Not since the days of Napster have I been able to fill a hard drive, until now. I’m taking more photos than ever and acquiring new digi supplies on a weekly, if not daily basis. The copious amount of high resolution files caused my laptop to bust at the seams. I was forced to reduce the amount of storage I needed and seek new, streamlined solutions.
Here’s what I learned:
1. Use an external hard drive – EHDs are increasingly smaller, faster and able to hold more data. Like all USB devices, they are plug and play. One tip to remember: make sure your backup solution includes your EHDs.
2. Delete duplicates – Use a file browser or your favorite organization software to delete multiple copies of previews, TOUs, blinkies and ads.
3. Purge your stash – Regularly take stock of what you have. Be vigilant about trashing freebies older than 6 months that you haven’t used.
4. Go on a freebie fast – Reduce your hunting to monthly to avoid the pileup of kits you will never have time to use. Better yet, ban all freebies other than templates.
5. Buy less – If you’re a digi shop-a-holic, consider scaling back your budget and focus on shopping your own stash.
6. Keep only what you need – Once a layout is printed, do you still need the high-res jpg or the PSD file? Consider which files are most important to you and delete the rest.
7. Create an archive – Use data DVDs or an EHD to archive layouts that you’ve already printed and RAW files you’ve already processed
8. Be selective – Use your best critical eye and do not save every photo you take. Keep the best and trash the rest.
9. Defrag it – Windows users, especially on older machines, should consider defragmenting their hard drive. This helps to make sure that all available space is in a usable form.
Do you have tips to share on keeping your hard drive clutter-free?
Don’t forget that your Task 2 entries are due tonight!
My tip isn’t really a tip… I just keep buying bigger HD’s! 😐
Good post.
Just two words – back up. In a least two places. Preferably off site. But most importantly – just the important stuff. Can’t agree with Jennifer more – it’s all not important.
I don’t know how many EHD I’ve recovered because people didn’t back those up too.
Stan
Can you please suggest software to use for eliminating duplicate files? That is exactly what I need to do!
Excellent blog post. I am intrigued by your comment of banning freebies except for templates and to delete freebies that are older than six months. Can you elaborate? I am a freebie-alohic and have recently come to the same conclusion that I need to do something about it. But I’m not sure that just because a freebie is “old”, it’s not worth keeping.
Do you already have an article that addresses freebie-addiction?
Thanks!
I do! “Get a Grip on Freebie Madness” was featured in the April 2009 issue of the DST Insider.
Great tips! I also check my temp files for things to delete and also delete a lot of the “extras” that come with kits–multiple previews, web links, no piracy graphics, etc. I do keep one small preview and the tou.