How Can You Know If Your System Needs Cleaning?
Some of several sure-fire signs that you need help: You know you have a messed-up computer . . .
- If you try to install a new program and the installation program reports your system to the Board of Health.
- If every pop-up on your computer apologizes for bothering you and quietly closes on its own.
- If you have to leave a trail of breadcrumbs so you don't get lost finding your way through the options in your Start menu.
- If someone mentions "backup" and chills run up and down your spine.
- If you start the program to balance your checkbook, only to find that your son's illegal copy of Splinter Cell ate the last month's worth of transactions.
- If the only way to add more icons to your desktop is to get a larger desktop.
- If virus software refuses to install itself on your system
This list highlights those things that really are good indicators your computer needs cleaning.
The view from the desktop is not pretty
Does your desktop look like the one shown in Figure below? If so, you have problems. Maybe you bought into the old adage that a clean desk is a sign of a sick mind, and in the process lost your ability to effectively use your system. Whatever got you to this point, you need your Windows cleaned.
Your computer desktop is supposed to be a clean, inviting place where you store only a few icons of your most commonly used programs. For too many people, they become "catch-alls," repositories of every stray icon that comes their way.
A cluttered desktop is a good sign that your entire PC is cluttered. The solution is to clean your system and rid yourself of all that mess.
The Start menu is supposed to provide a convenient path to all the programs installed on your system. Over time, some paths are used more than others, and some paths become completely unused. Removing unused items from the Start menu and organizing what is left can make your system easier to use.
Your PC is slower than molasses
If your PC seems slower than it should - particularly if it seems slower than when you first got it - then your system is a prime candidate for cleaning. Over time, the detritus that is collected during everyday use can start to bog down your computer. If you don't periodically banish that junk, it can affect the work you do. The change is typically slowly, ever so slowly, until you notice one day that your computer just doesn't run like it used to.
You have files older
A large number of old, old files are a sure sign that you need to clean your system. You can archive your data or create backups that allow you to remove unneeded data from your hard drive, freeing up space for other data and tasks.
System Tray
The system tray is the area at the right side of your taskbar. Take a look at the bottom of your computer screen. Now, shift your eyes all the way to the right. You probably see the current time, and you may see a few icons. Even if you don't realize it, that is the system tray.
In Windows XP, the system tray is a little deceiving because it hides some of the icons. Perhaps the folks in Redmond don't want you to be consciously aware of how cluttered this area can become. Don't let that stand in your way, however. If you click the small left-pointing arrow at the left side of the system tray, you see the entire contents of the system tray.
Each icon in the system tray represents a utility program that is currently running in your system. You may see icons for any number of programs. How many do you see? Five? Fifteen? More? Some programs that you install on your computer are a bit egotistical. They think they are so important that they deserve a place of honor in your system tray. When you install one of these egotistical programs, besides adding itself to your Start menu and your desktop, it stakes out prime ground in your system tray.
If you have a bunch of icons in your system tray, your system is a prime candidate for cleaning. Get rid of a few of these babies, and you may find your system running leaner and faster than before.
Don't try to delete any of the system tray icons yet. Some of the icons will go away as you remove old programs. You also find out how to reclaim this prime area of your system by controlling what programs are run when your computer starts.
