Regular computer hard disk clean up is vital to prevent errors and to keep your PC in good condition. A healthy hard drive will protect your data and will make your PC fast by allowing fast acceess to files and folders. Here are the essential regular hard disk cleanup and maintenance tasks:

1. SCANDISK

Scandisk PC tool can verify the file and directory structure of your data and can perform repairs when problems are found. Scandisk can further run a surface scan on your hard drive to determine whether or not any physical damage is present and attempt to move and affected data to another section of the hard drive.

By using this hard drive clean up tool you can increase the speed of your PC, as this will enable faster access to files and folders.

If you hear a strange noise from the Hard Drive ( tick tick sound) use Scandisk immediately. It is recommended to use scan disk once in every two months. However, increase the frequency if you are a regular PC user.

PROCEDURE:
To access Scandisk in Windows XP Open Windows Explorer

Right click on C:drive

Select properties

Go to tools tab

Select Error checking.

To access Scandisk in Windows 98

Click Start button

Go to Programs

ACCESSORIES

SYSTEM TOOLS

Select Scandisk.

2. DISK DEFRAGMENTER

Disk Defragmenter is also a disk clean up PC tool available in Windows Operating System. This is a program which optimizes your PC performance by rewriting the data on you hard drive to ensure that files are written together on the same part of the hard drive or are written in a manner to speed the boot process or the launch of resident applications.

The more a PC is used, the more the hard drive is fragmented. Basic PC operation will create pockets of unused space all over the hard drive, then utilize those unused pockets to store data; in many cases, data from the same file or program will be written to these blank pockets all over the hard drive, often degrading the PC’s performance. The operating system or an application program often has to access a wide area of hard drive space to make a program run.

It is recommended to use Defragmenter tool once in every two months. However, increase the frequency if you are a heavy PC user.

PROCEDURE:

Click Start button

Go to Programs

ACCESSORIES

SYSTEM TOOLS

Select Disk Defragmenter.

3. DELETE TEMPORARY FILES

Every time you go to a web site, a copy of what you see on your monitor is stored in a special place on your computer. In theory this makes your web surfing go faster. If you return to a site you went to yesterday (or last week ), your web browser just accesses the copy stored on your hard drive. That’s ok if you don’t mind seeing the same thing all over again, but when I go back to a site I want to see the most current information, don’t you? After a while the file that holds the Temporary Internet files can get so big it slows your computer’s performance.

PROCEDURE:
In Internet Explorer,

Click on the Tools menu

Select Internet options

Half way down is the button marked ‘Delete Files’

Go ahead & click on it.

Then put a check mark in the little white square that says ‘Delete all offline content’

Click Ok.

Delete the Temporary Internet files from the Control Panel

Click on your Start button on your Desktop,

Select Settings & the Control Panel,

Look for the icon named Internet Options

Use the same procedure explained above.

4. DISK CLEAN UP

Deleting temporary Internet files also a part of disk clean up. But there are other temporary files, which are taking unnecessary disk space. This process is essential if you have a small hard drive and are constantly on the verge of running out of space. Computer clean up tools available in Windows. This will search and display set of temporary files can be deleted from your computer.

PROCEDURE:

Click Start button

Go to Programs

ACCESSORIES

SYSTEM TOOLS

Select Disk Cleanup

Tick on each box and run the tool.

5. UNINSTALL UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS

This may be oversimplified but let’s bypass the tech speak. A couple of things happen when you install programs. First, they sit on your hard drive taking up space, and they have installed files to your “Registry”. Also probably some DLL’s (these are little files needed for Windows to make the programs run) in your PC.

So what is a DLL? Dynamic Link Library file. These go in a Windows initializing file called “system.ini”. INI for Initialization File. When Windows starts it looks at the “system.ini to see what programs have to be available so they will start when you want to use them.

Windows also reads the Registry to see what programs are on your Computer and what it has to do to make them work. Also, Windows also reads your Startup Folder to see what has to start automatically and hide in the background. Also the “msconfig” to place all these programs in your “Startup”.

There are a lot more things happen but let’s just look at these items to see how they effect your system.

PROCEDURE:

Click on the “Start” button

Then “Settings”

Double click on “Control Panel”

Find the program you want to remove

Select it

Then hit the Add/Remove button

Follow the instructions and it will try it’s best to get rid of the program.

After you have removed the “Old acquaintances” you should run “Scandisk” and then “Defrag” your hard drive. Removing files and programs will leave holes or spaces all over your drive slowing it down even more. You will be amazed at the performance change.

SPONSORS:

Hi-Tech System & History Cleaner. The Newest Technology Hi-Tech System & History Cleaner. Clean All Online And Offline Activity On Any Pc! The Most Wanted Shocking Product!

• Registry HelpMate - Repair PC Errors And Boost PC Performance. Registry HelpMate Is A Complete Windows Registry Cleaner And System Optimization Package That Helps You Thoroughly Scan, Repair And Compact The Invalid Or Missing Registry Entries On Your Pc, Which Could Cause System Slowdown, Freezing Or Crashing.