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Cleaning Your Computer

Much like a car, computers require constant care and maintenance to stay running in top condition. Over time, they bog down after logging so many files, programs you may not be using or need anymore, or hijackers or malware your system has picked up from downloading or surfing habits. This page will help you, step by step, keep your computer in top condition.



Step 1 - Add/Remove Programs

First, we want to clean up any old programs that we're not using. Go to your control panel and click on the "add/remove programs" link. From the list, carefully go through your installed programs and get rid of any that you no longer use or need. The more space being taken up needlessly on your system, the slower it's going to run.


Step 2 - Program Files

Now, visit your Program Files and see if there are any unused old folders left over from those programs that need to be deleted.


Step 3 - Junk Files

Now we want to get rid of all the junk files your computer has been storing since you last cleaned it. These junk files, like old browsing history, cookies, temporary internet files, etc drastically slow down the speed of your computer. Go to the "reliable free programs" link on the menu and download and install CCleaner, if you haven't already. From this program, you can choose to delete all those unwanted and unnecessary files. It will even tell you how much space you've cleared up after the deletion.



Remember to go through the checklists on both of the top tabs, Windows and Applications, before clicking Analyze. After analyzing, click the Run Cleaner button to remove all those files.


Step 4 - Virus Detection

Now we do the customary virus sweep. Go to the "reliable free programs" link on the menu and download and install AVG, if you haven't already. Make sure you update the database file before running it. The scan should take anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on the size of your hard drive.



Once the scan is complete, it will show you any infections and the status: whether they were removed or not. If they weren't, you may have to follow the route to the location on your hard drive and manually remove it.


Step 5 - Malware Detection

Now that we've made sure you have no downloaders on your system, by doing a virus sweep, we want to scan and remove any adware or spyware you've accumulated. Malware (meaning malicious software and covers both adware and spyware) is very common, and can be picked up simply by viewing some webpages. Go to the "reliable free programs" link on the menu and download and install Malwarebytes, if you haven't already. Make sure you update the database before running a scan, and I fully recommend running a full scan instead of a quick scan. It should take less than 30 minutes.





Step 6 - Registry Cleaner

Now open up CCleaner again, the one we used at the beginning for our junk files, and click the "registry" tab on the right hand side. Scan for issues, and once the scan is done, click "fix selected problems".





Step 7 - Defragging

The last step we want to takes is one that takes quite a bit of time. "Defragging" is short for "defragmenting", and it's a process you run on a hard drive to help make it faster. It's something you need to do periodically as files on the disk becomes fragmented over time - hence the term "defragmenting". Go to your start menu, then programs, then accessories, then system tools and click Disk Defragmenter.



You'll see on the image above, my defrag screen, that I have 2 hard drives, so I have to defrag both. Most will only have one appear in this box. Click the Defrag button and let it run. This can take hours, depending on the size of your hard drive, and I usually recommend turning a defrag on when you're leaving the computer for awhile. For instance, I do mine when I'm going to bed, and I know no one is going to be on the computer for several hours.



Once you've run all these scans, you should notice a marked difference in speed and performance. How often you have to do these scans depends on your computer usage. In my house, someone is on the computer almost always. I often work nights, and then my husband or children are using it during the days. Our surfing habits include constant downloads and web surfing, so I tend to run weekly, if not bi-monthly scans. For a casual internet user, once a month is probably sufficient, or as soon as you notice your computer not running like it should.