How to Classify and Organize Computer's Data in Windows 10

Updated: January 11, 2024

Data classification is a critical step to prevent the loss of sensitive information. Before doing a backup, you'd better do this process, so that makes data effective and efficient to use. A well-planned data classification system makes essential data easy to find and retrieve. It helps to cut storage and backup costs, whilst speeding up data searches. This guide will show you how to organize computer's data to make backup simple.

Use Rational Way to Organize Computer's Files

Here are simple tips for managing your files and folders. It's easy to keep your files and documents organized if you follow this guide below:

1. Identify useful and useless data.

Reserve the valuable data and classify them into different categorise. Remove redundant, obsolete or trivial content. Delete and uninstall unused program can not only free up storage space also speed up the computer's performance.

2. Organize folders and files by category.

One way to organize your folders and files is by category or type. You can classify data for school, work, personal and professional (separate from work), as well as music, photos, and movies. Obviously, music, photos, videos, and documents should all be kept separate, but organizing goes a step further.

Learn more about How to User Library to Organize Files and Folder in Windows 10.

3. Put different type of data into corresponding hard disk.

C drive only saves Operating System Data.
D drive only saves important document files.
E drive only saves the commonly used tools.
F drive only saves essential personal files.

Learn more information about How to Create a new Hard Drive Partition in Windows 10.

4. Organize downloaded files.

Clear the downloads folder of unnecessary files. Sort all your documents to the Documents folder, all songs to the Music folder and all video to the Videos folder. Make sure download new file to Downloaded folder, where you manually sort files into Documents, Movies, Music, or Pictures. You can choose a location on your computer where downloads should be saved by default or pick a specific destination for each download.

Learn more How to Change Default Download Location of Microsoft Edge.

5. Organize and backup important data.

Consider the confidentiality and security of data to be classified.

Category 1: Source files, license keys, and installation documentation
Category 2: Production data copied/cloned as part of system test data
Category 3: Information on when/where people used building access cards
Category 4: General web site information
Category 5: Passwords

Set up a backup is crucial, especially in the event of a computer crash or data loss, your most valuable documents will still be safe. For example, a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or OneDrive is handy for automatically backing up smaller files.

Monitor and maintain the data classification system over time, tweaking as necessary. We hope you have picked up some ideas from this article that will help you better organize your documents and files.