Living in a mess can be a challenge, and even if your home is clean down to the last washed window, turning on your computer can make your blood pressure rise if all of your most important files aren’t saved in a logical place and you can’t find what you need when you actually need it. Having your computer organized saves a great deal of time as you’re working and it saves you a lot of headaches as well.

Of course, there are hundreds of things someone can do to organize their computing life, not to mention hundreds of apps and utilities designed to make the task easier.  Our goal isn't to list them all here, but instead, to address that all-important question, Where do I start?

These top five are the key points of cleaning a computer - not just what's inside the system but outside too.  If you're facing a task of cleaning house, here's the first step.

1.  Organize Media

Organize Media Files with Windows Media Center

The latest version of Windows Media Player is a powerful program that allows you to work with all of your media files in easily-accessible folders. To get started, simply open Windows Media Center and click on the area you want to work in first. For example, you might select Pictures and Videos.