Isn’t the desktop just a place for displaying a picture? People have icons there?
Story time.
I was helping someone at work the other day…
As part of my usual process, I minimized most of what the person was using, because I dgaf what users are actually doing on their computers. I’m only interested in getting the “problem” that they’re complaining about, solved, so I can go home.
When I finished minimizing everything, I shit you not, this person had two full screens of icons on their desktop. I couldn’t help but blurt out “that’s a lot of icons” they went on to describe how they use their desktop as a dumping ground and they clear the whole thing every few months.
Since I couldn’t give a single shit about what they do with their computer, I said something to the effect of “alright”, fixed the unrelated “problem” they had and moved on.
I do this. It’s the “heap system”. After a couple of months it gets full and I create a folder called “crap” and move everything inside it. After this, the process repeats itself and often leads to folder trees like C:\Users\dh\Desktop\crap\crap2\more crap\crap\important crap\crap.
This usually continues for the life of my computer and then, one day, it just gets wiped because buggered if I know what’s in the crap folder…
People who use desktop as your unsorted downloads folder, who hurt you?
I use the desktop as a very temporary folder. Because I’ll be annoyed by having stuff on there and will delete them as soon as I don’t need them any more.
My downloads folder has random installers from 2021.
As god intended (sorted by downloaded date)
Why would I hide downloads in the downloads folder?
Kidding. I use downloads for downloads.
Desktop is for WIP project files.
Idgaf as long as it isn’t onedrive.
OneDrive can be configured to automatically back up your desktop. So the desktop might be OneDrive
Save to documents surely? It’s a document
I didn’t think that any Windows related software was actually aware that the ‘Documents’ folder is supposed to be for documents. Because my ‘Documents’ folder gets used as a dumping ground for any old program to drop their shit in. Even though there’s literally dedicated folders for app data and saved games.
Personally I make my own ‘Home’ folder with my own pictures, movies, documents etc. folders because whether it’s Windows, Linux or Android, the concept of having your own user folder for your own things is a joke because developers don’t respect that and just dump their files anywhere.
Yeah Documents is basically default for .local config save data trash for any and all programs and games, which is a bummer. I’d like to use it for documents lol.
I don’t use the Documents folder because of that reason, but it’s still weird to me that that doesn’t happen on Linux, so my Documents folder is mostly empty there
Yeah, documents itself isn’t bad but you still end up with a bunch of stuff just being chucked into the root of your user folder, despite the fact that folders like ‘.config’ exist. Personally, I like my ‘home’ space to be just my files, things that I’ve put there myself, without random programs making new folders and leaving dotfiles lying around. I’m a bit of a neat freak on my pc, way more than in real life. Personally, /home is just another /etc for me. My shit goes elsewhere.
I actually really like this and when I reconfigure my laptop I might implement the same thing
Me: “I’ve got an elaborate folder structure for all my documents.”
Windows: “You want to put this in the root directory of OneDrive.”
Me: "No, I want to put it in \SpecialFiles\ProjectName\IterationNo\DetailedSchematic"
Windows: “Root directory of OneDrive it is.”
That’s why I debloat windows anytime I do a new install. Drop that box 🥊
It’s a work computer, so my options are limited
I fucking hate onedrive sooo much for this, it kills me a little everytime and it happens all the time. Im just a husk at this point. God damn fuck you onedrive.
and it gives you that shitty prompt with like 3 locations to dark pattern you into using it instead of just putting you in the explorer window so you can go right to where you want to fucking save it. Wasting a shitload of time.
Uninstall it. It’s an optional component.
Exactly.
Because My Documents is where Windows keeps all your save games from the last decade and beyond, because why would I use it to store MY DOCUMENTS?
Microsoft and application developers treat the Documents folder like a total dumping ground for whatever random nonsense they can dream up. No wonder people look elsewhere. Need to store user files? Documents. A database? Documents. Giant cache files? Documents. Config? Documents. Executables? Fuck it put those in Documents too.
Why would I ever store my real documents in a folder so littered with shit that I can never find anything? It’s not like the search actually works.
Also as a Linux user myself and to head off any smugness, developers do the same thing with the home directory so users end up inventing weird ways to stay organized.
I don’t ever search for files/folders in explorer’s browser anymore. I just use Everything and TreeSize at this point. Windows’ search function is pointless.
I have my files meticulously organized in hierarchical folders that sync across all my devices through One Drive and to my NAS through One Drive.
