Microsoft Windows is prone to clutter. The operating system isn't always at fault. You download a ton of programs and data, as well as making your own original material, until your “Downloads” directory resembles an old content dump. You can't see your lovely wallpaper on your desktop since it is covered in icons. Your Start Menu resembles a buffet of apps. Your operating system is a mess, but it can still be fixed.
At Lifehacker, we take spring cleaning very seriously. It would be uncharacteristic of us to pass up the chance to renew, restructure, and clean our houses and lives. We're also really excited to reset our gadget usage, examine our finances carefully, and get rid of daily routines that have started to smell a little musty. Welcome to Spring Cleaning Week, where we get rid of the winter's dust and prepare the way for brighter days. Let's tidy up the situation, shall we?
You may use a few free programs to give your Windows environment the much-needed organization it needs. Listed here are some of our favorites:
DropIt
Picture: DropIt
This app has been discussed before, but it's still relevant now. If you're the type of person who downloads (or copies to your PC) everything into a single folder—a huge, spreading hub that many files enter but seldom leave—DropIt is a fantastic tool that can help you stay organized.
With DropIt, you may create a huge variety of rules that take effect whenever you drag files over the utility's little icon. For instance, you can instruct the program to always place image files in your primary photographs folder, video files in your films folder, and Word documents in your documents folder.
That's only the beginning. If you want to get more sophisticated, DropIt can automatically scan folders (like your Downloads folder) and apply more sophisticated filters to anything it finds. For example, it can automatically unzip archives, rename files in accordance with your specifications, or compress large batches of files that are otherwise taking up a little bit more space than you would like.
In Windows, automation is a great method to keep yourself organized, and DropIt essentially provides you a virtual assistant at your disposal.
digiKam
Photograph: DigiKam
The free tool digiKam is a fantastic alternative if you need to organize your enormous photo library but don't want to spend money on Adobe Lightroom.
Utilize this software to organize your photos and add (or change) information so you can easily discover what you're looking for in a single library. If you're also a little bit of a photo perfectionist, digiKam can edit your RAW and normal photos to make them flawless.
Using this program to organize photos is a far better option than simply dropping them into random Windows folders. You'll thank yourself afterwards and have a lot lower chance of losing (or forgetting about) photographs in the future thanks to your jumbled hard disk.
LaunchBox
Picture of LaunchBox
We're going to presume that all the ROMs scattered over that nightmare folder structure in the “Games” folder on your hard drive are entirely legal and won't inquire as to why you have so many emulators set up on your PC. Right? Keeping these games under control will feel daunting if you recently spent the day getting your nostalgia fix by downloading archives of thousands of various retro games to play on your contemporary PC.
We recommend downloading LaunchBox, a fantastic “game organizer” tool that enables you to swiftly search and play games in your sizable library. You may use the app's crowd-sourced database to add pertinent details to your titles, such as release dates, genres, publishers, and photos. You can even flag particular games as favorites to make them simpler to find when you have some free time.
Additionally, LaunchBox makes it (very) simple to import games from your preferred distribution services, such as Steam, Battle.net, and Google Play (to name a few). LaunchBox is a terrific way to arrange your games under one virtual roof if you're the world's greatest gamer who plays everything you can download and constantly grabs new titles to try from all the major sites.
Screenshot of AquaSnap by Nurgo Software
I assume everyone is familiar with Windows Aero Snap shortcuts. To send your active window flying around your screen, press the Windows key and one of the arrow keys on your keyboard. It will minimize, open, shrink to fit only a portion of your display, and then completely bounce off your main display (if you have a multi-monitor setup).
With AquaSnap, this idea is given a major boost. Similar to Aero Snap, you can snap your windows to various areas of your display, but you can also do a lot more.
