Learning Timeline
Key Insights
Advantages of AI Agents vs. Manual Work
Claude Cowork is highly efficient at detecting 'nested archives' or folders within folders that we often create spontaneously. Doing this manually is a very tedious task, but AI can process thousands of files in a short amount of time.
Tips for Dated Archive Folders
If you have a habit of saving cluttered files into folders like 'Before [Date]', inform Claude about this naming pattern so it can merge all that content into the correct project categories.
Prompts
Desktop Organization Starter Prompt
Target:
Claude Cowork
Help me organize all of the files on my desktop.
Organization Specification Prompt
Target:
Claude Cowork
I want them organized by project topic. Screenshots I don't want to delete, just move them to a screenshots folder. Please consolidate and merge existing archive folders into one.
Deep Archive Cleanup Prompt
Target:
Claude Cowork
I want you to also organize the archive folder. Merge relevant documents with existing desktop folders.
Step by Step
How to Automatically Organize Desktop Files
- Open the Claude Cowork interface on your computer.
- Click on the prompt input box at the bottom of the screen.
- Type the main command to ask for help organizing your desktop and press 'Enter'.
- Wait for Claude to generate an action plan and provide follow-up questions.
- Provide specific details to Claude on how you want the files organized (e.g., by project topic, moving screenshots to a specific folder, or merging archive folders).
- Review the new folder structure proposed by Claude.
- Let Claude automatically handle the cleanup, file transfers, and folder creation.
- Click on your Desktop folder to check the newly organized results.
Managing and Merging Old Archive Folders
- Identify old archive folders that contain multiple nested folders.
- Give Claude additional instructions to focus the organization process on those specific archive folders.
- Specify instructions to 'Merge' relevant documents from the archives into the newly created desktop folder structure.
- Confirm the action if Claude asks for permission to move files on a large scale.
- Monitor the merging process until completion to ensure no important files are left behind in the old archives.
