Or at least clean your desktop!
Programs like Firefox, soulseek, Adium, etc will save files to your desktop by default.
When you need to save a file really quickly, it’s easy to just save it to the desktop; the problem is that you never get around to removing it. Pretty soon you end up with a cluttered desktop which is horrible to look at, and even harder to function.
Here’s a few tips on keeping your desktop clean and uncluttered.
Firefox - Though this procedure focuses on the Firefox program, the same basic principles will apply to most programs that store downloaded files.
- First you want to create a folder on your hard drive called Downloads. You can add this folder to the Dock, the finder side bar, etc.
- Go to Firefox > Preferences > General
- Under the Downloads section, choose Save Files To… and browse for the folder that you created earlier
- If you want to be asked where to save your files each time then choose that option, otherwise they will always be saved to your download folder.
Finder
- Desktop Icons
- In the Finder, go to Finder Preferences > General
- With the Finder open, go to View in the menu bar.
- If you must have a folder for clutter and temporary items, create one in the Home directory. never save anything to your desktop!
You can choose what items are shown on your desktop. Obviously the less items you choose the less cluttered your desktop will be. Remember you can always find items like CDs, External Drives and Connected Servers in the side column of your Finder windows, so there isn’t any real need to have them cluttering up your desktop as well.
Here you can choose what size the icons on your desktop will be and what information will be shown with them.
The Dock
If you’re using Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) then you can use it’s new feature of Stacks in the Dock. I’m getting my new MacBook Pro in a few days so I will give a more detailed description then.
However, if you’re like me then you’re still using Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and thus don’t have the luxury of new features. You can however still setup folders in the Dock that house important files.
You might want to drag your Downloads folder into the Dock for easy access.
- Applications in the Dock
- I know it’s hard to believe but I often see people (usually the ones who are beginners to the Macintosh OS, leave their applications on the desktop. If you are one of these people, please stop.
You can install applications by dragging them into the Applications folder in your home directory. - Once you’ve installed your applications you can drag them into the Dock for easy access when you need them.
- Overflow
- If you find that your Dock is beginning to overflow with applications, you can always download a program called Overflow from Stunt Software.
Overflow houses your applications, files and folders and makes it easy for you to access them without taking up any more space in your Dock.
