There aren't many computers today that don't accumulate lots of files over time. Then it becomes a question of finding what you're looking for. Where are the holiday snaps? And the PDF of the insurance document?
It's important to have some kind of logical order to the files on your computer. Use the folder structure of the operating system, advises Peter Stelzel-Morawietz from German computer magazine PC Welt.
Good naming conventions for folders are vital so you can quickly recognise what's inside, says IT consultant and author Frank Ruebertus.
For example, it could be useful in the main images folder to have a sub-folder for holiday photos which then contains folders for each year. But that shouldn't go too far either. The maximum nesting should be three to five folders, Ruebertus says.
Also, there shouldn't be too many folders at the same level. Here the maximum number of folders should probably be 20 to 30 and the number of pictures in a folder should be no more than 100 to 150, the expert advises.
When it comes to larger collections of files, images or videos, it makes sense to save them not only in different folders, but also on different drives or partitions, says Stelzel-Morawietz. This serves not only for the purpose of clarity, but because it makes it easier to create backups.
Inevitably it sometimes happens that files are stored twice, even if it's only because you're not sure whether you already saved the file - and if so, where. There are plenty of freeware programmes to find and purge duplicates, says Georg Oevermann from German computer magazine Computerbild.
Of course even with the best filing system in the world, it can still sometimes be difficult to find what you're looking for. The Windows Desktop Search is a good way to find text files using a keyword, but keyword searching is more difficult when you're looking for an image.
In general the computer doesn't know what's depicted in a photo, Stelzel-Morawietz says. To facilitate searching, it makes sense to tag images with relevant keywords. This can be time-consuming and it's best to do it immediately after the photos are taken, such as with holiday snaps.
There are programmes that help with sorting and tagging. Adobe's Photoshop Elements has a helpful function for sorting photos with similar criteria, says Oevermann. Google's free programme Picasa can also be useful.
The automatic detection of people and places in photos will come in the future, Oevermann believes, because "we humans are overwhelmed by the flood of data and need support." "The programmes will recognise content and be able to deliver what you search for," Ruebertus says - assuming that's what a user wants, seeing as it'll open up issues of data protection and security.
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