Organization Tips for Setting up a New Computer from Our NYC Professional Organizer
Whether you use your computer primarily for business or personal work, at some point you’re going to have to replace it. Purchasing and organizing your new computer is an investment – not only of money but of time – so applying some of the following computer organizing tips is vital to the process. Here are a few tips from our NYC Professional Organizer to make the transition to a new computer go more smoothly.
Plan ahead. Having an organized game plan when acquiring a new computer is essential. This is not a time to rely on “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It’s much better to be shopping for and setting up a new computer when your current one is working. If your computer frequently freezes and crashes, functions such as your screen, touchpad or USB ports stop working, or your computer boots or runs sluggishly, these could be signs of imminent failure. A reputable technician can provide guidance on questions of repairing vs. replacing.
Shop smart. By not waiting until replacing your computer is an emergency, you can take time to compare brands, operating systems, features and price. Not only is a computer purchase a financial investment, keep in mind that ideally this device is going to support you for a few years and you want it to be a “good fit.” Our NYC Professional Organizer reminds us that it’s more important that the computer does all that you need it to than for it to be the hottest ticket at the time.
Know what you’re getting. Technology changes fast, so even if the computer you’re replacing is just a few years old, the new one you’re considering may work very differently. Educate yourself on operating system upgrades (for example, Windows 8 is quite different from previous Windows versions) or making the transition from PC to Mac, or vice versa. You don’t want to be struggling to find a saved PowerPoint file an hour before an important presentation.
Know your software. Check that the software products you’re currently using (Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, etc.) are compatible with your new computer’s operating system. Install necessary software on your new computer before you transfer files. If upgrades are needed, do that before you need to begin using the new computer regularly.
Organize the transition to the new computer. You’ll very likely need to move files from your current computer to the new one. Before you transfer everything, our NYC Professional Organizer implores you to take time to purge your computer of files you no longer need. Copying files to an external hard drive or a secure online solution such as Dropbox will allow you to easily retrieve and move them to the new computer. If there are files that you want to keep but that you don’t need to access on a regular basis, consider organizing and archiving those on the external drive or online rather than moving them to your new computer.