Windows Photo Search and Organisation Checklist

Photographs, screenshots, scans and business images can become spread across many folders and cloud locations. Use this checklist to find them, understand where they are stored and organise important files without deleting something required by Windows, an application or your business.

Step 1 — Prepare

• □ Connect required external drives
• □ Confirm OneDrive is signed in
• □ Confirm iCloud is connected where used
• □ Check available disk space
• □ Confirm important data is already backed up
• □ Close unnecessary applications

Step 2 — Search

• □ Open File Explorer (Windows key + E)
• □ Select This PC in the left panel
• □ Type kind:=picture in the search box and press Enter
• □ Allow the search to complete
• □ Switch to Details or Large icons view
• □ Note the approximate number of results

Start from This PC, not a specific folder, to search the whole available computer.

Step 3 — Review locations

Check whether results are stored in:

• □ Pictures
• □ Desktop
• □ Downloads
• □ Documents
• □ OneDrive
• □ iCloud
• □ External drive
• □ Shared folder
• □ Other user profile
• □ Application folder
• □ Unknown location

Step 4 — Identify important files

• □ Personal photographs
• □ Business photography
• □ Marketing images
• □ Product images
• □ Scanned records
• □ Screenshots
• □ Client images
• □ Website assets
• □ Logos
• □ Other (specify)

Step 5 — Check before moving

• □ Open original file location (right-click → Open file location)
• □ Check what the surrounding folder is used for
• □ Confirm the file opens
• □ Check file type
• □ Check dimensions
• □ Check Date taken
• □ Check file size
• □ Check cloud status (OneDrive icon)
• □ Confirm ownership
• □ Confirm retention requirement

Search results are a view of your files — not a new folder containing extra copies.

Step 6 — Copy important files

• □ Create a clearly named destination folder
• □ Use a clear folder structure (e.g. year, event or project)
• □ Copy a small test batch first
• □ Confirm copied files open
• □ Confirm dates and metadata are retained
• □ Confirm sufficient storage is available

Step 7 — Review duplicates

• □ Compare file contents (open both)
• □ Compare file size
• □ Compare dimensions
• □ Compare dates
• □ Compare folder purpose
• □ Retain originals during review
• □ Avoid automatic bulk deletion

Step 8 — Back up

• □ Primary copy identified
• □ Cloud or managed backup created
• □ Separate second copy created
• □ Backup completed successfully
• □ Sample files opened from the backup
• □ Deletion synchronisation understood

If deleting a file on the PC also deletes it from the cloud, synchronisation alone may not provide the protection you expect.

Step 9 — Organise

• □ Folder names agreed
• □ Personal and business files separated
• □ Client data separated
• □ Permissions reviewed
• □ Retention requirements documented
• □ Old temporary copies reviewed

Step 10 — Make a decision

• □ Search complete
• □ More locations need checking
• □ External drive needs reviewing
• □ OneDrive issue needs resolving
• □ Backup required
• □ Duplicate review required
• □ Technical assistance required

Record: owner · date · actions · action owner · next review date.