My home office and my desk at work have a lot in common. A family of squirrels could hide in the clutter without fear of being discovered.

I don't worry about the clutter at work. Piles of paper and boxes give me something to hide behind. But the clutter at home is another matter. I share the home office with my wife and --- when the mess gets really bad --- she refuses to make pumpkin pies. It's a serious matter.

My periodic reorganization sessions at home give me the chance to make terrible mistakes as I reconnect various gadgets. After all, there's enough wire in that room to rewire a nuclear submarine. Just the number of power connections is staggering.

In that rather small office there is a fax machine; a DSL modem; two desktop computers; the router for my wired computer network; a wireless access point that adds wireless networking; two scanners; two printers; and even an old ham radio receiver.

I hope things aren't as bad at your house. But even if they aren't, you may profit from some of the things I've learned.

Know your wires

For starters, I have labeled each wire in that office. So when I am crawling under one of the two desks, I don't have to use my ESP to find the power connector for the fax machine among the spaghetti-like nest of wires. There was nothing high tech about the process; I just scribbled out labels and taped them to the wires. If you have a home labeling machine, you can do a better job.

However you do the labeling, this can be a time-saver. When something goes wrong and you need to wade into a tangled mass of wires, you'll have a head start finding the right ones.

Tying it together

Now, about that tangle of wires. I use cable ties --- small plastic ties that look like the ones used to secure plastic garbage bags --- to bundle wires. That way, the ethernet cables that go from the network router to the computers in that office and to other rooms make one neat little package instead of wrapping around each other like a backlash on a fishing reel.

If I were really neat --- and I am not --- I could also pick up some plastic channel material at the hardware store. It comes in a variety of colors, so you'll probably find material that matches the color of the baseboard in your home. These hollow plastic channels can be used to hide wires. You simply place the wires inside the plastic material and then tack the whole mess onto the baseboard.

Important sorting

The next task is organizing CDs. I have way too many of them. Some, like the T-shirt printing program I tried out, aren't very important. Other CDs --- such as the ones for Windows, or the installation programs for my printers and scanners --- are important. So I've created one plastic filing box for important CDs and a separate box for the less important.

That way, when something goes really wrong and I need to reinstall programs, I don't have to paw through a bunch of games and forgotten programs to find what I need.

Know the code

Most of my CDs have an activation code required for installation. If you lose the code, you're basically out of luck. Manufacturers are almost universally unwilling to furnish new codes.

That's why I make sure the installation code is filed along with the CD. In many cases, the code is printed on the plastic jewel box that houses the CD. So that's easy. But in others, the code is printed on the cover of the manual. In that case, I use scissors to remove the code and paste it on the jewel box.

Manual override

A better man would catalog and file away all the manuals that came with programs and computers. I fail this test. Instead, I've had good luck finding electronic versions of the manuals online. I can log onto the manufacturer's Web site and download the manual.

Once I do that, I save that electronic manual on at least two of my home computers. After all, if the manual is stored on a computer that isn't working, it doesn't help.

But if you only have one computer, you probably should create an easy-to-use cataloging system for the manuals that came with your computers.

One man's junk

Finally, I have a junk drawer. I don't know about you, but almost every time I buy a new gadget there are mysterious parts and accessories that don't seem to be needed.

But there's a cruel trick of technology that makes it likely you will need that weird-looking accessory someday. The same techno-trick dictates that, when you do need it, it'll be lost forever. So I've learned to dump all these nameless gizmos away in my junk drawer.

Unlike some high-tech tips I offer, these can be safely followed by anyone. Reorganizing can make you look like a prince or princess of virtue at home. Besides, last time I reorganized my home office, I found enough change to fund my chocolate malt habit for a week.

tecbud@ajc.com