You lot shouldn't save files on your desktop. It might seem like a quick and straightforward matter to do, only a cluttered desktop is going to hit your productivity. Y'all presently won't be able to notice what you lot need or appreciate your desktop wallpaper.

At that place are many ameliorate means to store your computer files and keep your desktop clean. We're going to show you where to save files on Windows 10.

The Downsides to Desktop Storage

The urge to salvage files to the desktop is understandable. It provides immediate access with a unmarried click, which ways that it's tempting to plow the desktop into a de facto headquarters for storage.

While information technology's okay to use the desktop temporarily for storage, it's likely to quickly spiral out of control and become a mess.

Unless you are strict with maintenance, you'll eventually succumb to these issues:

  • No file backups: Many file fill-in programs ignore desktop files past default. Of class, a decent backup program will permit you include desktop files, but if you forget and so yous're at adventure of losing important desktop files.
  • Chaotic advent: A clear and lark-free workspace leads to better productivity and the aforementioned rings truthful of your computer desktop. If the get-go thing you run across when you login is a messy desktop packed with files, it'southward unlikely to give you a positive feeling. Plus, yous won't be able to properly capeesh any desktop wallpaper you have gear up.
  • Difficult to navigate: Files oft finish upwardly on the desktop for easy access. Peradventure it's a document y'all're working on over the form of several days and you lot want to find it immediately. However, this speedily mounts upwards, and you're left with a desktop that is inundation with files. It then becomes hard to find what yous need, the exact trouble yous were trying to solve originally.
  • Slow login: This problem mainly impacts network accounts, but having a lot of stuff on your desktop tin mean it takes longer to login to your Windows user account. This is because it has to sync everything on the desktop before information technology tin move on to something else.

one. Utilise Windows Libraries

Windows 10 libraries

Windows 10 comes with things chosen libraries. Essentially, these libraries group folders together and then that you can see all the files in a single identify.

By default, your computer volition have libraries for Camera Roll, Documents, Music, Pictures, Saved Pictures, and Videos.

These are not the same as the default folders, despite the fact that they accept the aforementioned names.

To admission them, open File Explorer, input Libraries in the navigation bar, and press Enter.

Navigate inside a library and click Properties. Here you can define which folders that library should pull from.

Click Add... to cull a folder and use the Optimize this library for dropdown if the library contains specific types of files.

Libraries are excellent because they don't require whatever extra work. Instead of saving on the desktop, simply store your file in a folder of your choosing. Information technology's far more flexible and organized.

You can take this one step further past using an app to automatically organize your files.

2. Use Windows Folders

Similar to Windows libraries, but more ubiquitous, are folders. There are various reasons why folders exist and i of those is organization.

Simply speaking, the desktop is a folder itself. You tin can open up File Explorer and go to Desktop to encounter everything you take stored there. You lot tin can and so scan information technology similar you would any other folder---sort, search, create, then on.

All the same, what'due south the point? If yous're doing that, you lot may as well use an actual binder that won't clutter your desktop.

Windows comes with default folders similar Documents and Pictures that are perfect for storing your data. You can quickly create a new folder within these past clicking New folder from the carte du jour at the top, or right click and click New > Binder.

Yous can create many sub-folders, though at that place is a limit every bit the total path can't exist more than 260 characters. Still, that'due south enough for even the most obsessive organizers.

3. Apply Cloud Storage

If yous store on the desktop for ease of access, you should consider using a cloud storage provider.

Whatsoever good cloud service volition also appear as a folder on your computer and automatically sync everything within it to the cloud. This ways that your files are non simply accessible from multiple devices, simply you lot as well have multiple copies of them too.

Many providers also provide revision history, which tracks whatever change fabricated to a file. If yous need to revert to an old version, you tin do that with a couple of clicks. That'southward non possible if you store on the desktop.

Need Quick Access to Files?

Of course, the desktop does have a purpose. Information technology isn't great at storing lots of folders and files, but information technology is good at hosting shortcuts.

Shortcuts hateful you don't take to navigate through File Explorer to find your files. Instead, you double-click the shortcut and are immediately taken at that place.

Windows 10 new desktop shortcut

Right click on the desktop and click New > Shortcut to activate the wizard. Alternatively, left click and drag a folder or file to the desktop to turn it into a shortcut.

Fifty-fifty if you lot remove a shortcut, the actual file will still be safe.

Instead of putting the shortcuts on the desktop, you lot could go i step further. Correct click on any shortcut and select either Pin to taskbar or Pin to Start.

Of course, yous don't want to overload your taskbar or Start carte either, but you tin use this to pivot the most important files and programs that you need regular access to.

Clean Upward Your Desktop

While the Windows desktop does have a purpose, it isn't a warehouse for all your files. Hopefully we've demonstrated the better options available to you.

If your desktop is still a bit of a mess and full of junk and shortcuts, take a look at our guide to clean up your Windows desktop.

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Joe Keeley (879 Articles Published)

Joe was born with a keyboard in his easily and immediately started writing about technology. He has a BA (Hons) in Business concern and is now a full-time freelance author who enjoys making tech simple for everyone.

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