Desktop - keep it clean!

One reason to keep your desktop clean and uncluttered is that every file and folder you store on the desktop uses memory and CPU resources. Another reason is that it's much harder to find something on a cluttered desktop than on a clean one. With today's powerful computers, the amount of computer resources used by a cluttered desktop is less of an issue than it used to be. But there's still no good reason to keep anything on your desktop that you don't recognize or intend to access. It's only getting in the way of items you may know you want to access frequently.

I often see clients with desktops cluttered with obsolete items they are keeping around because they don't know how they got there and don't know if they need them. If you don't know how an item got onto your desktop or you don't know what it is, then research the item - googling it might help. (Ask another Mac user or, if a registered user of this site, contact me by adding a comment below!) If your desktop is uncluttered, you are more likely to notice when a new item shows up on it. That will be a clue as to what it's for and whether you need or want to keep it there.

One example - many Mac users get confused when installing software, say, an update to Firefox or to another application. You may be one of them - have you clicked on a Download button to get an update or to try a new application and find a new icon on your desktop labeled something.dmg? ".dmg" is a Macintosh disk image file, which when double-clicked, opens into a folder often containing an application to store in your Applications folder or an updater that you are instructed to run. Once you have done as instructed, you don't need to keep the .dmg file - it has done its work. Drag it to the trash (or eject it).

Another example of a frequently retained file type is a ".zip" archive. An archive is a compressed collection of other files that are connected in some way - they may be several photo image files, or they may be a number of different files that represent an application and its support files. Once the archive has been opened and the files copied elswhere, you can delete the archive file.

One further benefit of keeping it clean - if you display a favorite photo or background image as your desktop you'll be able to see a lot more of it, if it is not covered by a bunch of useless icons!