How to keep your desktop clean and tidy in windows 10

The Desktop is still the center of life for most PC users. Proof of this was the widespread anger of many people when Microsoft tried to move the Desktop towards the new Windows 8 start screen, something that was soon revised in the first major system update, version 8.1. Today we will give you the keys on how to keep the desktop clean and computer in Windows 10.

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How to keep your desktop clean and computer in Windows 10

Disorder is much more damaging than you might think. And while most people do not notice or worry about the disorganization of the Desktop in Windows 10, the truth is that this matters a lot.

Having too many icons on the desktop slows down the login and generally affects the performance of Explorer.exe. When the Windows operating system is starting, it could take a long time to load the user profile and display the welcome screen for several seconds. Or after logging in, performance may be slow.

Did you know that a slow login can be caused by simply having too many icons and application shortcuts on the Desktop? This happened especially in the past, now it is less common.

A neat Windows 10 Desktop not only makes things easier to find, but also provides less inefficiency, is more pleasing to the eye, and doesn't cause as much stress.

But as you probably know, Windows 10 Desktop can be difficult to organize. Maybe you want it to be clean and organized, but no matter how many times you've cleaned it, and no matter how hard you try to keep everything in order, it somehow turns into chaos in no time. Read on to see how to achieve an organized Windows 10 Desktop.

The key to a clean desktop

The act of cleaning the Desktop is easy, all you have to do is select all the icons and press 'Delete'. The difficult part is keeping it clean. To understand how to avoid clutter on the Desktop we have to understand why our desktops tend to pick up chaos and clutter on the Desktop.

We simply want to quickly access our most used applications, files and folders. What is the best way to do it? Shortcuts!

Unfortunately, it is too easy to create a shortcut, pin it on the Desktop and forget it, which after doing this several times for several days, it will only give us a big mess on our Desktop. After all, is there a more comfortable and accessible place than the Desktop to house all of this?

Therefore, the trick is to find alternative methods to access our most used applications, files and folders. A messy desktop is just a symptom of a deeper problem: trusting shortcuts.

Your desktop could be completely empty for more than four years thanks to the following tips and tricks. Keeping the Desktop clean has never been easier.

Move app shortcuts to the Start Menu

The new Start Menu is perfect for hosting application shortcuts. First introduced in Windows 8 and highly refined in Windows 10, the Start Menu should be your method of choice for running applications. This menu is accessible from anywhere, all you need to do is press the Windows key and the Start Menu will open, which is large enough to host dozens of applications.

To pin an application in the Start Menu:

• Right click on the application shortcut. Select 'Pin to Start'.

Once anchored, the applications can be resized (the most important of the applications could be larger, for example) and it can be checked whether they should be run with Administrator permissions.

How to organize the Start Menu using groups

You have to be aware that just moving the clutter from your Desktop to your Start Menu does not solve everything.

To achieve maximum productivity, you must organize the tiles of your Start Menu in groups. This not only keeps everything in order, but makes it easier to find apps when you need them.

When you anchor the icons, they can be ordered in groups, to which you can change the name by clicking with the mouse in the upper area of ​​each icon. You can also drag them into the Start Menu so they have the order you want.

Move app shortcuts to the Taskbar

If, in order to open an application hosted on the Start Menu, you need to do too many clicks, you can choose to pin applications directly to the Taskbar. This option is only recommended for applications that you use on a daily basis, such as web browsers, music players, text editors, etc.

Pin an application to the Taskbar:

• Right click on the application shortcut on the Desktop. Select 'Pin to Taskbar'.

Once anchored, applications can be dragged within this bar to modify the order.

Forget about piling up too many applications here, as the clutter on the Taskbar could be worse than on the Desktop.

If you add many applications, the Taskbar will be divided into several rows that you will have to scroll through by clicking on the 'Up' and 'Down' arrows. This can kill productivity, so it's best to avoid it.

Customize the Taskbar to get more space

If you want to take full advantage of the applications that can be added without overflowing into multiple rows, there are a couple of Taskbar parameters that need to be adjusted. To access the Settings, right-click on the Taskbar and select ' Settings on the taskbar '.

• Use small taskbar buttons - this is exactly what works well. The only two drawbacks are that the Taskbar clock will no longer display the date and icons on the Taskbar may be more difficult to see on higher resolution displays (i.e. 1920 x 1080 or higher). On-screen taskbar: Most users keep the Taskbar at the bottom edge of the screen because it is the default option in Windows, but the vertical bar is better. Taskbar buttons: yes you prefer a horizontal Taskbar, be sure to set this to 'Always merge and hide labels'. Or in any case 'Combine if the bar is full'.

