On this page you'll find some of the most simple, yet effective ways to keep your machine in tip-top form.
Disk Cleanup: This is a very simple task that needs to be done often and consistently. It allows you to get rid of junk files that use up memory and resources that affect your computer's overall performance. Disk Cleanup is a built-in utility to the Windows family of operating systems. The path to get to that utility is:
Click on START
Click on All Programs
Click on Accessories
Click on System Tools
Click on Disk Cleanup
An alternative path or route to the same utility, is:
Click on START
Click on Control Panel
Click the icon for Performance and Maintenance
Click on Free up space on your hard disk
You will notice a small window with a picture that depicts a hard drive with a broom, and a message indicating that Disk Cleanup is calculating the amount of space (in kilobytes or megabytes, hopefully not in gigabytes), that will be freed. Then a more detailed window opens up with the files to be deleted, such as the temporary internet files, recycle bin, etc. You should check mark all the files, the click OK. The Disk Cleanup utility will remove all unnecessary files from your PC.
My recommendation is to run the Disk CLeanup utility at least once a week.
Another way to free up memory is by cleaning up your browser's memory or history files. The most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. Some people still use Netscape Navigator, though the once popular browser no longer is supported by its parent company, AOL.
From your browser's Menu Bar click on Tools, then click on to delete temporary files, cookies, and browsing history. This should also be done regularly, maybe once or twice a week.
There is an excellent free utility that allows you to complete theses and other tasks with ease and without effort: CCleaner, which is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool. It removes unused files from your system, allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. Click on the icon to download this useful tool.
An excellent built-in feature for Windows users is System Restore. It allows you to literally go back in time, or at least your computer will travel back to a previous state. Your PC automatically stores snapshots of its current state whenever you do a number of things, such as running Windows Update, for example, or any time you turn your machine off the right way (which is by closing out all your open applications, then clicking the START button and clicking the Shut Down option). If you experience a problem with your machine, especially if you get a virus, you can run your antivirus/antispyware software and you can also use this utility and choose a date prior to getting infected. The path to get to that feature is:
Click START
Go to
All Programs
Clkick on
Accessories
Choose
System Tools
Click on
System Restore
Choose a date from the calendar and follow the prompts to complete the restoral process
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