a cloud-based data visualization tool that helps business users get the most out of their data related to Office 365. This nifty tool allows you to:

• Discover new information – Delve displays information from different sources in Office 365 that you may find useful for what you’re currently working on.
• Discover what you need – Documents you have seen before, or have recently worked on, are highlighted and made easier for you to find, regardless of where they are stored. This makes it less taxing to find work you have been doing in the past, and continue from where you left off.
• Discover new connections – Typing a name in Office 365 will allow you to see what a user is working on, their connections, and even connect with them to build relationships and share information. 

How does it work?

Microsoft has powered Delve with a tool called Graph to provide users with information they’ll likely find useful. Graph maps the relationships between the various Office 365 users in your company, and the content/information related to them.

This “map” is then used by Delve to provide users with what they need, when they need it. Content and information is displayed on a card-based screen, which can be found under the Delve tab in the main Office 365 launch screen.

Aside from content such as profile information, links to documents, or information, users can also see: likes, views, comments, and tags, which brings a deeper social integration into Office 365.

Delve also orders content a number of different ways, including:

• What you’ve recently worked on – shows you content in card-form that you have recently opened or worked on
• Content that has been shared with you – shows the content your colleagues have shared with you
• Content that has been presented to you – shows content that colleagues have presented recently, or content that has been sent to you

While this idea works great on the desktop, many Office 365 users access their systems from their mobile devices. The good news is that Delve is also available to mobile users. On your device, you can browse cards with files, swipe left or right on each card to view files, and even search for colleagues and view files they have shared with you and their recent activity.

Is my data safe with Office Delve?

In Delve, only you can see your documents because there are no changes in permissions. Unauthorized third parties cannot view your activities, like what documents you opened, what emails you sent out and received, or what conversations you had on Skype for Business. Other people can see that you edited a document, but only if they have access to that same file.

If you are looking to learn more about Delve, contact us today.

Microsoft Office 365 is constantly gaining popularity with small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This means the amount of data created by Office 365 is growing, posing some challenges in tracking connections and information. This is where the Office Delve feature comes in handy.

What is Office Delve?

Office Delve is a cloud-based data visualization tool that helps business users get the most out of their data related to Office 365. This nifty tool allows you to:

• Discover new information – Delve displays information from different sources in Office 365 that you may find useful for what you’re currently working on.
• Discover what you need – Documents you have seen before, or have recently worked on, are highlighted and made easier for you to find, regardless of where they are stored. This makes it less taxing to find work you have been doing in the past, and continue from where you left off.
• Discover new connections – Typing a name in Office 365 will allow you to see what a user is working on, their connections, and even connect with them to build relationships and share information. 

How does it work?

Microsoft has powered Delve with a tool called Graph to provide users with information they’ll likely find useful. Graph maps the relationships between the various Office 365 users in your company, and the content/information related to them.

This “map” is then used by Delve to provide users with what they need, when they need it. Content and information is displayed on a card-based screen, which can be found under the Delve tab in the main Office 365 launch screen.

Aside from content such as profile information, links to documents, or information, users can also see: likes, views, comments, and tags, which brings a deeper social integration into Office 365.

Delve also orders content a number of different ways, including:

• What you’ve recently worked on – shows you content in card-form that you have recently opened or worked on
• Content that has been shared with you – shows the content your colleagues have shared with you
• Content that has been presented to you – shows content that colleagues have presented recently, or content that has been sent to you

While this idea works great on the desktop, many Office 365 users access their systems from their mobile devices. The good news is that Delve is also available to mobile users. On your device, you can browse cards with files, swipe left or right on each card to view files, and even search for colleagues and view files they have shared with you and their recent activity.

Is my data safe with Office Delve?

In Delve, only you can see your documents because there are no changes in permissions. Unauthorized third parties cannot view your activities, like what documents you opened, what emails you sent out and received, or what conversations you had on Skype for Business. Other people can see that you edited a document, but only if they have access to that same file.

If you are looking to learn more about Delve, contact us today.

Every business, regardless of size and industry, needs to have an online presence these days. To publish your own website, you’ll need a web host. Here’s a quick overview of what a web host is and the two most common types of hosting.

What is a web host?
A web host sells or leases memory space on its servers so your website can have a virtual location on the internet. Their services include online storage for all of your site’s files and web pages.

Many web hosts also offer domain name hosting, which creates a web address that users can type to access your website (e.g. google.com, inc.com, etc.). Combine these two hosting services and you have the main foundations for your website.

You can also get domain-based email addresses (e.g. ryan@google.com) and website databases from web hosts. Essentially, your web host can store everything your website needs.

