Obsessive Compulsive Disorder on the computer ?

JordanJP · 17 Feb 2011

Do you guys ever find yourself just going through your programs and making sure your computer is perfect in the sense that your hard drive is properly defragmented and that your files are named properly and so on ?

For as long as I can remember I've always had some form of OCD when it comes to computing, I sometimes make sure that my files on my computer are named correctly and in order and that my desktop is not cluttered with unnecessary stuff, I do this obsessively sometimes. Is there something wrong with me or is this normal ?

I've been this way for as long as I can remember.

z3r010 · 17 Feb 2011

Nope, if it boots then it's fine

pparks1 · 17 Feb 2011

I think a wide variety of us who spend time on forum sites and use computers have some level of OCD.

Fayla · 17 Feb 2011

I like to make sure that a program is 100% uninstalled, that means checking the app data folder and registry, etc etc for entries which uninstallers usually leave behind. I suppose security counts too, but I only have to set that up once!

johnwillyums · 17 Feb 2011

I get a bit obsessive about being online, being on this forum, trying new software etc. (Usually this ends in disaster:))Sadly I'm not obsessively tidy, either personally or with my pc files etc.
Also I agree with PP. I don't use a computer for work. It's purely a hobby. Yet it's very important too me. It's an obsessive behaviour that suits my addictive personality type. A lot healthier than some I've had in the past anyway:)
The PSU on my main pc failed on Monday and I felt a real sense of panic for a moment. Ridiculous really. Nine years ago I'd never used one at all and didn't wish to. Had to be pursuaded to accept an old one as a gift as I couldn't see much use for it

Mashed1316 · 17 Feb 2011

Yep, i agree with everybody here.

I don't have an OCD when it comes to PCs, but i do like to keep my things clean and neat.

My Music folder arranged by artists, then albums, then songs with their respective tags and they're all the same bitrate.

My Images folder arranged by subject or occasion with their names by "Img XXX" respectively.

My Documents folder arranged by subject (in case of my university paperworks) i have it arranged by semester, course and documents.

When i uninstall a program/app i like to make sure i completely deleted it. I'm really picky when it comes to computers.

I defrag my HDDs once a week.

I have a separate HDD for all my data and stuff like that.

Geezus, i've just described an OCD'er. LOL

Joan Archer · 17 Feb 2011

I suppose in some ways I am, I have to make sure that maintenance is run every Monday morning I need to know what and where things are on my machine. Like John it's a hobby, but a very addictive hobby that I'd be in a state of panic if anything happened that I couldn't fix easily and quickly.

spinifex · 17 Feb 2011

All my stuff is pretty much in the appropriate folders, but inside each folder things are messy with sub folders.
Fortunately it's all in alphabetical order, but i can't always remember what i have called the folders or files.

Search gets used quite often.

severedsolo · 17 Feb 2011

spinifex said:

All my stuff is pretty much in the appropriate folders, but inside each folder things are messy with sub folders.
Fortunately it's all in alphabetical order, but i can't always remember what i have called the folders or files.

Search gets used quite often.

Same with me, I would be lost without Start Menu search. My desktop is very tidy, mainly because I don't use it. I disable Desktop Icons as everything I need is accessible through the Start Menu or Taskbar anyway. The only time I even look at my desktop is when I've closed something or the system has just booted.

Occasionally, I go through and have a sort out, but I have a really bad habit of just dumping everything from the Internet into Downloads, and everything I make into Documents.

Just about the only thing that is properly organised is my Sims 3 Modding stuff, but that's because that is almost a job to me (although I don't get paid for it)

mickey megabyte · 17 Feb 2011

i'm a lot tidier with my pc than i am my house.

at home i'm a firm believer in the maxim 'a clean house is a sign of a wasted life', and can put up with an amazing amount of mess before something has to be done.

i'm a lot stricter with my pc though, and do perform regular clean-up operations. i generally start with my desktop, then my downloads folder, putting stuff (and versions of stuff) back in the right place. i'm generally pretty organised with my files and rarely lose any, so i don't bother with indexing except for the start-menu. speaking of which, i like to keep that nicely sorted too. then i fire up ccleaner to clear up various temp files etc. i used to defrag after that, but i don't bother now i have an ssd.

if i've got time, and it's a really rainy day, i might fire up my mail client and delete a load of stuff and organise the rest into folders.

than i may just make an image with macrium reflect, so i can go back to this tidiness if needs be in the future...

i wouldn't say i'm obsessive about it, but i do try to do a thorough job once i've gotten around to it, normally once my desktop starts getting cluttered with stuff.