---
title: File-Org Maintenance Schedule
date-locked: 2026-05-28
status: canonical
---

# File-Org Maintenance Schedule

Recurring upkeep to keep `C:\Users\mclou\` from drifting back into pre-2026-05-28 chaos. Each item is a discrete habit; don't try to do them all at once.

Companion: [[file-system-structure]], [[file-naming-conventions]].

---

## Daily — drop new files into Inbox\

When a download lands in `Downloads\`, decide within the same session:
- If you know where it belongs → move it there immediately
- If you don't or you're mid-task → move to `Inbox\` (drop point)
- Browser-default destination is still `Downloads\` — fine for transient stuff that gets opened-then-deleted

**Credentials exception:** OAuth client_secrets, .env files, .pem keys, oauth_credentials.json NEVER live in Downloads. Direct-save to `.secrets\` OR relocate within 10 minutes. See [[feedback-credentials-never-in-downloads]].

---

## Weekly (Friday Window, 15 min)

Clear `Inbox\` into proper homes:

1. Open `Inbox\` — should be small (< 20 items) if daily discipline held
2. For each file:
   - LFCS job material? → `LFCS\Projects\<job>\` matching slot
   - RateRight artefact? → `RateRight\<area>\`
   - Reference material? → `LFCS\Reference\` or personal Reference equivalent
   - Don't know? → file in best-guess location + flag for review
3. If anything was sitting in `Downloads\` root for >7 days, also sweep
4. Add a one-line entry to today's daily diary: `"Friday Window: cleared N items from Inbox"`

---

## Monthly (first Sunday)

Move Active → Archive for stale items:

1. List `LFCS\Projects\` job folders untouched in last 90 days:
   ```powershell
   Get-ChildItem 'C:\Users\mclou\LFCS\Projects' -Directory |
     Where-Object { $_.LastWriteTime -lt (Get-Date).AddDays(-90) } |
     Select-Object Name, LastWriteTime
   ```
2. For each: review status. If bid lost OR awarded-and-closed-out → update README STATUS line to `Archived` (no folder move; folder stays in `LFCS\Projects\` with status indicating Archive).
3. Same for `RateRight\` subfolders if any look stale
4. Append to daily diary: `"Monthly stale-check: N jobs marked Archived"`

---

## Quarterly (first Sunday of Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct)

Empty `_Quarantine_DATE\` folders past their 30-day window:

1. List Quarantine folders:
   ```powershell
   Get-ChildItem 'C:\Users\mclou\_Quarantine_*' -Directory
   ```
2. For each: check the DATE in the folder name. If `today > date + 30 days` → safe to delete contents
3. Spot-check the contents before deletion (`Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Select -First 20`)
4. Delete with `Remove-Item -LiteralPath <path> -Recurse -Force` (or robocopy empty-trick if long paths)
5. Same for `_BACKUPS\_FILE_BACKUP_DATE\` once you're confident no rollback needed (recommend keeping for at least 1 month after each big reorg)
6. Append to daily diary

---

## When something feels chaotic

- Run `Desktop\_audit-tmp\gen-index.ps1 -All` to regenerate the master + per-folder indices
- Read `C:\Users\mclou\_INDEX.md` to remember the top-level layout
- Open this file ([[file-org-maintenance-schedule]]) — it's the cheat sheet

---

## After any session that moves >10 files

Update:
1. Today's daily diary at `HQ-Vault\01_Daily\YYYY-MM-DD.md` — what moved + why
2. If structural change (new folder convention, new top-level dir) → update [[file-system-structure]] in this Reference folder
3. If new naming pattern adopted → update [[file-naming-conventions]]
4. Re-run `gen-index.ps1 -All` if folder shape changed enough to matter

---

## Anti-patterns to catch yourself doing

| Smell | Fix |
|---|---|
| Saving `proposal_FINAL.pdf` | Stop. Use `_v0N` instead. |
| Saving `proposal_FINAL_FINAL.pdf` | Stop. You're lying to future-you. |
| Creating `_temp\` for "I'll sort this later" | Use `Inbox\`. `_temp\` becomes permanent. |
| Downloading a .env or oauth file to Downloads | Move to `.secrets\` within 10 min. |
| Saving any file with `~$` prefix | That's Office leaving a lockfile. Close the document. |
| Quarantining a credential file | Don't quarantine — relocate to `.secrets\`. See [[feedback-credentials-never-in-downloads]]. |
| Sub-agent asks "which version is canonical" | Run hash-compare protocol first. See [[feedback-parallel-tree-hash-compare]]. |

---

## Reorg artefacts (2026-05-28 — keep until at least 2026-06-30)

- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-audit-2026-05-28.md` — Phase 1 audit
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-audit-versions-2026-05-28.md` — version cluster detail
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-audit-hash-compare-results-2026-05-28.md` — hash-compare verdicts
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-audit-perfolder-triage-2026-05-28.md` — per-folder triage
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-org-decisions-locked-2026-05-28.md` — locked decisions doc
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\file-org-side-findings-2026-05-28.md` — security + integration findings
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\cluster-w*-manifest-2026-05-28.md` — per-cluster sub-agent manifests
- `C:\Users\mclou\Desktop\_audit-tmp\` — working dir (CSVs, scripts, briefs)
- `C:\_BACKUPS\_FILE_BACKUP_2026-05-28\` — pre-reorg snapshot

After 2026-06-30 (30 days after reorg), most of these can move to `Archive\reorg-2026-05-28\` or be quarantined.