Clean Up and Speed Up That Sluggish PC

Stick me in front of the computer after lunch and I'm as sluggish as a hard drive that hasn't been housecleaned in a year. So when my PC starts acting listless--you know, straining to open files or programs--the first thing I think about is hard drive clutter.

I start by checking the drive that holds the Temp directory (folder for you younger folks) to see if it's getting full; don't be surprised if it is. Even with your big 20GB drive, your collection of MP3, WAV, and, well, those special video files can take up gobs of space. Besides, lots of people (my frugal buddy Don, for example) still use old 500MB drives.

Quick aside: If you're running out of hard drive space, cheer up. For about $300, you can buy a 100GB drive. (Hey, that's amazing. Really. I remember paying $800 for a 80MB drive.) Read the story in "Maxtor Rolls Out 80GB and 100GB Hard Drives."

Delete Those Temps

The easiest way to delete temporary files is to open My Computer (the icon on your Desktop), right-click on your C:\ drive (or the drive \Temp is on) and select Properties. See the image of your drive showing the amount remaining? Even if there's plenty of space on the drive, click the Disk Cleanup button and check the Recycle Bin and Temporary Files boxes. Then hit OK to delete those files. (My editor, concerned as ever about your well-being, asked if there are precautions we need to mention. Absolutely! If you're doing this on your notebook out by the pool, make sure you're wearing lots of sunblock.)

Dig this: Shut the door in your cubicle and take a few minutes with the "Powers of Ten." You'll see an absorbing view of the Milky Way at 10 million light years from the Earth. As the screen continues loading, you'll see dazzling images, things to make you ooh and ahh. (Warning: If you're on a dial-up connection, it may take a few minutes to load and run.)

While you still have the Properties box open, you might as well do the two other chores necessary to keep your drive well oiled. Make sure all your other applications are closed, click the Tools tab, and then scan the drive by clicking the Check Now button in the Error-checking status area. Once that's done, click the Defragment Now button in the Properties box.

Dusting, Cleaning, and Deleting

Now you may think the job's done. Nope. That's because Matt Lake impertinently asks the question: "Does your PC run as if it's over the hill?" He answers it himself (probably because few can understand his British accent) with "Follow these three steps to get it sprinting again." Seriously, while an oldie but goody (the article, although Matt's no spring chicken), this article is full of ways to remove PC bloat.

Once you read Matt's ditty, consider trying a few utilities to remove the bloat he mentions.

One good tool is CloneMaster, a terrific way to find all sorts of duplicates--true dupes, same-name files in different directories, and zero-length files. It also guides you through backing them up and deleting them. The program's expensive at $30, but you can try it for free, and it just may suit your needs.

Quick definition: Ohnosecond: Similar to nanosecond but shorter. It's that miniscule fraction of time in which you realize you've just deleted your entire \Windows directory.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed after opening Window Explorer and looking at the mass of files, you're not alone. Matt asks pithy questions: Do you ever wonder where Windows puts all its files? Or where your own files should go? Again, he answers his own questions (not unusual considering he works from his home office) in "Welcome to Your Hard Drive." And again, don't be dismayed by the age of this article. It's a gem.

Our Answer Line editor, Lincoln Spector, also doles out advice about getting rid of files on your drive. Read his short piece, "To Delete or Not to Delete?"

Two Cool Utilities

For $15, RegCompact does a terrific job of tightening up your Registry by removing any fragmented space. The more compact your registry, the faster your PC runs.

If you like fiddling with and deleting files manually, here's something for you. It's the Comparator, a handy, free utility that compares two folders, allowing you to find missing or newer files and easily copy, delete, or synchronize them.

Did you delete a bunch of old files after reading this column? Good, then pass it along. The column, folks, not the files. Seriously, e-mail this article to your computing buddies and suggest they sign up to get their own copy.

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