# Does a cluttered desktop slow your computer?? Or is that fiction?



## thartmann (Aug 13, 2010)

My son accused me of being a "file hoarder," which I have to admit is true. I hate to discard files and so I have a lot of folders and files on my desktop. But is that a bad thing? Does having a lot of unopened files on the desktop slow things down? Really?
BTW, I'm on a mac.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

While nothing totally surprises me with such things, I'd be fairly surprised if the fact that the files are on the desktop versus somewhere else in the file system would matter performance-wise. Certainly if you have too many files in general to the point where disk space is limited, it might affect performance if/when you get into situations where you're using disk space as virtual RAM, plus file access in general might slow down if the disk has not been defragmented recently (not sure if Macs normally defrag automatically?). But generally speaking, I'd want someone to prove it and explain why before I'll believe that it's the fact that the files are on the desktop that is causing any sort of noticeable performance issue.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Agree with everything NogDog said. For me, I'd spend too much time looking for a file. But that's just how I work.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I have seen on tech sites that having files on the desktop does slow down most computers as it takes resources to display and index them on the desktop or something. But probably minimal difference

http://www.ehow.com/info_12214237_storing-files-desktop-reduce-speed.html
Storing files on your desktop won't necessarily reduce the speed of your computer. Its effect on your PC's performance can literally be measured in milliseconds, regardless of whether you have dozens or even hundreds or thousands of unorganized files and icons strewn about your desktop. The only thing that might affect performance is your graphic card's ability to render all the icons.

Read more: Does Storing Files on the Desktop Reduce Speed? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_12214237_storing-files-desktop-reduce-speed.html#ixzz2Iv2P0mYh

May be worse on Macs?

http://lifehacker.com/5893054/an-overly-cluttered-desktop-can-seriously-slow-down-your-mac++clean-it-up-for-a-noticeable-speed-boost
An Overly Cluttered Desktop Can Seriously Slow Down Your Mac-Clean it Up for a Noticeable Speed Boost
Weblog Mac OS X Hints reminds us that when your computer's running slower than it should, sometimes complicated maintenance isn't the answer-a clean desktop could do just as much as anything.
This supposedly isn't a problem on Windows computers, just Macs. Because of the way OS X's graphical system works, the icons on your desktop take up a lot more of your resources than you may realize:


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## Natasha Holme (May 26, 2012)

I have one folder on my desktop into which I put files and folders I use regularly. That way, they're all just a click away and I get to keep my desktop tidy.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I am a file hoarder too. I collect, store, double store.  . I have more notepads and open office spreadsheets than any human could possibly need.  . I have lots of stuff on the desktop too, although not as much as I used too. Nothing ever slowed me down. If I get slow, I'll stick more memory in. Or a larger hard drive. I am good to go for a few years now.


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## Aywren (Jan 26, 2012)

I've heard folks say this in the past, too. I'm wondering if it was something held over from older operating systems and computers that ran with much slower processors and memory than ours do today. I tend to have tons of stuff on my desktop with no noticeable effects (I use Win 7, though). I hope all that RAM in my machine can handle loading the files on my desktop!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Often when the computer creates a desktop shortcut to a file, the file has been created in the root directory of the computer. The guy who is my general guru on computer stuff has long told me that having a large number of separate items in your root directory can create problems and crashes. I have always accepted this, but don't have knowledge from any other sources that support it. And my guru is kind of an old school guy, it is quite possible he is repeating something that was true on older equipment, but no longer applies. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


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## Shane Ward (Jan 25, 2013)

Lots of files on the desktop should not cause too much slow down, especially with modern day computer, but a bloated registry in windows will slow everything down, virus scanners are the biggest cause of slowdown because they check every file and whats in it.

But having a cluttered desktop will make it hard to find files...

Shane


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

About a month ago, a Time Warner tech was here to "upgrade" my TWC package.  When he saw all my desktop icons on my laptop, he said they slow it down.  Later that day, I deleted all the unnecessary shortcuts on my desktop.  Got rid of about 9/10 of what I'd had.  I see no difference in the speed.

BTW, the TWC upgrade was bogus and I called and "downgraded" to my previous plan the following week.  I had given in earlier to a TWC sales person who called to sell me the upgrade, even after I'd told her why I shouldn't have it.


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