Both options maximize how much you can anchor in each row before you start using another.

Move the shortcut folder to Quick Access

Quick Access is one of the great improvements in Windows 10 File Explorer (previously called Windows Explorer). While the Start Menu and the Taskbar are ideal for consolidating application shortcuts, Quick Access is where you should put the entire folder of shortcuts.

If you have never heard of this feature before, don't worry. It is very simple. Just open File Explorer (using the Windows + E keyboard shortcut) and look in the sidebar on the left for a section called Quick Access. Take it like it's the favorites folder: you can pin folders and access them instantly from anywhere in File Explorer.

To pin a folder to Quick Access:

• Select the folder you want to pin. Right-click on the folder. Select 'Pin Quick Access.'

Pin File Explorer to the Taskbar

File Explorer actually has a number of lesser-known features that can come in handy. For example, you can access Quick Access folders from the Taskbar, opening any folder and right-clicking on the folder in the Taskbar. There a tab will open with the Quick Access folders.

This is the preferred way to quickly access folders that you use regularly, and is actually faster than having the Shortcuts folder on your Desktop.

Use a launcher to avoid using shortcuts

If you really want to clean up the mess on your entire system, then you may want to forgo the above alternatives and use a launcher. You have two options for this.

The first option is Start Menu + Cortana. Improved search in Windows 10 means that you can open the Start Menu (with the Windows key), type the name of an application or a file, and immediately open it with the Enter key. Some people find Cortana's voice control much more convenient.

The second option is to install Wox. Wox is an application like the macOS Spotlight. At any time you can press Alt + spacebar to open Wox. Then write any application, file, or folder to run instantly. It can also be used as a search engine on the web.

With any of these options you won't have to anchor applications anywhere again. And with Wox, you don't even have to pin folders.

5 tools to better organize your desktop

It is not always easy to organize all the contents that are located in your work area (Desktop). While there are people who leave practically no icons there, there are other people who prefer to keep everything at hand, placing all the shortcuts on the Desktop and, even without the support of the Windows Taskbar.

If you fit this profile, here are some very useful tools to make your Desktop more organized and accessible.

Fences

Grouping icons in specific places on the Desktop can be a good way out, and that's what Fences is for. This application allows you to place several "boxes" within the Windows Desktop, within which it is possible to gather the icons and keep your content organized and accessible.

And the process is very simple: the number of areas you want is created, and with just a double click on them you can hide or show the icons. Thus, they appear only when necessary and offer everything you have chosen to put in them. Simple, easy and direct.

RocketDock

It is not something of today that the menus in the Mac OS dock fascinate Windows users and it is also not of today that it is possible to have the same resource in the Microsoft operating system.

RocketDock is one of the oldest and best-known forms of the genre, allowing a new way of organizing icons on the Desktop.

The good thing about this software is that it can even be substituted for the traditional Windows Taskbar, being an ideal option for those who want to apply more advanced customizations to the system. And all this without leaving simplicity aside.

ObjectDock

Similarly, ObjectDock also offers the Mac OS menu in Windows, but it goes a little further. This application not only adds a bar in which the icons are animated and more striking, but it also has a high level of customization and allows the creation of bars that increase organization.

So you can leave the icons of the system programs and applications at the bottom of the screen and, at the same time, expand smart bars with shortcuts to the main files.

StandaloneStack

Another smart way to organize your icons is to put them together in a smart cell. Configure StandaloneStack and you will see your icons (whether they are programs, files or folders) grouped together in a single button. Clicking on this button displays a modern and lively menu.

The StandaloneStack setup isn't exactly intuitive, but it's not a seven-headed bug, either. You just have to use the customization options of the app and you can completely transform your Windows 10 Desktop.

Dexpot

A fairly common feature in today's most popular Linux distributions is that multiple desktops can also exist in Windows.

One of the best programs for that is Dexpot, which allows you to create several desktops, thus allowing you to give a specific and differentiated approach to each one of them.

You can create different desktops for each usage profile: one professional and the other to access your games, for example. And this application is light, suitable for beginners as well, and has a high level of customization.

Other ways to stay organized and productive

Now that your desktop is in order, we recommend going one step further and making sure that all files are organized on your computer. You will be amazed at how much more productive you can be. And while we're at it, you should start using virtual desktops and Task View if you haven't already.

We also recommend adding a second or third monitor for your installation and looking for productivity techniques. All of these things may seem insignificant, but when you start with these changes, the benefits can be enormous. What do you think of these tricks of how to keep the desktop clean and computer in Windows 10 ?

What advice would you add? We also recommend reading 5 tricks to keep your desktop tidy in Windows 10.