Keeping Your Computer Tidy
Keeping your computer system clean takes effort also. Some people mistakenly think that caring for their computer should be as mindless and easy as caring for their TVs and don't even think about cleaning their computers. But if you have read this whole tutorial, you now know you need to clean your system and that there are benefits to cleaning it.
I show you that you don't have to dread cleaning your system. Sure, this job takes some time, but it does not have to be an intimidating task. In fact, you can even clean your system over a period of weeks - a little here and a little there and before you know it, it is done. As you seek to clean up your system, the different areas you can focus on include:
Your Internet use:
E-mail is not the only use for your Internet connection. As you browse around the Web, your system is routinely filled up with files you don't even know about. Whether these files are benign, they all add to the clutter of your system. If you pay attention to what is stored on your system, you can reduce the clutter and improve overall performance.
Your e-mail:
If you use e-mail then you can clutter up your system without even realizing it. Spam and viruses routinely bombard your system through e-mail. If you better manage your e-mail you lessen clutter and make your system more secure.
Your programs:
The entire purpose of your computer is to create an environment in which you can effectively use different programs. If your programs don't run well, the value of your computer decreases. If you focus on cleaning up your programs or making them run faster you immediately increase the value of your system.
The operating system:
Windows is a great operating system, and one of its biggest strengths is its configurability.
Your data:
Programs need data to run, to fulfill their purpose in life. If your data is messed up, then your programs may just refuse to work properly. Managing data can be a monumental task, but doing so effectively will free up space on your hard drive and allow your programs to run faster.
There are also some advanced things you can do, such as tweaking your hardware (or adding new hardware), improving your security profile, and [shudder] diving into the Registry. Such endeavors are usually relegated to the last, after you have worked through the other cleaning areas. We recommend that you proceed into these areas with extreme caution.
How will you know when your system is finally clean? You will know you have succeeded when your system runs smoother, faster, and more reliably than before. You will know when you are able to finish your work quicker, without getting bogged down.