Many people fill up their hard disk drive with games and other unused programs. In fact, some technology analysts believe that we use less than 10 percent of the programs installed on our computers. Cleaning your hard disk drive helps you save disk memory, time, and energy.
Read on to find out how you can remove unused files and programs from your windows-based PC.
Start here
- Sort all files and programs that you frequently use and the ones you do not remember using in the last three months
- Take a back-up of all your important file
Deleting Programs
In the next steps, uninstall programs that you are not using. You cannot remove a program completely by deleting the program icon on the Desktop, but you can:
- Uninstall from the All Programs list
- Uninstall from the Control Panel
Delete Temp files
If you’ve downloaded a .zip or .exe file from the web and then installed the program on your hard disk, you can delete the original file. To delete the file, right-click the file name, and then click Delete.
Get rid of the temporary files that your computer amasses over time. Go to Computer (or My Computer) or Windows Explorer, and right-click the letter associated with your hard disk (usually C:). Click Properties, and then click Disk Cleanup.
Format disks and drives
Reformat your hard drive to perform the ultimate cleanup on your computer. However, that this is not a reversible process.
If you accidentally delete a file, use System Restore
Your PC automatically creates restore points while you use your computer. That way, if you accidentally delete a program that you want to keep, you can restore your PC back to an earlier time to get the program back. To restore, on the Start menu, click All Programs (or Program Files), click Accessories, and then click System Tools. Click System Restore, and the program will guide you through the steps.
What’s the benefit?
- The computer boots faster and shows an improved performance
- Try these steps, and let us know if it works for you
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