Clean Up Your Windows XP PC (The Included Free Ways)

Prevent This (The Windows Blue Screen of Death) By Doing Regular Maintenance. Read This Post To Find Out How…

If you are going to follow this procedure, do it in the order specified for optimal results.

Temp Files:

When a program gets installed, or files are being moved/modified, windows places a temporary file in the temp directory. If you shut off your computer by holding down the power button or remove a drive (that is currently use), temp files don’t get deleted. If you improperly close a program, temp files are left over. After a while, the temp files accumulate and your PC becomes slower and slower, until things don’t function correctly and you want a new computer. The temp files need to be periodically removed. This is how to remove them with the free* windows function (* you have to pay for windows to get the free function).

Step 1: Go to Start > Run and type “cleanmgr.exe”

Step 2: Wait for it to load and scan your computer

Step 3: Check all of the checkboxes

Step 4: Click OK

Step 5: When it asks you if you are sure, click Yes

Step 6: Wait for it to complete

Defragging:

If you open and close a file many times you break up the file into smaller pieces and the hard drive has to search to find all the parts every time you open the file. Imagine your hard drive as a full suitcase. Everytime you open a file, you are trying to get a sweater from the bottom of the suitcase, so you have to take everything else and you have to repack the suitcase. After doing that hundreds and thousands of times, the suitcase is all jumbled and it is hard to find things. Also, none of the things in the suitcase are organized, so it takes longer to find things and it is harder to organize everything. The same thing applies to your hard drive. All of the parts of the files are all over the hard drive, so it takes a long time to open and close it (it is trying to shove the item back into the suitcase and close it). These files are called fragmented files (fragments of them are located around the hard drive). A defragmenter puts the files back together and “repacks the suitcase” in an organized way. NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AT LEAST 15% FREE SPACE (YOU CAN SEE IN THE DEFRAGMENTER WINDOW

Step 1: Go to Start > Run and type “dfrg.msc”

Step 2: Wait for it to load

Step 3: Click Defragment’

Step 4: Wait for it to complete

Check Disk:

This will check your hard drive (literally) for physical errors and repairs errors involving your hard drive.

Step 1: Go to Start > Run and type “chkdsk /f”

Step 2: Wait for the “(Y/N)” question and type “Y” and hit enter

Step 3: Restart your computer and wait for the scan to start

 

You can also download Software Maintenance to do this for you with some better tools.