Fences - automatic sorting of shortcuts on the desktop. Improving the convenience of working in Windows
It’s unlikely that anyone would argue that any work is much more successful if everything you need is at hand. But this “necessary” can accumulate in such a quantity that a mess on the table becomes inevitable. If this situation annoys you and prevents you from concentrating, then it’s time to seriously think about how to rationally place all the little things and papers on your desktop, which is what we’ll do in the new mini-series.
When collecting ideas for this collection, we were guided by the fact that the important topic of shelves and racks for home office we already looked at it in a special issue (link at the end of the gallery). We hope you are already using them. As for small papers that need to be kept in front of your eyes, remember the wall-mounted organizing boards that we also talked about.
So here we will leave aside wall-mounted storage methods (shelves and boards), and will focus on the table, because some items you need for work and other activities can be conveniently stored there. The ideas collected in this mini-series can be used to organize the space of your home office, a student’s desk, and, if possible (and desire), also in an office outside the home.
We divided this mini-series into 2 parts:
- in the first you will see 39 photos of ideas for storing small items on your desktop, including rational use drawers and side surfaces, as well as focusing on sorting items that need to find a convenient place;
- - O creative ways storing small items on the desktop ( 27 more photo ideas) + 12 spectacular collections from a famous online store.
Let our selection help you create order on your desktop, and let the work itself bring only positive emotions and great results!
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Let's prepare the desktop in order:
We recommend starting with a “disposition” check. Take a look at your desktop and decide: does everything currently placed on it really need to be on the tabletop? It may make sense to look for other, more rational storage places for some small items. Try these 3 steps and you'll likely see a significant reduction in the amount of stuff you need to store on your desk.
Step No. 1 - check the rationality of storage in boxes:
If your desk comes with a large drawer, chances are it's already in active use. However, are you sure that any little thing is easy to find there?
No? Then you definitely need to get internal compartments! Transparent containers and dividers, boxes with low sides, small trays and even kitchen plastic tray for cutlery - all this will perfectly sort small things in your desktop drawers, and finding them will become an elementary task. Here's what it might look like:
Step No. 2 - is it possible to install additional add-on modules:
If your desktop can be called wide (more than 50-55cm) or such a length that there is still enough space on the side of the monitor, or you use a laptop, in all these cases think: is it possible to purchase an “add-on” for the table - with shelves and boxes? For example, like the ones you see in our photos:
Step No. 3 - use the side surfaces of the table:
If within two previous steps you realized that there is still not enough space, use original solution: Move some small items or even papers to the side racks of your desk. They will help you in this matter
- kitchen rails + rings for curtain rods + folders with pockets, see photo 1;
- magnetic strips, for example, those intended for knives, see photo 2;
- hooks, containers for hanging on rails or wall glasses for the bathroom, see photo 3.
Do you want to stay in touch with us every day? Welcome to our Planet of Inspiration VKontakte! Take a look, scroll through! Like? Join and get inspired every day!
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How to store stationery and papers on your desk:
Now that you have already decided what must be placed on the countertop, it’s time to get inspired by ideas for storing small items. Read more about WHERE you can place them in the second part of our mini-series, but here we will focus on WHAT you may need to work at your desk.
storage of pens, pencils, felt-tip pens and stationery items:
If you need these little things to always be at hand (and, in large quantities), - there is no point in hiding them in boxes. Cute glasses, trays, boxes, fabric pockets, wooden stands, low vases made of thick glass - anything that you like in appearance and will be roomy enough will do.
storage small papers and letters:
Even today, when letters, cards and bills most often reach us by e-mail, it is impossible to get rid of small papers with temporary relevance. However, these can also be sheets of paper for notes from the block (to place which you will not acquire a cork or magnetic board). To take the frustration out of this petty chaos, look for cute mini racks or stands. convenient storage small papers. For example, these:
storage of business cards:
Usually they are placed in business card holders, but if you always need to have several business cards at hand, create this “mini-corner” for them:
storage of important documents:
Some documents need to be stored for quite a long time. Or perhaps your work is related to big amount A4 sheets. It is optimal, of course, to find a place for them on shelves or a rack. But if something should always be at hand (i.e. on the table), use ready-made solution: minimum folders = maximum compartments in them.
Instructions
Click right click mouse over the desktop background image of your operating system. If this operating system- Windows XP, then the “Arrange icons” section will be present in the context menu that appears. Hover your cursor over it and in the subsection that appears, select one of the commands for organizing shortcuts - by names, sizes, file types and modification dates.
Check the box next to the “ Align” item in the same section of the context menu if you want Explorer (it is responsible for the operation of desktop elements) to line up shortcuts strictly along the invisible lines of rows and columns.
