3 Simple Ways on how you Can Manage your Files Better in Dropbox

As a reliable cloud-based productivity tool, Dropbox provides offline storage and access to your stuff anywhere you can run on a browser. However, one of the visible problems with file dumping is that they can get cluttered or disorganized, if you are not very careful.

Below are some simple tips on how you can re-organize your Dropbox and transform it from a pile of stuff into an organized repository.

Resource vs. Clutter

There is big difference if you're going to compare a pile of stuff and a resource. For example, some people have piles of stuff on their desks and they would say they need it all because it contain important information in there somewhere.

Of course, this is considered inefficient and not ideal. A pile of stuff is not called a resource if you can't or don't have access to it. A simple analogy of this -- a library is a resource, while a pile of receipts, software manuals, transcripts, printouts, and cables scattered around your desk is considered a mess.

When it comes to the digital age, this is a major thing to deal with when clutter creeps into computers, as well as offline storage clouds.

Minimize Clutter

First thing you need to do is to free up space. Go through every file on your Dropbox and delete anything that's outdated, irrelevant, or duplicated. Well, this is pretty easy if you only have few files stored.

A quick method to do this is to sort the files in each folder by "Modified" by clicking on the column head. By doing this, it would be easier for you to identify which files or documents are relevant by noting how often you access them. If a file has been untouched for two years or more, then it's safe to say that you don't need them anymore.

You can also use a third-party management app like JoliCloud to help you get better access and make it easier for you to arrange your files. Simply log in with your Facebook account or use your Google ID for access.

Once you're logged in, you can add your other cloud storage accounts to make it an all-in-one solution for your cloud management.

Here's an expert tip when it comes to file management -- there is a hidden feature in Dropbox that stores the history or previous versions of your files. To access this, right-click on any file and there is an option for you to select Previous versions of that file. This option is useful especially if you accidentally overwrite a file copying it over a previous version while moving things around.

You can also make folders and group your files according to type. If you already have existing folders in your Dropbox account, consider making new Main folders, and then drag and drop your existing folders into them. See to it that you keep all folders in a single screen, since scrolling up and down wastes time. As for videos, audios, graphics, etc., make sure you title the main folders appropriately.

If in case you have hundreds of files in many folders, it is best to use tools that will help you accomplish this task in a quicker and a more efficient manner.

Search for Duplicates

The Unclouded app for Android is a very good solution if you need to locate for duplicate files. The app allows you to log into your cloud space (and that's any cloud space, like Dropbox but also Google Drive, Onedrive, Box and Mega) and get a lot of stats and info that are unavailable to you as a standard Dropbox user, file sizes for instance.

Clearly one of the most important thing about reducing space usage is by searching for and removing duplicates. Windows and Mac users can use a desktop app called Easy Duplicate Finder (EDF) to find duplicate files. It allows you to log into your Dropbox account and select folders you wish to include and exclude. Using this app, you can let it search your folders, and it will give you a report of which files are duplicates.

Share and Unshare Alike

Disconnecting shared files is another method you can try to clean things up on your Dropbox. Though it may not look that obvious, but your file space on Dropbox is composed of both files you have personally uploaded and files in other people's spaces, which are shared with you. To check how much space you have tied up in shares, click on your Account Name (with your image), then go to Settings, and then click the Account tab. It will show you a list of how your files are arranged and how much you have shared.

To check the sharing properties of individual files, right-click on it, and then choose Sharing. Click the drop-down arrow next to your name, then click Remove my access to disconnect from the files, which will then free up your Dropbox some space.

You can also check the files you share (you might want to revoke access for security purposes) by clicking on the Sharing link and Links items on the left menu pane.