Safely Remove Unneeded Files

Do you want to remove all of the unnecessary files on your computer in one easy step? Well, when running an operating system as complex as Windows, you may not always know the significance of all the files on your computer. Sometimes Windows uses files for a specific purpose and then retains them in a folder designated for temporary files. When installing programs from CDs, windows places some of the files into your temporary file in order to speed up the installation and the files are then safe to delete. You may have also installed Windows components that you are no longer using or have no need for. For a variety of reasons, including running out of space on your hard drive, you may want to reduce the number of files on your hard drive, without harming any of your programs. Disk cleanup should be run on a regular basis to clean up these unwanted files and to reclaim your hard drive space. I use it at least once a week on my computer.
Use the Windows Disk Cleanup Wizard to perform all of the following tasks to clear space on your hard drives:

          a. Remove temporary Internet files.
          b. Remove any downloaded program files (ActiveX controls and Java applets downloaded
              from the Internet).
          c. Empty the Recycle Bin.
          d. Remove Windows temporary files.
          e. Remove Windows components that you are not using.
          f. Remove installed programs that you no longer use.

To start Disk Cleanup:
     1. Choose Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Disk Cleanup (in all versions of
          Windows except Windows XP menu which is Start / All Programs / Accessories / System
          Tools / Disk Cleanup).
     2. The Disk Cleanup Menu will appear. Choose which drive you want to cleanup from the drop
          down menu (if you have more than one hard drive).
     3. Choose OK.

     4. On the Disk Cleanup Tab, refer to the picture below for what each item is.

     5. Depending on which operating system you are using, the More Options tab will give you the
         ability to remove windows components, programs, or even system restore points (Windows
         ME and XP only have the system restore points).

     6. When ready, choose OK.
     7. A confirmation box will appear. Choose Yes.

     8. Your hard drive is automatically cleaned up.