Select the “automatically” option in the same section if you trust Explorer to organize the shortcuts at its discretion. In this case, icons will be built from top to bottom and left to right in the order they were added to the desktop.
Uncheck the box next to “Show desktop icons” if you want no icons to cover background image.
If you are using a later release of Windows operating system, you will not find the “Arrange Icons” section in the desktop context menu. Settings that specify the criteria for ordering labels are placed here in the section called “Sorting”. There are also four options in this section - by name, size, file type and modification date.
Expand the “View” section in the Windows 7 desktop context menu or Windows Vista to access the icon management functions described in steps two, three, and four. Only their placement in the menu has changed, and the effect caused by selecting the corresponding function remains the same as described in these three steps.
Sources:
- Desktop Icons
In Windows, the Desktop contains icons programs, which are basically their launch shortcuts. They can be placed in various ways by dragging the mouse. The folders are also displayed icons various files. This instruction will help organize icons in various ways.
You will need
- Installed operating system Windows family
Instructions
In the menu that appears, find the item “Arrange". Hover your mouse over it. If extra menu does not appear, you need to left-click. Available in the menu that opens various options ordering icons. The items “Name”, “Size”, “Type” and “Changed” set the sorting order. Select the required sorting option - by name, by size, by extension or by date of changes. Icons will be placed in one or more columns from the left edge of the Desktop. Only those that are standard, such as My Computer, My Documents and others, will not be sorted.
You can set the sorting method in which icons will not occupy any position, but will be fixed from each other in periodic positions no closer than a certain fixed distance. This is reminiscent of placing icons on grid nodes. To activate this arrangement mode, use the “Align by” item.
Can be arranged icons in folders. Arrange menu icons» is called by right-clicking in a free area of an open folder. Otherwise, you can call it from the “View” menu, which is located at the top of the folder window. This menu item specifies different sets of sorting rules - “Thumbnails”, “Tile”, “Icons”, “List”, “Table”.
Sources:
- Worker icons Windows desktop XP in 2019
Video on the topic
Sources:
- Microsoft: Desktop. Review.
Not every user manages to organize the desktop space in such a way as to quickly and easily find the necessary application shortcuts and various files. However, the search for desktop icons can be optimized.
Instructions
Not everyone has a desktop cluttered with a myriad of icons, but if you are less fortunate than others, the first thing you should know is that the desktop is a regular folder that is stored on your hard drive along with others. Knowing this, you can open this folder and look for the one you need icon by using convenient tools Windows Explorer.
To find among thousands of various folders hard drive the one in which the desktop contents are stored, open “My Computer” and select drive C. Open the “Users” directory and find the folder with the name of your profile in it. If Account there is only one on the computer, this folder may be named “Administrator”. Once you open it, you will find the Desktop folder, which contains all the icons you see in work area monitor when loading the operating system.
Now you can start directly searching. Firstly, you can find the one you need icon, organizing icons by creation date, size, type, or name. To do this, right-click in a free area of the folder window and select the desired command from the “Sort” menu. So if you're looking for lost installation file program just downloaded from the Internet, sort the icons by date, and if you need a shortcut to an application, it is better to organize the icons by size - shortcuts have very little “weight”.
Secondly, you can use the View menu to change the display of icons in a folder. Right-click in an empty area of the window and select a command from the View menu that allows you to change the appearance of the icons. For example, the “Small Icons” command will allow you to display the maximum possible number of icons on the screen, and using the “Table” command you can see not only icon file, but also its name, type, creation date and size.
note
Create a shortcut to the Desktop folder in the taskbar or panel quick launch, to be able to open this directory at any time in “one click”.
All these simple steps allow you to find desired icon much easier than searching on the desktop, background picture which often makes it difficult to focus on individual elements.
The computer desktop is the environment in which the user works and relaxes every day. Therefore, setting the display parameters of desktop elements has not only functional, but also psychological significance. People are all different, so what is convenient for one may not suit another. The size of desktop icons refers to these parameters.
Instructions
Determine the size of your desktop icons that suits you best - operating system default Microsoft Windows provides the ability to use large, regular and small labels.
Call the context menu of the operating room desktop Microsoft systems Windows XP by right-clicking on empty space selected element and select “Properties”.
Select "Icon" in the drop-down directory of the "Element" line of the new "Advanced Appearance" dialog box.
Select the desired icon size in the “Size” field that becomes available. By default, the following are offered: 64, 48, 32 and 16, but a custom value can be selected.
Confirm the execution of the command by clicking OK and apply the selected changes by clicking the “Apply” button (for OS Microsoft Windows XP).