I hate that Microsoft wants to dump everything in Documents.
Also, for SOME FUCKING REASON, my work system, wants to put everything into the root of One Drive. Like fuck please put it in Documents at least. I don’t want ANYTHING in the root folder if I can avoid it, aside from maybe the occasional super special thing.
Today I used Alt+Space to open krunner, typed the name of a C script I’m working on, and it pulled up search results for the file, as well as relevant websites I visited related to that title, and in that moment I realized how much I missed out growing up with Explorer.
I’d be happy if those apps were asking to save to Documents like in the screenshot. But alas, reality is much more cruel. They always want to save to some vague OneDrive location, and won’t even show you the local file browser without extra steps.
If yOU dOn’T uSe oNEdrIvE iT is IMpOssiBle to AuTO sAve! The technology just doesn’t exist to save on a timer without involving the cloud!
F12
Documents, Desktop and Picture folders are just moved from the user folder into the user folder\OneDrive folder.
Other than that it work exactly the same.
OneDrive also always has a local folder. Usually in your user folder.
You can blame a lot on OneDrive, but this isn’t one of them.
I don’t want any of my files uploaded to OneDrive; therefore I don’t want to save them in the OneDrive folder. I have other folders where I’d like to save my files instead.
So the behaviour I described is a persistent annoyance for me; despite you telling me it isn’t a problem.
I don’t mind OneDrive sync, I like it honestly.
What I absolutely do not want, is my Desktop on One Drive. For starters, its often a scratch place. I don’t want it instantly pushing 6GB of photos I just pulled off my camera’s memory card to the cloud before I can sorr them.
You see, I have OneDrive disabled and set to not sync.
It still wants me to save to a OneDrive directory, simply because I’m signed into my Microsoft account.
Saving to desktop is insane behaviour and the OP just told on herself.
I agree, but I think the tone of the joke suggests that OP is at least somewhat self-aware
Rebuttal, with a physical desk you put things you need right now on top in the open. You wouldn’t grab something off the printer and put it into a drawer first, then reopen the drawer to get it out of your need it now.
The desktop is “right now” workspace. Why bother to put it into a folder whose only purpose is not to take things out of to put elsewhere? I could at least understand people who download direct to documents… but that still leaves a mess to clean up with installers and such.
Downloading to the desktop is not only sane, but more efficient.
Leaving everything on your desktop is a different conversation though.
You reminded me of this funny tweet
Desktop is for empty space so when you close everything it’s clean
I definitely would go ahead and put the printed document directly into a hanging file in my desk drawer if I could read/use the document without ever moving it like I can on a computer…
Somehow I’m doubting that you keep all your computer files in your download folder. You still have to move it. My way just makes it obvious it needs to be filled instead of leaving it on the junk drawer.
And the physical desk analogy still holds. Yeah you put it in a folder in the drawer, but it’s the wrong one. Unless you are specifying a custom filepath for each file, in which case, carry on.
Unless you are specifying a custom filepath for each file, in which case, carry on.
This one is correct. I always setup my browser to ask where to put each download, and then send it to the file it needs to live in. Usually have the “default” be the home folder so I can easily browse to the subsequent folder quickly. The browser doesn’t just get to decide where to put stuff or it would all be a mess eventually anyway.
Rock on, you are an inspiration to us all.
I just do everything out of my file manager. I use Krusader, which has twin panes and tabs.
Microsoft: put it in OneDrive. We will use your content to train our AI models. No really this is fine.
Also Microsoft: If you ever try to leave us we will delete all of your data on all of your devices. We might even do it at random just for fun…No, we won’t warn you.
I love the random deletetion. They deleted a whole year of my university notes just because.
I used the desktop all the time when I was on Windows. When I moved to Linux fulltime, KDE wouldn’t let you save to desktop. Eventually I figured out how to fix that, but by that time I had the habit broken. Thankfully i never reverted and my shit is generally organized because of it.
I am the opposite and I absolutely hate it when I have to work on someone’s laptop with cluttered desktop and folders. Mine only has a taskbar at bottom and clock widget at bottom right corner. All temporary files goes to downloads or to organised directories. What’s the point of having a nice wallpaper if you can’t enjoy it.
I’m the same way. I will tolerate no icons on my desktop. It’s widgets or nothin’.
Now, my physical desktop, on the other hand…
You do at least have some shortcuts on your desktop, right?