When you sign up with a web host, you will usually pay a monthly fee, which the company uses to maintain and invest in new servers for hosting, increase access speeds, and provide better services.

What are the two most common types of web hosting?
There are hundreds, if not thousands of web hosts around the world, but they usually fall in one of two categories:

• Shared hosting – Multiple, different websites are stored on one physical hosting server. Sites have their own partition (section of storage) that is kept separate from other sites on the same server.
• Dedicated hosting – One website is hosted per server. This means you have all of the server’s capacity to yourself.

Which hosting type is best for my business website?
Most websites use shared hosting because it’s more affordable while still offering generally stable access and access speeds. This is the ideal hosting type for most small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fairly simple websites.

If your website is going to be large (e.g. thousands of pages) and you are going to host complex features like advanced eCommerce, streaming, etc., then it would be best to opt for a dedicated hosting service. Examples of large sites include Google, Amazon, and government sites, among others.

With numerous web hosts out there, selecting the right fit can be quite challenging. But with our IT expertise and solutions, we can help you find the web host that will work best for your business needs. Contact us today to get started with your online presence.

Are you looking to create a website for your business? Aside from the design and functionality of your website, make sure you also look into your web host. To get you started, here is a quick explanation of what a web host is and the two most common types of hosting.

What is a web host?
A web host sells or leases memory space on its servers so your website can have a virtual location on the internet. Their services include online storage for all of your site’s files and web pages.

Many web hosts also offer domain name hosting, which creates a web address that users can type to access your website (e.g. google.com, inc.com, etc.). Combine these two hosting services and you have the main foundations for your website.

You can also get domain-based email addresses (e.g. ryan@google.com) and website databases from web hosts. Essentially, your web host can store everything your website needs.

When you sign up with a web host, you will usually pay a monthly fee, which the company uses to maintain and invest in new servers for hosting, increase access speeds, and provide better services.

What are the two most common types of web hosting?
There are hundreds, if not thousands of web hosts around the world, but they usually fall in one of two categories:

• Shared hosting – Multiple, different websites are stored on one physical hosting server. Sites have their own partition (section of storage) that is kept separate from other sites on the same server.
• Dedicated hosting – One website is hosted per server. This means you have all of the server’s capacity to yourself.

Which hosting type is best for my business website?
Most websites use shared hosting because it’s more affordable while still offering generally stable access and access speeds. This is the ideal hosting type for most small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fairly simple websites.

If your website is going to be large (e.g. thousands of pages) and you are going to host complex features like advanced eCommerce, streaming, etc., then it would be best to opt for a dedicated hosting service. Examples of large sites include Google, Amazon, and government sites, among others.

With numerous web hosts out there, selecting the right fit can be quite challenging. But with our IT expertise and solutions, we can help you find the web host that will work best for your business needs. Contact us today to get started with your online presence.

Businesses need to have an online presence these days, and that usually starts with having a website. But to access your website on the internet, you need to partner with a web host. This blog post breaks down the basics of a web host and the two most common types of hosting.

What is a web host?
A web host sells or leases memory space on its servers so your website can have a virtual location on the internet. Their services include online storage for all of your site’s files and web pages.

Many web hosts also offer domain name hosting, which creates a web address that users can type to access your website (e.g. google.com, inc.com, etc.). Combine these two hosting services and you have the main foundations for your website.

You can also get domain-based email addresses (e.g. ryan@google.com) and website databases from web hosts. Essentially, your web host can store everything your website needs.

When you sign up with a web host, you will usually pay a monthly fee, which the company uses to maintain and invest in new servers for hosting, increase access speeds, and provide better services.

What are the two most common types of web hosting?
There are hundreds, if not thousands of web hosts around the world, but they usually fall in one of two categories:

• Shared hosting – Multiple, different websites are stored on one physical hosting server. Sites have their own partition (section of storage) that is kept separate from other sites on the same server.
• Dedicated hosting – One website is hosted per server. This means you have all of the server’s capacity to yourself.

Which hosting type is best for my business website?
Most websites use shared hosting because it’s more affordable while still offering generally stable access and access speeds. This is the ideal hosting type for most small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with fairly simple websites.

If your website is going to be large (e.g. thousands of pages) and you are going to host complex features like advanced eCommerce, streaming, etc., then it would be best to opt for a dedicated hosting service. Examples of large sites include Google, Amazon, and government sites, among others.

With numerous web hosts out there, selecting the right fit can be quite challenging. But with our IT expertise and solutions, we can help you find the web host that will work best for your business needs. Contact us today to get started with your online presence.

