Buzz
The longer you use your computer, the more unnecessary, temporary, or duplicate files pile up on your hard drive. These files consume valuable storage space and can slow down your computer's performance. Cleaning up or consolidating these files can help boost your system’s speed and free up memory for new files.
Steps
Clean up the disk
Open 'My Computer'. Right-click on the drive you want to clean and select 'Properties' from the bottom of the menu.
Select 'Disk Cleanup'. You can find this option in the 'Disk Properties Menu'. Disk Cleanup is a built-in Windows tool that allows you to delete unnecessary files from your computer.
Identify the files you want to delete. Do you wish to remove temporary files, log files, files in the recycle bin, or other unimportant files? Simply check the box next to the file names.
Delete unnecessary files. After selecting the files to delete, click 'Ok'. A window will pop up to confirm this action. Click 'Yes'.
- If there are system files you want to delete but they don't appear in the Disk Cleanup Menu, select 'Cleanup System Files' at the bottom of the Disk Cleanup window to access them.
Access 'More Options'. Once the More Options tab appears, check the options under 'System Restore and Shadow Copies', and then select 'Clean Up'. The process may take several minutes.
Finish. You've just deleted unnecessary or temporary files, and your computer should now run faster and smoother. You can check the freed-up space by going to 'Computer' and selecting the hard drive. The available space will be displayed in the information bar at the bottom of the window.
Delete Temporary Internet Files
Access 'Internet Options'. Click the Start icon, select 'Control Panel', then 'Network and Internet'. This method will help you clear the temporary internet files accumulated while browsing the web. These files function like your browser’s cache, storing pages and media such as videos and music to speed up your access to websites.
Select the 'General Tab'. Under the 'Browsing History' section, click 'Delete'. A window will pop up asking you to confirm the deletion of files. Choose 'Delete All' and click 'Yes'.
Click 'Ok'. This action will delete all files in the Temporary Internet Files folder, freeing up space on your hard drive.
Finish. Once completed, exit the program and check how much space has been freed. Open 'Computer' and click on your hard drive. The available space will be displayed at the bottom of the window.
Delete duplicate files
Select a program to find duplicates. There are several programs available to help you locate and remove duplicate files from your hard drive, freeing up storage space. Some popular options include dupeGuru, VisiPics, Duplicate File Finder, and DigitalVolcano's Duplicate Cleaner Free.
Open the application. You'll be presented with a window where you can select the files and folders you want to scan. After selecting the files, click 'Scan'.
Remove duplicate files. Once the program completes the scan, it will show you the location of the duplicate files. Simply select the file and click 'Delete'.
Complete the process. After scanning the desired folders, exit the program and check how much storage has been freed on your hard drive. It’s recommended to scan 2 or 3 folders before checking the available space. Go to 'Computer', click on your drive, and the storage details will appear at the bottom of the window.
Advice
- You don't need to do this every day, a monthly cleanup or when your computer starts running slow should be sufficient.
- There are various programs available online to help clean up your computer's 'junk'. Visit www.tucows.com or other free software websites for more options.
- You can analyze disk space usage by downloading an app that helps identify which files or programs are taking up the most storage.
Warning
- Be careful not to accidentally delete important files or documents. If you follow the instructions, you should avoid such errors. However, always check the 'Recycle Bin' before cleaning up!
