HOWTO - Keep it Clean - Quick Doc.
Firstly you need to get hold of some software that will clean up temporary files from your computer automatically, there is a process to do all these tasks manually but there are programs that will do this automatically:
2 recommended programs are:
CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) - http://www.ccleaner.com
Can be configured to run automatically on startup, when you first install and run it you can go into options and click run at startup.
You will also want to click on Cleaner on the left and Run Cleaner to clean off temporary files your computer has built up over time. This may take along time.
Cleanup! - Steven J Gould - http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/
This one is simpler but does not run automatically. Install, Run and hit cleanup, you can run it periodically or when you notice your computer is getting slower.
Defragment your drive
=====================
Over time, deleting and writing files means that your files bet spread all over the surface of your drive and to bring all these fragments of files that back together you need to defragment your drive, In windows the Defrag tool is normally found in Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools or by right clicking the frive name in My Computer and choosing Properties and looking under the Tools Tab on the window that appears.
Check for Virus’s
=================
Many users have Norton Antivirus or SystemWorks which is an okay program for keeping your computer safe but unfortunately it gets its hooks into every part if your system and brings down a fast computer to a snails pace.
2 free anti virus programs that run well on Windows are AntiVir and AVG Free and on Windows XP we have run them together with no compatability issues and very little impact of computer performance. You can download both programs from http://filehippo.com/
Check for Spyware
=================
Spyware like virus’s are malicious software programs that either are designed to advertise to you, take your information, and generally cause you computer problems, to rid yourself of such software I would recommend the following 2 free programs available again on the http://www.filehippo.com website.
Spybot Search & Destroy
Adaware
Other great trial version software that is fully functional for a short period before becoming chargable are:
CounterSpy - Sunbelt Software - http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com
Zero Spyware - FBM Software http://www.fbmsoftware.com
Tune Up Utilities 2006 - http://www.tune-up.com/
==================================================================
Disclaimer
Information herein was as accurate as possible at the time of writing, subsequent programs that may have newer versions may run differently or not be compatible with your version of windows so please read the system specifications on the program websites before attempting to install and also be aware Islandnet takes no responsibility if your system becomes disfunctional from following these instructions.
Rob Turner
rt@islandnet.com