jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

This is how I do it. Make individual folders for different categories. Your main folder could be called Pictures. Inside that you have a folders called Cars > Ours > Car Shows > Old, etc.; Travel > Florida > China > Local, etc. I don't like using dates because that would require me to know exactly when a certain picture was taken. I also started using Lightroom and keywords.

Another system is based on Who, What, When, Where. There is an infinite number of systems for organizing anything. If it doesn't work for you, it's no good.

Shaker Loc: New England

I loved Windows 7 but have been stuck in Windows 8 for some years.

1) I create my own 'Pictures' folder in the DOCUMENTS folder. Then I right-clicked on the PICTURES folder I had created and a menu popped up where one of the choices was "send to desktop". I clicked on this and this created an 'alias' folder on my desktop. (which is not a folder but rather a doorway to the PICTURES folder I had created.

I AVOID USING THE LIBRARIES FUNCTION AT ANY TIME because I always wish to know exactly where my real pictures are. That way I can be sure that they are backed up and I canb easily share or access them when I wish.

2) Within the PICTURES folder that I create, I make a few sub-folders based on 'Activity Areas' ... for me the different 'activity areas' were farm, dance, friends, special events (weddings, etc), the time I share with my beloved (I called that folder 'Beloved'), family and other. This allows for narrowing down a search for (for instance) that lovely morning when the two herons flew out of the fog and somersaulted over us as my beloved and I were dancing on the Ocean beach).

3) Within those folders I create dated folders like the ones already suggested ... with a one or two word label after the date. the dated label should have the year first, then the month, then the date ... that way an alphabetical order is created (2016 08 05 doves)

It's like book-keeping ... if you make your entry right away and correctly in a predictable manner ... then everything will be easy to access when tax time comes. It takes a little extra time, but saves enormous amounts of time later.

Shaker Loc: New England

Oh ... I should add that ... if I have a current project I am 'editing' ... then I keep that in a folder separate from the Pictures folder. I usually keep that either on the desktop (for smaller projects) or on an external USB hard drive (for larger projects). A good external 1TB hard drive can be had for $50 to $70.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

It is now called "File Explorer"...
Cyan, if you go to my post in the "Lets discuss storage...." you'll also find how to add tags, star-rates, and some other things, to your photos. You can find the post here:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-401684-1.html#6747972

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

I'll have to do that for her.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

My PC has the same 'Photos' box....and on mine, I can add albums (folders). I don't know why I can't on her comp. I guess I will just make a "My Phoos" folder on the desktop (if I can...if it's possible). Hope it's like win7, where I can just right click on the desktop & make a new folder.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

I get a lot of emails from geek/tech sites. They said that win7 will continue to have updates (wish I knew that before I upgraded) till 2020.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

Thanx, Jerry. Today I will try to make a new folder.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

Back to the comment about a file system by date. I've used that system for years. It worked for years, partly because I also had a database with all of the information about each frame in it, so I knew where to look for the image. Now that I don't have that database anymore (it was a DOS file), I find myself spending lots of time searching. I've learned that filing my final images by subject matter without subfolders works better. If an image fits into more than one category, then I have two copies of it. I may not remember when or even where I shot a particular image, but I do remember if it's a flower or a tree and can search accordingly. (I still keep images filed by date - or by trip - but they are my original downloads, not final images.)

Kuzano

I've been teaching and working on computers for 25 years. I know well the lady(s) and some men you speak of. By her own description, "computer illiterate". She is extremely co-dependent. She keeps this co-dependency in place to keep somebody around, supposedly to assist her in her needs.

Knowing this now, the best thing you could do for her would be to buy her a film camera, a DIY processing kit, and a big bunch of archival binders.

Or, tell her to get her S__T together and take some classes. You are not her keeper... or are you? Not codependent yourself are you?

What you're asking us to do is support you in your little game with her. Not me! Sorry. What you are asking for requires some initiative on her part, or you just keep doing for her.

Can't rebuke you too much though. Three failed marriages taught me all about co-dependency.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

I tried to upload her pics on my card reader to then put them in her comp. Her card wouldn't fit in my reader (an old Pro Duo). So then we went to a comp. store to buy her her own reader (and a new card). Now she's not so worried about putting them on her PC or running out of room on her card. So for now I'm off the hook.

sholland98 Loc: Benbrook, Texas

I've heard that Lightroom is the "mother" of all organizers. Yet no one mentions it here??

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

Beings you know how to use Faststone ... put it on her computer and show her how easy it is to use.

cyan Loc: Northern NJ

That was the 1st thing I thought of....but she wants the photos to show as photos, not a folder list. Yesterday I took her to MicroCenter to buy another card & card reader....now she's not so concerned about getting the photos off her old card. She should know anyway, because that one will fill up (which I'll probably have to show her how to use) eventually.

Let's end this discussion.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Under the "view" tab in the explorer window she can select a detailed list or thumbnail pictures (in 3 different sizes). Discussion ended.