Call the desktop context menu of the Microsoft Windows 7 or Microsoft Windows Vista operating system by right-clicking on empty space selected element and select “View”.
Select "Small" icons" in the dialog box that opens or use the "Regular" option icons" or "Large icons"(for OS Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Vista).
Quite often users personal computers may encounter one unpleasant problem - desktop icons disappear. It is unknown where this trouble originates from, but in theory we can say about malware. Most often, this phenomenon can be encountered when working with operating systems of the Windows family, namely Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry that all the information stored on your desktop has been deleted, because it’s simply not visible.
First option
There are several solutions to this problem. For example, if the icons on the desktop have disappeared, then most likely their display was disabled. In order to return everything to its place, you need to right-click on an empty area of the desktop. A context menu will appear, where you need to select “Arrange icons” and check “Display desktop icons”. It is worth noting that if there is already a checkmark next to this item, then the problem lies elsewhere and there is no need to click anything.
Second option
The second option for solving this problem is to launch a special process. The user starts the computer and sees that there is nothing on the desktop or it does not boot. First of all, you need to launch the "Task Manager". To do this, press the combination Ctrl keys+ Alt + Delete and in the menu that appears, click the “Launch task manager” button. In the window that appears, go to the “Applications” tab and click “New task”. In the "Create" field new task" and in the "Open" item, enter the name of the process that needs to be launched, and to display shortcuts and folders, enter the explorer.exe command. It is worth noting that sometimes an error like "The file explorer.exe was not found" may appear. In this case you need to run System Restore and return to this procedure.
To launch the System Restore application, you also need to create a new task from the Task Manager. The procedure is no different from the previous one, only unlike explorer.exe, %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe is entered. After confirmation it will open special application. Here you need to follow the instructions until the list of days appears (" Check Point"). Here you need to select the one when the shortcuts were in place. After completing the recovery procedure, you need to restart the computer.
The shortcut is special icon, which can be placed, for example, on the desktop (or in any Windows folder) and allows you to quickly launch the desired program, open a file or folder.
Let's consider in order how to create shortcuts in different areas Windows.
How to Place Shortcuts in the Start Menu Quick Launch Area (FOR Windows 8 and Windows 10)
First, open the Start menu to see what the Quick Launch area in the Start menu generally looks like. She looks like this:
The icons on the right are shortcuts for quickly launching programs. You may initially have completely different labels there.
Let's learn how to create new shortcuts there. Suppose you run some programs on your computer every day and want to open them quickly, that is, you only need to open the Start menu and then open the icon the desired program.
As an example, I cleared the Quick Launch area so there are no shortcuts and as I show different examples, this area will be filled in:
Let's look at a few examples.
Open the “Start” menu - “All applications” and find in the list the program that you use very often, for example, every day. For example, I constantly use a text editing program - Microsoft Word and this is where I’ll show an example.
Just right-click (right mouse button) on the icon of the desired program and select “Pin to home screen»:
Now, in the Quick Launch area of the Start menu (on the right), check for a shortcut to launch your selected program to appear:
As you can see, the program has appeared and now you can always quickly launch it by opening the Start menu.
You can also add shortcuts to the Start screen from any other area of your computer, not just from the All Apps section of the Start menu. For example, you have a shortcut on your desktop and you want to place it on the Start menu's Start screen at the same time. To do this, right-click on the desktop icon and select “Pin to Start Screen”:
Check the result by opening the Start menu:
And in the same way, you can place shortcuts in the Start menu from absolutely any area of the computer. Simply right-click on the icon and select “Pin to Start Screen.” It's simple! :)
Also, do not forget that shortcuts can lead not only to programs, but also to folders that you often use.
As an example, I'll now create a shortcut on the Start menu screen for the frequently used Work folder:
Let's check the result:
Now in the “Start” menu in the quick launch area I have added a shortcut to the “FOR WORK” folder, which can be located anywhere and search for it without quick shortcut it would be long :)
This way, you can place shortcuts to your Start Menu for any folder or file!
How to place shortcuts to launch programs on the Windows taskbar
Panel Windows tasks located at the very bottom Windows interface. Here she is:
As you can see, in my example there are several icons on the taskbar - search, display of open tasks on the computer and the icon Microsoft browser Edge (icon “e”). You can add other shortcuts to this same panel to launch programs that you often use. Usually there is a shortcut to launch a browser, a shortcut to launch Windows Explorer, and possibly a text editing program (for example, Microsoft Word).
The principle of placing shortcuts on the taskbar is exactly the same as on the start screen of the Start menu (see above).
