Take Control of Managing Your Files

Is your macOS desktop filled with file icons? Do you even know a desktop picture is hiding behind them?!? Perhaps you need to take control of managing your files.

That may not describe your situation, but chances are, you could use some sort of help organizing and handling all the digital files you receive and create on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. I’ve just published my latest all-new book, Take Control of Managing Your Files, available from my longtime publisher Take Control Books. The 126-page ebook is available in several formats (PDF, ePUB, Kindle) and costs just $12.99.

One of the challenges of writing this book was defining just what “your situation” means. Some people throw everything into a folder. Some people develop complex folder hierarchies. Some people use tags. Most of us use a mishmash of all of the above. So part of the book is geared toward figuring out just what type of file management scheme will work for you, asking questions that lead to solid strategies. Just determining whether you want to sync files to iOS and iPadOS devices leads in a few different directions that impact other decisions.

(At one point during the writing, I pondered making a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure style of book, before realizing that (a) that would be madness, and (b) it was entirely too late and I needed to step away from the computer and get some sleep.)

The book also includes a lot of foundational knowledge that people tend to bypass in the course of just trying to get things done day by day. You’ll be surprised at just how many options are available in the Finder for working with files, and for locating documents using Spotlight searches. The book covers the intricacies of complex Finder searches that can be turned into smart folders, freeing up storage space, working through a backlog of files, and more. It focuses on macOS 11 Big Sur and iOS 14/iPadOS 14, but nearly everything it describes also applies to older Apple operating systems released over the past few years.

Dealing with a cluttered mess of files carries real costs, both in time and mental anxiety. Take Control of Managing Your Files will help you redirect your energy toward doing the productive, creative things you’d much rather focus on when using your computer and devices. A free downloadable sample will give you a better idea of what the book offers.

Lastly, Take Control of Managing Your Files is an excellent companion to my book Take Control of Your Digital Storage, giving you understanding of storage media and how the underlying filesystems work on which to build your file management strategy.

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