Otherwise, why have a desktop?
You can open a picture if you want to look at it
Everything from start menu shortcuts. Much cleaner and nicer that way.
Edit: I am using KDE plasma so not the full screen start menu like in windows but the small box on bottom left with about 15 icons that I regularly use.
You do at least have some shortcuts on your desktop, right?
Not OC, but no, that’s what the taskbar is for, I use my iconless desktop as a space to drag windows around and multitask
That’s what the super key is for, you hit the super key and start typing the name of whatever it is you want and hit enter just like a phone
So, what, remember the names of all the things I could want? Also, “just like a phone”?
Yeah like on a cell phone you type the name of the app and it shows up
What’s the point of having a nice wallpaper if you can’t enjoy it.
That’s what the aecond monitor is for
Least cluttered Windows Desktop:
pokemon blue, nice
Pffff, if you don’t attach to the grid you got way more space for files.
Gotta arrange by penis
If anybody needs me, I’ll be here for the next half hour or so.
…there’s no “sort by penis”…
Nice. It’s girth will grow for each new file saved.
Aww, I love TWID! Thanks for the reminder, haven’t watched it in awhile
Same here.
There is a folder in my (Linux) desktop called “Old Desktop”
There’s a folder inside “Old Desktop” called… “Old Desktop”.
I have the same but with the whole home directory.
/home/user/old_home/old_home/old_home
Are you me? Haha recently I went looking through them and was appalled. Not enough to actually do anything about it though.
Where’s Bonzi Buddy?
Can you sort this by penis? Internet Explorer needs to be at the tip or I won’t be able to find it.
Thank you so much for this, setting this as my wallpaper right now.
You’re welcome!
Oh, that’s easy to clean up. Just open explorer, go to desktop, Ctrl+A, Ctrl+X, make a new folder called 2025-Jan, and then inside of that folder, Ctrl+V. Problem solved, forever.
Where was that file? Oh, My Documents/Old Desktops/2023 November/2023 April/2022 December. Of course.
Man, zooming in and looking at these icons was like a blast from the (not too far) past.
I use downloads instead, it mainly functions as a temporary folder where anything unimportant can live and once it gets a scroll bar it all gets deleted. For the very rare things that are important I could then move them after.
How do you move a file after deletion? I need to know this black magic.
Well first off, through
GodLinux, all things are possible. You can have multiple hard links to a file, where a given hard link is deleted, but you can still manipulate the file through any other other links. Alternately, you can open a file, and while you have a valid open file descriptor, delete the file. The file descriptor is still valid until you close the file though, so you can still save (thus move) it to a new location.Windows locks files when you open them, preventing these kinds of shenanigans.
“preventing these kinds of shenanigans”
Yeah, Linux really does give you a gun and lets you point it at your foot if you want to, huh? I say this with the fondness and trepidation of someone who isn’t a Linux noob, but also no pro (yet)
I absolutely do it the other way. Nothing is on my desktop except for the trash bin. There is a shortcut to the file explorer and browser pinned to the task bar. And that’s it.
There is nothing at all on my desktop except for a text document created by my girlfriend saying that she loves me that she snuck on there when I wasn’t looking.
Mine used the sticky note app makes me smile every time I open my laptop.
Bro you didn’t have to come here just to brag…
i don’t even have icons enabled on my desktop. Now I don’t have to feel stressed about cleaning it up
Yeah, this is the way. Disable icons and recycle bin too.
Ah, a person of culture! Though I admit everything that I regularly use is pinned to the taskbar.
Taskbar is all you need. Also, the windows/meta button, then just typing (or if you’re in KDE, literally just typing) the thing I want to do and hitting enter. Fuck desktop icons.
You’re ready for GNOME.
What’s gnome?
Assuming you’re not joking: Gnome Desktop Environment.
Thanks. I wasn’t joking. But it doesn’t look like something for me. It looks like Apples iOS, and I hate everything apple related.
Windows + E for file explorer as well, when you can’t be bothered with the mouse. I wish you were able to pin specific folders to the taskbar, as opposed to just general explorer. I want to save one click.
I use my keyboard as little as possible, so shortcut keys aren’t for me. I use a laptop, and am usually lying on the couch, too far to reach the keyboard. I have a few shortcuts mapped to my mouse. You’d be surprised how much I can surf the web with just the mouse. And sometimes even with my left hand.
