Welcome to Your Hard Drive

Up there in the top left of your Windows desktop sits a little icon labeled My Computer. It sounds so quaint and homey, doesn't it? So why is it that when you double-click the thing and start examining the contents of your hard drive, it looks less like My Computer and more like the Filing System From Outer Space?

The biggest reason for this cosmic disconnect: The way that Windows structures a hard drive really is alien. And scary. If you open the main drive on your system (usually labeled C:), you're likely to find dozens of folders there, with hundreds of subfolders inside them, containing thousands and thousands of files, taking up oodles (perhaps even gigabytes) of space. Today's trivia item: My system's Windows folder alone contains more than a gigabyte's worth of files--16,715 of them, in 667 subfolders. Ouch. Your own probably isn't much better.

Who knew your hard drive could be such a rat's nest?

Once you get past the seemingly enormous numbers involved, there is a rhyme and reason to the whole arrangement. And once you understand how Windows wants to store things, you can keep better track of your own files, save time and disk space, and stick your own personal flag at the summit of My Computer. It's time to get to know your hard disk and take control of what goes on there. Here's the plan: First we'll find out Where Windows Hides Stuff. Then we'll explore Where Programs Put Stuff. To wrap things up, I'll show you Where You Should Put Stuff. Once you know how your drive is organized, routine system chores (like hard drive cleanup) will be easier, and you'll stand a much better chance of keeping your system running like a well-oiled machine.