Yesterday's post talked about how to create directories of the root directory and how to keep them in a certain place together by adding a letter followed by a dash (or an underline) and then a directory name that makes sense for what files you want to go in there.
Think of it like this: The 'C' drive or hard disk is kind of like a file cabinet. We'll say that the entire file cabinet is the hard disk and each drawer is like a directory and each file goes in the drawer. You can sort your files a few steps further for even more control by creating sub-files or sub-directories. This is creating folders that are underneath other folders but in the same overall directory or it is like having a file cabinet, with a drawer, with several dividers, then folders in the divided sections. It helps you go right to what you need when you need it.
So, let's do an example. Let's say you are managing a commercial truck operation and you have a team of people (or it could just be you). You decide to use the 'C-" prefix for your business files as I suggested yesterday. One might be C-Inventory another might be C-Training, another is C-Finance, then C-Mfg Comm (for manufacturer communications. Change Mfg to Ford, Chevy, Dodge, GM, Hino, etc. as you like). Let's say that you have several franchises such as Isuzu, GMC and Dodge. With this you could have a directory of C-Mfg Comm and create a sub-directory of GMC, then one of Dodge and then one of Isuzu. When you open the C-Mfg Comm directory, you will see the three brand folders. Any communications from each of these companies can go in their own directory, but all the manufacturer communication are in one central place and very easy to find. The C-Inventory file can be subdivided in a similar way. Maybe it is important to have the brands after that directory as well, or perhaps you would rather break your inventory down differently such as 'On Order', 'In Stock' and such.
I have several small business ventures, so I have a directory called Business and one called Business Photos. Under both business directories are folders that are for each business and under those folders are client folders for each client and under those folders as needed to keep things organized. Under the Business Photos, I will have a business name, then clients, then photo folders to keep photos for each client organized by type of photo or date photos were taken and so on. For our eBay business, I have taken about 28,000 photographs and I have them filed in separate folders to make it easier to find them as well. With that many photos, it would get crazy quickly.
So there you have it. Start with your own directory folders off of the root directory (or C-Drive as it is most commonly called), and then create new directory folders as needed. In addition, add sub-directory folders under each directory as needed to keep things in the right drawer and in the right section so you can find those folders when you need them. I guarantee that this process will save you huge amounts of time in searching for information on your computer. It will also make backing up your critical and most important files a piece of cake. The learning is really easy once you allow yourself to learn it. Being able to see the directory visually in Windows Explorer or other such programs makes it really easy to see how it works and to move files from one place to another very easily. I've been using some of the same directories on many different computers for over 25 years. It works like a charm. Give it a go and I think you'll agree.
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