By Daryl Ashley
Confusion Solution
There are so many things we need to store in our home, but we often ignore our cell phone and computer storage until we have no room to work or play efficiently.
Probably top of our list of things to think about is backing up your data. However, make sure you run a virus scan to avoid transferring corrupt files to backed up media storage; and before you begin to delete anything to save space, backing up your system and files will prevent you from losing critical information.
There are many options for this. There is the cloud, which can be an excellent method. Whether you are backing up your phone or your computer, there is a cloud option you can access from your browser (watch to be sure there is no fee associated with saving data to the cloud), or through your cell provider. Or you can use an external drive.
External drives come in a variety of options, as well. Depending on how much data you need to backup, there are flash drives which range in their capability to easily save your data at a relatively low cost. Then there are external hard drives capable of storing large amounts of data at a higher cost. Either of these options provide a secure way to store files, should saving to the cloud cause concern; and unlike a subscription service in the cloud, the cost to buy an external drive is a one-time purchase.
Once you’ve backed up your data, then it will be safe to organize files. This can mean deleting emails, messages, or any data that you no longer need immediately so you can free up space. Keep in mind that these files are not always backed up unless you have specifically assigned them to the cloud or an external drive. So, be careful what you delete. When in doubt, create a file folder specifically for those items and move the folder to your backup system.
Continue to clean up your data by setting up folders to consolidate room from your desktop or storage on your phone. By creating folders, you are identifying placement for files that are relative to their topics. For instance, specific photos of your travels could be filed in a folder titled Family Travel or Business Travel with sub folders marked Kentucky or Clients. How you organize your files is totally up to you. The point is locating the information you store and making it easier to manage future file clean-ups.
Remember that everything you watch or create takes up space and that periodically storing or removing files will make your devices run more efficiently and give you peace of mind.
It’s as simple as that!
Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com