All you need to do is right-click on any file, folder or existing shortcut and select “Pin to taskbar”. For example, I will place a shortcut on the taskbar to launch text Microsoft editor Word:
As a result, a new shortcut has appeared on the taskbar with which I can quickly launch Microsoft program Word:
Keep in mind that you can only place shortcuts to launch programs on the taskbar! Those. You cannot place a shortcut on the taskbar to quickly jump to a folder or your file!
How to place shortcuts to launch programs, files and folders on the desktop
The desktop is perhaps our main place of work on the computer :) Some computer users store everything they do on the desktop... On the one hand, this is reasonable, because you don’t need to go anywhere else, everything you need for personal purposes and for work, it is located right at hand - on the desktop. But on the other hand, this is a rather bad habit, since a desktop with a lot of all sorts of folders, files, and shortcuts becomes inconvenient for work, because you won’t find anything quickly.
For example:
As you can see, my desktop is not filled to capacity with all sorts of icons :) Here is only what I constantly need, namely: the main programs that I often use, a shortcut to a folder with work documents and a temporary folder for storing recorded videos. All! None excess garbage. This way I can quickly find what I need, rather than digging through dozens of icons on the desktop :)
Now let's get down to business - how to place shortcuts to launch the necessary programs, files and folders on the desktop?
To make it easier for you to see my examples, I will clear the desktop and leave only a couple of shortcuts on it.
The simplest solution for placing program shortcuts is as follows...
If you want to place a shortcut to a program on your desktop, then you first need to find this program through the Start menu > All applications. In the list, right-click on the desired program and select “Open folder with file.” For example, I want to place a shortcut on my desktop to launch Avast antivirus. So I find this antivirus in the list, right-click on it and select “Open folder with file”:
A folder will open with ready-made shortcuts that you just saw in the list of all Start menu applications. All that remains is to copy the desired shortcut to the desktop. To do this, right-click on the shortcut of the desired program (for me it’s Avast antivirus) and select “Copy”:
Now we return to the desktop, right-click on any free space on it and select “Paste”:
Ready! Now you will see a new shortcut on your desktop, like mine:
You can quickly create a shortcut to any element in Windows Explorer, for example, to a file or folder. To do this, you no longer need to go to the Start menu. You just need to find the required file or folder in Windows Explorer, right-click on it and select “Create shortcut”.
For example, on my computer I have important folder“For work”, which I use every day. It would be convenient for me to place a shortcut to quickly open it directly from the desktop. The folder itself is located deep inside the computer, namely in the “This Computer” - “Documents” - “For Work” section.
I right-click on the folder and select “Create Shortcut”:
As a result, the created shortcut will appear in the same Explorer folder. All that remains is to transfer it to the desktop. Simply left-click on the shortcut and, while holding this button, drag the shortcut to the desktop.
Don't forget that the shortcut can always be renamed like any other file. To do this, simply right-click on it and select “Rename.”
This way you can easily create shortcuts to quickly launch any programs, files and folders on your desktop!
ONLY FOR WINDOWS 10! Placing folders in the Quick Access Toolbar in Windows Explorer
The new Windows 10 operating system has another option to quickly open important and frequently used folders. Now this can be done using special bookmarks in Windows Explorer.
The area in Windows Explorer where you can add bookmarks is called the "Panel" quick access"and it is located on the left side of the window:
You can add any folder to this panel in order to open it quickly, without the need to climb and search throughout the computer. An icon appears next to pinned folders. pushpin. If you have an operating system installed on your computer Windows system 10, then I think you will find this opportunity very useful. Also in the same panel will appear the folders that you opened last.
Pinning a folder to the Quick Access Toolbar is very easy! You need to find the folder on your computer that you want to pin to the Quick Access Toolbar, right-click on it and select “Pin to Quick Access Toolbar”:
After this, the selected folder will immediately appear in the Quick Access Toolbar in Windows Explorer:
Notice the pushpin icon next to pinned folders. Those folders on this panel that do not have this icon are not pinned, but simply the latest open folders, which will constantly change.
Hello, friends. How do you keep your desk tidy? Is everyone in a creative mess? Do Windows shortcuts feel like masters of life? Isn't it time to give them a whack? Put them in their place organize shortcuts.
The computer desktop is the user's face. You don’t walk down the street with a dirty face and unkempt hair, right? Or are you walking?
By organizing your windows shortcuts you will not only get aesthetic pleasure from appearance desktop, but also increase the efficiency of working at the computer and labor productivity. After all, it will become easier to navigate in all this chaos, this festival of madness.
