Piles of "stuff" not only clutter my desk, but the dreaded mess has invaded my computer too. Thousands of photos, digital census files, research notes, email messages, video clips, and about 50 different incarnations of my family tree file float around in various folders all over my computer, with a bunch more just sitting there on the virtual desktop. Does this sound familiar?

A recent harddrive failure has been quite a frustration, but one positive outcome has been the chance to reorganize my electronic genealogy files. I've slowly been transferring them off the backup drive and sorting them into folders organized first by location, and then by surname. I previously used a similar organization, but this time I'm making sure everything that can goes in those folders. I'm also going back and attaching a lot of those digital images to the relevant facts and people in my family tree file. A properly organized computer makes it easier to find something quickly when you receive an email from a potential cousin, and facilitates regular backups as well!