How can I stay organized?

[marketingbooth]

As a marketer, I have a ton of digital information stored all over my computer. My file folder hierarchies are organized by Product line, then by such folders as: Advertising, Competition, Customers, Editorials, Evaluations, Graphics, Info Releases, Press Releases, Projects, Reports, Sample User Case Studies, Stats, Strategy, Surveys, Tutorials, User Quotes, Webpage Content, etc....

Sometimes I create info that doesn't fit into these categories, or I receive info via email or RSS and though it relates to info in my file folder hierarchy, i just can't seem to figure out how to store it together so it's easy to find later...

What products / techniques do you use to make managing information easier?

Is a desktop search tool enough, or would you recommend any organizing tools? Is there software out there that brings all my information together? I use RSS feeds, email, word docs, excel files, and bookmark webpages on a regular basis...

Any help would be great!!

[ctabuk]

Copernic - I use it, then forget about it, get in a muddle, run Firefox and Windows side by side have about a zillion favourites but when I really get stuck I use copernic

[etechsupport]

Copernic desktop search 1.6 version is pretty nice work well with both IE and Firefox browsers.

[DeadIntoIt]

Yep Copernic is very cool. Very good for finding what you have already tried to organize so you can find it.

But for databasing organized/catagorized information, I use 3 FREE progs you might want to a take a look at:
(Please don't make the mistake of thinking because they are free they aren't good.)

• NotesBrowser I log thoughts, ideas, special things I want to jot down about a specific task or what ever. I hate having to open OUTLOOK to use tasks or some other resource hog just to make a note. Use NotePad and you have to save it to file, name it and then remember where the hell you put it. NOT WITH NOTES BROWSER. It offers you 20 different catagories within the Lite/Free version and more in the proversion. It autosaves everything and will back up as a .rtf file. It will reside in your sys/tray and use very little resources.
  
  Within each catagory you can have tabbed pages and cut them into sections. It has a task tool, alert reminder and more. REALLY HARD TO BEAT FOR FREE!
  
• LiteraryMachine Do You Write Articles? If you want to database info for bringing together content, the Literary Machine is a dynamic archive and an idea management tool aimed at creative thinking — built especially with the writer in mind. GUESS WHAT? FREE version available. I definitely recommend doing the FREE Version first as there is somewhat of a learning curve with this but it is KILLER.
  
• FreeMind Brainstorming / Project Planning. If you are more right brained (Hmmmm or is that left brained), more inclined to plot things out graphically, you may want to give FREEMIND a shot. Again, IT'S FREE! There is paid Mind Mapping software out there but for my purposes FreeMind works just fine.
  
  Run the Applet on your server and share brain storming sessions with your business partners.

Hope this helps. I have made these 3 programs mainstays in my organizational arsenal.

I'm always open to suggestions if anyone has any as cool as these Freebies.

[Tubby]

Whenever I sit in front of my computer I am confronted with "where is everything" I have never even dreamed that it could be any other way.

[Map Books 4 U]

Wow, I guess I never really considered that others had computer organizational problems too!

DeadIntoIt thank you for sharing your problem solvers, I am going to take a look at each of the links you provided.