It happens to all of us: we’re asked for an electronic copy of a file that we created, and suddenly the panic sets in!  In order to avoid that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, it pays to implement a file-naming system.  Coupling it with a search feature like Windows Desktop Search, you’ll be able to retrieve that file easily.

The file naming system that I use is pretty comprehensive.  Some may call it overkill, but it works for me.  I use this for naming and renaming all file types, from Excel spreadsheets to Emails.  You know the old exercise of asking the Five W’s (Who? What? When? Where?).  I ask the questions When? How? Who? What? to develop file names.

When?

The When? Question is the date the file is created.  I use the format YYYY-MM-DD, starting with the year, followed by the month, and finally the day.  Pretty straightforward.

Example:          2009-01-20

How?

The How? Question is the type of file that is created.  This is where the overkill comments usually come up.  Why put the file type in the file name?  Just to make it easier to search through a list, as “excel” in a file name jumps out more than the .xls extension.

Example:          2009-01-20 email

Example:          2008-07-06 excel

Who?

This is particularly useful for files that originate as emails and are saved as pdf files.  I put the last name of the person who originated the file (for an email, this would be the sender).  If I’ve created the file, I just use my initials.

Example:          2009-01-20 email jones

Example:          2008-07-06 excel cb

What?

The final part of the file name is the What part.  This is what most people would traditionally use as a complete file name.  I try to be as descriptive as possible, which prevents me from having to open the file in order to se if it’s the “right one”, which wastes time.

Example:          2009-01-20 email jones operating budget due date

Example:          2009-07-06 excel cb 2Q overhead rate variance

Now, by utilizing Windows Desktop Search, you can type in any portion of the file name (The When How Who What parts), and easily find the file you’re searching for:

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