Anything that hinders productivity is considered detrimental to profit, and a cluttered computer is one of them. Even a little time spent looking for files and applications in a crowded desktop can eventually add up to hours of downtime. Worse, it can mean losing critical data like important reports. Here are some tips to help your employees clear their desktops and optimize their virtual working space.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.

Anything that hinders productivity is considered detrimental to profit, and a cluttered computer is one of them. Even a little time spent looking for files and applications in a crowded desktop can eventually add up to hours of downtime. Worse, it can mean losing critical data like important reports. Here are some tips to help your employees clear their desktops and optimize their virtual working space.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.

Have your computers slowed down? As a business owner, you rely on your PC to get work done and keep productivity up. But a cluttered desktop can lead to lagging systems. Here are simple fixes to get you back on track.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.

Have your computers slowed down? As a business owner, you rely on your PC to get work done and keep productivity up. But a cluttered desktop can lead to lagging systems. Here are simple fixes to get you back on track.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.

If you’re like many users, you’ve probably found it convenient to pile up your desktop with a lot of files.. Over time though, this method creates a confusing display screen that can give anyone a headache.. What started as a way to quickly grab files becomes the opposite and you waste time wading through a crowded desktop to find that crucial document. Boost your productivity and unburden you computer’s resources with these simple tips.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.

If you’re like many users, you’ve probably found it convenient to pile up your desktop with a lot of files.. Over time though, this method creates a confusing display screen that can give anyone a headache.. What started as a way to quickly grab files becomes the opposite and you waste time wading through a crowded desktop to find that crucial document. Boost your productivity and unburden you computer’s resources with these simple tips.

1. Before you begin, do a bit of recon

Before you go about deleting everything from your desktop, think about what you really want to keep. This will be vary from person to person, but most people treat their desktop as a place where they put files, folders, and app shortcuts that they want to access quickly.

Take the time to prioritize your files and folders. An easy way to do this is to right-click on an empty area of your desktop (where there are no icons) and select “Auto arrange icons”. This will organize your icons into a grid format that makes it easier for you to see and work with them. Then, right-click on the empty space and hover your mouse over “Sort by” and select “Date modified” to arrange the icons by the date they were last opened, with the latest on top.

2. Create holding and app shortcut folders

People often use their desktop to hold files like downloads, photos, screenshots, and even email attachments. This can lead to a messy desktop in a short period of time.

In truth, you probably don’t need all these shortcuts on your desktop. Instead, create a folder on your desktop for all non-essential files and folders.

Use this folder for non-important or temporary items. If you don’t intend to keep a file, icon, photo, etc. for long, put it in this folder. Once you are done with the file, simply go to the holding folder and delete it.

It also helps if you create a shortcut folder. When you install new programs on Windows, a shortcut icon is often automatically added to your desktop. However, these desktop shortcuts should be for frequently used programs only. For programs that aren’t used that often, it is best to create a separate folder.

3. Be ruthless in cleaning

Once you have your folders set up, it’s time to get rid of the clutter. If you haven’t used a file, folder, etc. in the past two months or so, you should seriously consider getting rid of it.

Examine your desktop and uninstall programs you no longer use, delete images you don’t need, move unimportant files, and place the rest in relevant folders. Once completed, take a look at your browser to see where it stores downloaded files. If your browser downloads files to your desktop by default, go to Settings and change the target location to the Downloads folder.

4. Stick with your plan

Once you have decluttered your desktop, try to stick with the rules you’ve made. Whenever you download something, ask yourself whether this should go to the desktop or someplace else.

Of course, sticking with these rules won’t always be easy, so take time once or twice a month to revisit your desktop and clean it up a bit.

5. Use the taskbar or Start menu for apps

With Windows 10, you can actually pin apps to the Start menu and the bottom taskbar. This is a great alternative to simply having program shortcuts on your desktop. To pin apps, open your apps list (click the down arrow from the Windows Start screen) and right-click on the application you would like to pin. Simply select “Pin to Start” or “Pin to taskbar” for the option you want.

6. Strategically position your wallpaper

An interesting way to minimize clutter is to pick a wallpaper that you enjoy looking at – whether it’s your favorite picture, slogan. Frame the image so the focus is in the center of your desktop. Then, place your icons around the image in a way that they still allow you to see the image. If you can’t see the image, then you have too many icons, and it may be time to get rid of a few.

Also, having an image you like serves as a reminder to keep icons to a minimum.. It’s a proactive solution eliminate clutter from your desktop..

If you are looking to learn more about using Windows in your office, contact us today to see how we can help.