Clean up Windows, Keep your PC clear of junk

Keeping your system clear of junk is always a good idea.

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1. Uninstall unused Components
   Many people never bother to check which components of Windows are installed, and which ones can be removed. Are you using Microsoft Fax Services? If not, you can save around 3.7MB. Use Internet Explorer, but not MSN Explorer? Uninstalling MSN Explorer gets you 13.5MB back! Don't play the "standard" Microsoft games? They use 12.1MB of space!
   
   To uninstall Windows components:
   
   1. Open your Control Panel (select Start > Control Panel)
   2. Open Add or Remove Programs
   3. Click the Add/Remove Windows Components button
   4. Select the components you want to remove and press OK
   
2. Uninstall unused software
   Remove excess software through >start >control panel >software. If something won't uninstall because it was never installed properly in the first place, try Microsoft's Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.
   
   For one, unused software takes up space which you might want to use differently. What you should also keep in mind is that outdated software poses a potential risk, possibly harboring security holes that may serve as entry points for malware.
   
   Installing and uninstalling software will leave traces. To get rid of the junk, clean the registry and delete all left over files. A great tool for this is PC Washer, which will take care of many more nasty problems.
   
   
3. Empty the Recycle Bin
   One quick and easy step to empty the recycle bin, remove temporary files and compress rarely used files, free space and remove junk!
   
   1. Click [Windows] + [R], the Run dialog box will open.
   2. Type "Cleanmgr.exe" (without brackets), another dialog box will pop up.
   3. Select the drive you wish to clean.
   4. Wait for the application to complete its calculations.
   5. Select files you wish to clear and actions you wish to take.
   6. Click >OK to confirm and let it do its job.
4. Clean System Temp Files
   Windows or applications leave temporary files behind. These files will be left in your \Documents and Settings\your username\Local Settings\Temp folder. You can use Windows Explorer to find and delete these files. Most probably you'll get an error telling you that a file can't be deleted because it's in use. Just ignore it.
   
   
   Each user account has a folder where programs put temporary files. The easiest way to reach the folder is to use the environment variable %TEMP%. Some programs also use a folder \Windows\Temp. Although these temporary files can be deleted by going directly to the folders in Windows Explorer, selecting all the files, and doing a delete, the process is often interrupted because some file is in use and is locked. A better method is to use the command line. Entering the command

   del /f /q /s %TEMP%\* %windir%\temp\*

   will clean up all unlocked files in the two temp folders. If you prefer, I have written a script for this chore. The script also removes empty subfolders. Files that are in use or locked will not be removed.
   
   
5. Clean the "My Recent Documents" folder
   The Start menu in Windows XP contains an entry, My Recent Documents, where a list of all the recent documents that you have opened or used is kept. This provides a quick way to reopen any document. After a while the list can get quite long and it has the effect of slowing the bootup process. I don't think that it is generally recognized how many shortcut files this folder can accumulate over time. It can actually affect the performance of your machine, especially at logon. The ones that are visible on the Start menu are only the latest 15 entries. The actual folder %USERPROFILE%\Recent may have many more than that. Also not always understood is the fact that the this folder continues to collect entries even when "My Recent Documents" has been removed from the Start menu. You can prevent an ever-growing accumulation by periodically cleaning it out.
   
   
6. Defragment
   Defragmentation is a process which physically reorganizes data written onto a disk. The goal is to not have gaps between pieces of a file, but rather store them contiguously. This is something you best do when you won't need your machine for a few hours. Overnight is a good idea.
   
   You can defrag your hard drives as follows:
   1. Go to >Start >Programs >Accessories >System Tools >Disk Defragmenter
   2. The defragmentation window will open.
   3. Click >Analyze to see whether a defrag is necessary.
   4. Choose the volume you wish to defrag and click >Defragment.

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