cutlistplus download techy question?

[devonwoody]

I successfully downloaded cutlistplus this morning, but the download instructions from the software said not to save the download on your desktop but to a directory.
Software downloads in the past I have always put straight to my desktop (so I can easily find them, I do then transfer them to an odds and sods folder on my desktop)

Is it not the best policy when downloading software not to let it be placed on the desktop?

 

[Sawdust]

I always download software directly to the desktop and then either install from there or move it somewhere else before installing.

I tend to think of the desktop like a real desk, ie you put things on it while using them and put them away when finished.

I hate a cluttered desk and desktop and consequently never leave anything at all on either. On all my PCs, the desktop is always blank except for the recycle bin.

That said, it's only personal preference and makes no actual difference where you keep them. One directory is much the same as another!

Mike

 

[Snetty]

I tend to think of the desktop like a real desk, ie you put things on it while using them and put them away when finished.

I like that analogy and it's pretty much my approach. I leave a few things that I'm using at the time on my desktop, but I always clean it up every few days. I've had to work on a few clients PC's that've had cluttered desktops, and there's honestly nothing that annoys me as much.

 

[LyNx]

i got 375 icons on my desktop, and that only on the first monitor :lol: :lol: :lol:

Andy

 

[Sawdust]

i got 375 icons on my desktop, and that only on the first monitor

You shouldn't be allowed to have one monitor, let alone 2

Mike

 

[SketchUp Guru]

DW, I'm not sure about CutList but some applications extract to the same place that the downloaded file resides. I created a folder in My Documents I call SW Updates. I download all new software and software updates to that folder first so I can find them later for installation.

Most apps I get seem to be zipped and the zip folder usually contains a Read Me that tells you what files you'll get installed. Or, for that matter, you can see the files in the WinZip window.

If there are problems with the application later, I still have the original download in the SW folder.

 

[tim]

I also thought (what I was told) that the more items that you have on the desktop, the lower the PC performance because of the way those files are looked for. Therefore keep a few there but better to use shortcuts instead.

Could be tosh though.

Cheers

Tim

 

[Sawdust]

I also thought (what I was told) that the more items that you have on the desktop, the lower the PC performance because of the way those files are looked for. Therefore keep a few there but better to use shortcuts instead.

Interesting point that. I have always been convinced that PCs with cluttered desktops run slower but could never work out a good reason why. One idea I had was that Windows has to keep accessing the desktop as part of its display refresh. If that is the case it would have to look in every file on the desktop to work out which icon to draw.

It probably doesn't make much difference whether they are shortcuts or files though as Windows shortcuts are just files anyway!

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

i got 375 icons on my desktop, and that only on the first monitor :lol: :lol: :lol:

Andy

Now thats another problem!

If you have 375 icons ( and they are all programs) when I open my START>Programs> the list is getting difficult to read because the r/hcolomn is passing over the edge of my monitor.(and I dont want to go 1200x900 or whatever screen dims.
I haven't got 375 programs or I don't think so but I do have nearly 4 colomns of the brutes.

Will I have to start ditching some software?

 

[Sawdust]

Will I have to start ditching some software?

Chances are that loads of them are unused and will be there from a piece of software you installed and then uninstalled but it never tidied up the shortcuts. You can just delete these manually (just right click on them ehen they are displayed and click delete).

Alternatively if you really do need all of them, it's pretty easy to sort them into folders.

Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Sawdust,

How do I create a folder in Start>all programs?

then even if my desktop is not tidy my all programs would be.

 

[Sawdust]

How do I create a folder in Start>all programs?

This applies to XP and I think 2000. If it's 98, I have no idea.

Have a look in:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

This is a folder that contains the shortcuts to most of the applications. It's just a folder like any other and you can create folders and drop shortcuts into it as you want.

By most, I mean the ones that are installed for use by anyone. If you installed any for just you to run, then they will be in:

C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Start Menu\Programs

Where <user> is your user name.

Good luck
Mike

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks again Sawdust, I'm going exploring but setting a sytems restore first

 

[Snetty]

i got 375 icons on my desktop, and that only on the first monitor :lol: :lol: :lol:

Andy

Now thats another problem!

If you have 375 icons ( and they are all programs) when I open my START>Programs> the list is getting difficult to read because the r/hcolomn is passing over the edge of my monitor.(and I dont want to go 1200x900 or whatever screen dims.
I haven't got 375 programs or I don't think so but I do have nearly 4 colomns of the brutes.

Will I have to start ditching some software?

Odds are that the "programs" on your desktop are just shortcuts. If you right click on one and click "properties" the tab that's hightlighted at the top will say "shortcut" if that's the case. Check that you've got another shortcut in your start menu and you can clear it from your desktop. If there's not a corresponding shortcut in the start menu, you can right click and drag the shortcut (the one on the desktop) into where you want it on the start menu, when you release the right mouse button it'll give a little menu, simply select "move here", which (obviously) will just move the shortcut into your start menu.

 

[Terry Smart]

John, just an idea, but you might find it useful to save the installation files to a different drive/partition (or burn them to disc) rather than leave them on your desktop. The reason being that if you have to do a reinstall or lose your C drive for any reason you won't have to download them all again... especially as I think you might still be on dial-up.

On the subject of icons, every so often Windows XP normally runs a tidy-up wizard to get rid of unused icons... I don't have any icons on my desktop which confuses the hell out of anyone who comes in to and tries to use my computer. Again, with XP I've 'pinned' a couple of programs to the Start menu and XP remembers and displays my five most used programs in the Start menu.

Now if only I could keep my physical desk as tidy...

 

[matt]

How do I create a folder in Start>all programs?

This applies to XP and I think 2000. If it's 98, I have no idea.

Have a look in:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

This is a folder that contains the shortcuts to most of the applications. It's just a folder like any other and you can create folders and drop shortcuts into it as you want.

By most, I mean the ones that are installed for use by anyone. If you installed any for just you to run, then they will be in:

C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Start Menu\Programs

Where <user> is your user name.

Good luck
Mike

A simpler way to get to your start menu folder is to right-click on the Start menu and select "explore" (to access your start menu items*) or "explore all users" (to access the "all users" Start menu*)

* "your" or "all" is relevent to XP and which you use is determined by how you install software. During installation, many programs will ask whether you want "this software available to all users of this PC or just you" (sorta thing).