Windows XP.
Just got a clean system. My last system was a complete mess as far as files
go. This one I want to keep clean. So.....

Questions are in bold.

When I download a program WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO PUT IT ?. This program,
when executed creates a folder of contents. IS IT OK TO PUT THE EXECUTIVE
FILE INTO THIS FOLDER FOR THE PURPOSE OF KNOWING WHERE AND WHAT IT IS? Often
I have found executable files that bear no clue as to what they are in the
name given to them. In the folders created by programs there are text files.
Once read IS IT OK TO DELETE THEM ? Programs produce a lot of log files. DO
THESE LOGS JUST GROW AND GROW ? SHOULD I GET RID OF THEM AFTER A CERTAIN
TIME OR LEAVE THEM ?

I read somewhere that you should not put too much stuff in ' my documents '
as it is a special system file and it will slow the computer down. WHY THEN
IS 'MY MUSIC' FILE IN THERE ?.........AND SHOULD I MOVE IT OUT ?. jUST HOW
MUCH IS IT OK TO PUT IN THERE ?

Any tips on file management much appreciated, ta.

"Swig" <swig999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:W8oNc.9033$R75.91096270@news-text.cableinet.net...
Seems, to me, to be all good questions.
Different folks will have their own preferences. However, here is one
suggestion: Place all your downloads into a directory you create, so as you
know where to find these downloaded files easily. As far as identifying
them, create a new folder for each download naming it with something you
will find logical. Example: ulta game mega crap (might be its name) but the
file is wdduiox.exe or .zip, .rar (whatever), then extract it within its
folder and by giving the folder a logical name you will know what it is.
The text files may often be irrelevant (or not), but they take so little
space that you gain little by their delation.
Log files should really be your choice on weither they're kept, or even
created (depends on the program or application).
When you install a program, often by default, it will install into
c:\windows\program files, from there it associates the .dll files to your
operating system, hopefully to run seamlessley.
As far as the folders that MS has created, such as My Music, etc. ,,
consider it a suggestion on their part (though some applications will try
and seek out such a folder to drop its contents into (little or no
consequence).
If you have concern over the volumn of disk space such applications
consume, remember, you can delete these files, their compressed origins
(such as .zip, .rar, or all of it), just remember to uninstall the program
before you start deleting files (particularly in the programs folder).

Swig typed:

I have a 'Downloads' folder shortcut on the desktop, for easy acces to my
'Downloads' folder in my 'Documents' folder, so I know where everything
goes, initially. Note, that's my 'Documents' folder, _NOT_ 'My Documents'
folder ..

Depends what the program is. Some will allow this, some won't. Try it and
see .. after taking backups of course ...

Dunno .. you don't specifyy what the programs are, and what they do.
Generally text fles are of little further use once they've been read. In
some cases though they are used for look-up lists or tables, and many other
uses. I guess it all depends what the apps are that creates them ..

Many programs that produce logs will have a setting in their options or
preferences to allow automatic deletion of log files after a certain time.
They also may allow logs to be overwritten so only one log file is ever
maintained, which keeps logfile sizes relatively small. OTOH some settings
allow log files to be appended to earlier ones, which makes the logfile grow
horrendously over time.

Personally I have virtually stopped referring back to logfiles, so set most
of the apps on my system that produce them to either not produce them at
all, or if it's an app that insists on having a log file, I set it to
minimal retention time and to overwrite all previous logs ..

It's a 'logical' place to put it, from Microsoft's, and many users
viewpoints.

I have a folder named Documents. It isn't a special folder, but has all my
documents in it. I don't use _any_ of the "My ... " series of folders for
any real life documents I create. Once you have the system setup it becomes
usual to install apps and 'point' them to your documents folder instead of
'My Documents' folder .. Just takes a bit of time, thought and planning.

Dunno .. it varies system by system.


--
Paul ...

(8(|) ... Homer Rocks

"Swig" <swig999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:W8oNc.9033$R75.91096270@news-text.cableinet.net...
Yeah, create a folder for each of them if you want to. Folders are infinitly
small so its not going to matter how many you make. Remember you can rename
the files as well.


In the folders created by programs there are text files.
I would leave them, theyre usally .txt or .xml files which are really small

This is true to a certain extent. Windows likes to cache the my documents
folder, so i notice a bit of slowdown when it trys to copy 500Mb over LAN
here, but on hard disk i guess anything up to that is fine.


WHY THEN
Move it out. I have nearly 10Gb of music on my LAN, if windows had to cache
that it would crawl.

Get a second hard disk or file server / SAN for long term storage, and if
youre on broadband, dont save that many applications.

Swig wrote:
instead of downloading a file called analret.exe, download it renaming
it to arsewipe.exe or anal (biology).exe
They are all valid filenames.

In XP it's possible to move the my documents or my music folder, for the
music, right click and hold, drag to the new location, let go and select
move here, all files will then be transfered to the new location, aswell as
all shortcuts being updated.

For my documents, put a shortcut to it on your desktop then right click go
to properties and then you can specify the new location





"Swig" <swig999@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:W8oNc.9033$R75.91096270@news-text.cableinet.net...