First task: clean a messy folder

Everyone has the folder. Downloads with two years of sediment, a desktop full of "final_v3_REALLY.pdf", a phone dump from three summers ago. You have been meaning to sort it since forever. Cowork does it in about the time of one coffee.

Here is what that looks like. Before: dozens of files named IMG_4211.jpg, scan0003.pdf, dokument(2).docx. After: folders named Receipts, School, Travel, Contracts; files renamed to what they actually are; and a short summary.txt telling you what was found and where it went. You watch it happen file by file, and nothing is deleted without your yes.

Setup:

Create a folder on your computer called Claude Cowork.
Copy 15 to 30 messy files into it: old downloads, PDFs, photos of receipts, random docs. Copies, not originals, for your first run.
In Cowork, choose that folder as the working folder, then give the task below.

Practice

Look at every file in this folder. Sort them into sensibly named subfolders based on what they actually contain, not just file type. Rename files with unclear names to something descriptive. Then write me a short summary.txt of what you found and what you did. Ask before deleting anything.

Watch it work. This is the moment most people say "oh, I get it now".

If it went wrong

Cowork stalls, or the sorting looks off? Stop the task and say what is wrong, in plain words. And if the result is a mess, nothing is lost: you sensibly worked on copies, so delete the folder and run it again with clearer instructions.

Done when: the folder is organized and summary.txt exists.