Guides: Maintain your Computer & Keep it Healthy

How to clean up your PC

Procrastination will never get you anywhere. Why wait until spring is upon us to clean up your computer’s hard disk or finally reorganize your files and folders?

You’ll be surprised at just how much easier a well-ordered PC is to use and at the improvements in your computer’s performance you can make by clearing some of your computing clutter.

  1. The best way to start a clean-up of your hard disk is by casting your eye over the documents and files you have stored on your computer and deleting anything you don’t need any more.
  2. Make sure that any files you do keep are clearly labelled so they are easily recognizable, making them easier and quicker to find using the Find tool in the Start menu in Windows.
  3. Next, you should create a logical filing system or integrate any stray files you’ve found into your existing system. Windows lends a helping hand here in the form of the My Documents folder, which usually appears as a shortcut on your Desktop.You can create sub-folders for different types of file, such as images or music files or files for different users if more than one person uses your PC. You can create sub-folders for different types of file, such as images or music files or files for different users if more than one person uses your PC.If you find you have a large number of image or music files, which can take up an awful lot of hard disk space, why not store them on removable media rather than on your PC and reclaim some hard disk capacity?
  4. CLEAN UP YOUR EMAIL – Next, you should create a logical filing system or integrate any stray files you’ve found into your existing system. Windows lends a helping hand here in the form of the My Documents folder, which usually appears as a shortcut on your Desktop.
  5. Uninstall unused or unneeded programs. You can do this by selecting Settings, Control Panel from the Start menu.Double click on the Add/Remove programs icon and a dialogue box will appear on your screen. Scroll through the menu of software and select the application you want to uninstall from the list in the dialogue box, then click the Add/Remove button.Whenever you install a new piece of software on your PC, you will also be installing an associated ‘Read Me’ file which gives you information on the application.

    If you don’t need the application any more, you won’t need the Read Me file either. While they are small in size, they can quickly add up to a fair bit of clutter on your hard disk.

    Usually these will get blitzed automatically when you uninstall the associated application, but if you want to be thorough go to Start, Find and perform a search for ‘readme’ on your PC’s hard disk. If in doubt whether a Read Me file is still of use, read through it before you consign it to the Recycle Bin.

  6. Empty your TEMP FILES:
    Open C:\WINDOWS\TEMP – choose EDIT>>SELECT ALL then hit delete
  7. Empty your TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES:
    Open C:\WINDOWS\TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES – choose EDIT>>SELECT ALL then hit delete
  8. Clear out your COOKIES folder:
    Open C:\WINDOWS\COOKIES – choose EDIT>>SELECT ALL then hit delete
  9. Open C:\PROGRAM FILES – go thru and delete folders for uninstalled programs, email me at lori[at]zenfulcreations.com if you have a question or suspicion about a folder prior to deleting it.
  10. Empty your recycle bin
  11. Run Scandisk
  12. Defragment your hard drive