Fences - sorting shortcuts on the desktop
Fences- this is magnificent, free program, which will help us in this matter. She, as an independent, adult housewife, will sort your labels into categories depending on their purpose. These shortcut categories can be edited very easily and simply. Add and remove selected areas, adjust color, transparency and size, move around the desktop...
There is one more beauty Fences programs. It is so severe that it adds the possibility of simple, double click hide ALL Windows shortcuts 7 from the desktop and return them back with the same action. For me, this is just the thing. However, you can set an exception for any shortcut and it will remain on the table.
In short, not a program, but a constructor “Playful hands!” - do it, customize it, whatever you want, but there will still be order on your desktop.
Take one last look at the chaos of shortcuts on your monitor. You can even cry, because you will never see him again. Say goodbye to him. His Majesty is coming to you, order!
Did you say goodbye?
Fences download: 8.7 MB
Let's get started with installation and configuration in pictures...
Two windows appeared at once - we close one, and in the other...
Choose an option. I press the top one...
Now - right...
That's all. We observe order and harmony. On the left in the Fences program window we see a menu where you can tinker around and customize everything for yourself.
By left-clicking on the selected area with shortcuts and without releasing it, you can move the block around the desktop. And by pointing the mouse at the border of the area, you can change its size.
I'm on a quick fix, he bungled this...
To rename or delete a block for shortcuts, just right-click on it and select an action in the context menu that appears.
And simply by double-clicking on the desktop you will hide all the icons. Cleanliness and beautiful wallpaper. Class.
In the West there is a specialty called “professional organizer.” He helps clients clean up their rooms and offices, paper and electronic files, and also develop a personalized planning system.
Lisa Zaslow is one of these specialists.
Research shows that the average person loses an hour a day due to disorganization. At the same time, people get terribly annoyed when they can’t find something. But it takes much less time to put things in order.
Lisa Zaslav
Rule 1. Arrange everything correctly
The monitor should be at eye level and 43–45 cm away from you.
Place frequently used items, such as your phone or office supplies, on your dominant hand. It’s convenient: you don’t have to stretch, dumping everything around.
Rule 2. Use stationery wisely
Do you really need 10 pens, a letter opener and a stapler every day? Keep on your desk only those office supplies that you use daily. Fold the rest into a pencil case and put it away on the table, or better yet, somewhere far away.
Getting up from your desk to grab a pencil or paperclip will temporarily take your mind off the project you're working on. This will allow you to look at it from a new angle when you return.
Amy Trager, professional organizer from Chicago
Another expert, Andrew Mellen, emphasizes that it is better when employees store office supplies in one place (a common chest of drawers or shelving), rather than each in their own drawers.
Rule 3. Use sticky notes for notes without fanaticism
Covering your monitor with colorful pieces of paper like a bulletin board is neither useful nor productive.
When there are too many reminders, they are useless.
Emmy Treyger
Be moderate - only make sticky notes with important short-term reminders.
Rule 4. Don't overdo it with personal belongings
It is important to maintain a balance between professional and personal life in the workplace. It's difficult.
Family photos, vacation souvenirs and others pleasant trifles warm the soul and lift your spirits during the working day. However, overly memorable things that evoke a storm of memories are too distracting.
The gaze glides over objects, and the brain processes information, even if we are not aware of it.
Lisa Zaslav
Keep no more than three personal items on your desk.
Rule 5. Regulate “communication” with email
Email is still . But it can wreak havoc on productivity if you're constantly distracted by emails.
Life hacker and professional organizers: Check your email twice a day at certain times. The rest of the time should be spent working.
Yes! And turn off notifications so as not to destroy the thread state.
Rule 6: Leave free space for paperwork
Sometimes the desktop is so busy that there is no place to sign or write a document by hand.
Have an unoccupied island on the right or left (depending on whether you are right-handed or left-handed). It doesn’t have to be big - a rectangle of 30 × 40 cm is quite enough for paper work.
Rule 7. Organize your work processes
Do not keep documents that are not related to your current work on hand. When the table is littered with papers from the year before, past, present and future projects, chaos ensues. To avoid this, experts recommend grouping documents into folders:
- important and urgent;
- urgent and unimportant;
- important and non-urgent;
- not urgent and unimportant.
Store these folders in a dedicated organizer rather than stacked on top of each other to make document management easier.
Rule 8. Clean up as often as possible
Clutter helped create and. But such examples are rare.
For most people, reducing concentration and productivity. Regularly ask yourself if everything is in its place on your desk?
Even if a person does not notice the disorder, it still affects him.
Andrew Mellen
For clarity, we have expressed the described hacks in graphics. Print it out and hang it ABOVE your desk.
