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DeskOrg › User guide

User guide · v1.0.0

How to use DeskOrg

Everything in one place: the first cleanup, automation, your rules and the activity log. It takes about five minutes to read.

What DeskOrg does

DeskOrg is a lightweight Windows app that sorts the files cluttering your desktop into category folders (documents, images, installers, archives and more) using rules you control. Run it whenever you like with one click, or let it file new things in the background the moment they land.

Everything happens on your own PC. DeskOrg doesn't upload, sync or share your files, and it never deletes anything: it only moves files from the desktop into folders.

Quick start

  1. Open DeskOrg. Double-click the DeskOrg icon on your desktop, or find it in the Start Menu. A short splash appears, then the Control Center opens.
  2. Go to Organize › Organize Now. Your desktop is sorted into category folders using your current rules.
  3. Optional: turn on automation. In Smart Automation, enable the watcher so new files are filed automatically from now on.
Tip: run Organize Now once to see how your desktop gets sorted, then adjust the rules before you turn on automation.

The Control Center, tab by tab

Five tabs down the left side of the window:

  • 01Overview: your home dashboard, with a welcome and the current state of your setup (rules, automation, log).
  • 02Organize: Organize Now runs the cleanup. You can also open your Windows Desktop folder or the DeskOrg application folder from here.
  • 03Smart Automation: install and enable the background watcher, check its status, disable it, or uninstall automation.
  • 04Rules & Settings: edit which file types go into which folder, open the application folder, and refresh the status on the home screen.
  • 05Activity & Logs: open the DeskOrg log to see what was moved, and confirm the organizer and automation scripts are present.

Rules and protected file types

Categories and file types are fully editable under Rules & Settings: add a folder, rename it, or move an extension (for example .pdf) to a different category.

Some file types are protected: DeskOrg handles them carefully and leaves them where they are, so important files and shortcuts aren't moved unexpectedly.

Your rules are saved in your own Windows user profile, so they survive updates and reinstalls.

Smart Automation

When automation is on, a small background watcher notices new files on the desktop and files them using the same rules as Organize Now. You don't need to keep the Control Center open.

You can check its status, pause it by disabling it, or remove it completely with Uninstall automation, all from the Smart Automation tab.

Activity and logs

Every move is written to the DeskOrg log. Open it from Activity & Logs to see what was moved and where, so you can always find a file again.

Install problems?

DeskOrg's files are code-signed with its own certificate, so Windows may show a caution the first time. Click More info, then Run anyway. For every other message (security prompt, antivirus, admin rights, files in use) see the Install help page.

More step-by-step answers (finding moved files, editing rules, automation, uninstalling) are in the DeskOrg help articles. Still stuck? Contact us and tell us exactly which message you saw.