How to clean up unnecessary files on your PC
From ArticleWorld
As you use your PC for some time, various unnecessary files accumulate. Temporary Internet files, temporary files used by programs you have long uninstalled and many similar useless (but space-eating) data get stacked up on the hard disk.
Windows inlcudes a number of wizards and functions that allow you to clear these files.
Steps
- The first thing you should do is clear the temporary Internet files. Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools, Internet Options. Click on Delete Files, making sure "Delete all offline contents" is checked before clicking OK. Now click OK in the Internet Options window to close it.
- Now, open My Computer. Go to the partition where Windows is installed and delete all files that have names starting with $WINDOWS.
- You can also right-click on the Recycle Bin and choose "Emtpy Recycle Bin". Note that this will erase the files in the Recycle Bin and you will no longer be able to recover them, so it's a good idea to check the files stored in there. If the option is greyed out, then the Recycle Bin is already empty.
Notes
There are many programs that can perform these tasks automatically. Some of them include even more advanced functions. You should check large sites like www.tucows.com for such programs.
In addition to this simple cleaning up procedures, you should consider defragmenting your hard disk and regularly using anti-virus and anti-spyware products. You needn't do this every day, but doing some quick maintainance every two or three weeks will help you keep your computer in a much better state.