Prevention

Spring Clean Your Computer

By Abbi Perets

It's no fun to wait for a slow computer to open digital photos of your latest vacation or family reunion. And does the computer always have to crash the night before your daughter's big school report is due?

If your computer is slow at everyday tasks, then it's time to tidy up and reorganize your computer. With just a few clicks of your mouse -- and a lot less effort than it takes to spring clean your house -- you can restore your computer to its former speedy glory.

Mary E. Tyler, a mom of three and busy technology journalist, says she straightens up her computer to keep it from getting bogged down underneath unnecessary clutter: "I clean out my documents, downloads and email attachment folders a few times a year," she says.

You don't need technical know-how to clean out your computer, just a free hour and a plan. Here's how to get started:

1. Delete the digital dust bunnies
We all have clutter-catching spots in our homes -- the coffee table where magazines pile up, for example. Same goes for your computer. Here are some tricks for digital dusting.

• Tidy your files
    In your Documents or My Documents folder, delete outdated documents. Next, create folders to store files you need to keep. You might make a homework folder for each of your kids, and separate folders for taxes, recipes, travel and home maintenance.
  
• Toss temporary files
    Most people don't realize that computers sometimes create temporary files as you're working or surfing the Internet. Temp files are usually created by programs on your computer that need to store big chunks of information temporarily in order to function. These temp files are saved on your computer.
  To get rid of these files, you first have to locate your Temporary folder. For most computers you just have to open My Computer on the desktop, select Properties, and click the Disk Cleanup button. In Disk Cleanup, check the boxes for Temporary Files and Recycle Bin. Then just Click OK. Before you know it, your computer will be starting up faster and launching programs more quickly.
  
• Clear your cache
    The cache is where your computer stores copies of the web sites you've visited in the past. It's a good idea to clear the cache every three or four months. Otherwise, when you try to access a site, your computer first checks the cache to compare the stored version of the web page to the current page. Meanwhile, you have to sit and wait for the site to load.
  To clear the cache and history files in most browsers, such as Internet Explorer, go to the Start menu and choose Settings. Then select the Control Panel and choose Internet Options. Under Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files and Clear History. Or, when your browser is open, select Preferences under the browser's name in the main menu, such as "Firefox." Click the Privacy tab. Then click the Cache tab to clear it out.
  
• Sort through email
    Your email program is like a giant file cabinet on your computer. To get rid of the messages, try sorting by sender or subject and just delete your way down the list. Delete emails from unknown senders, especially those with attachments that could be viruses.

2. Tidy up your workspace
If you have dozens of files and documents scattered all over your desktop, it's time to get them organized.

• Get filing
    Take fifteen minutes or so to go through the files on your desktop. You know, all those icons of digital photos, music files your kids downloaded or the letters you wrote to family? File them in their rightful homes in My Documents or create new folders to hold them.
  When your desktop is cleared off, create two new folders, To File and To Print. Now when you download files from the Internet, or need to print an email attachment, you can store them neatly in one of these folders until you're ready to deal with them. Don't forget to delete To Print files after you've printed them.
  
• Delete unused programs
    You probably wouldn't keep a closet full of clothes that didn't fit or a refrigerator full of expired food. You don't want to keep computer programs you never use either, as they take up valuable space. To prune your programs, try this: Go to the Windows Start menu, choose Settings and select the Control Panel. Choose Add/Remove to delete old programs you no longer use -- or games you're tired of watching the kids play. On a Mac, simply delete the program from your Application folder on your hard drive.
  
• Rethink your favorites Once a year, Tyler advises going through your Favorites or Bookmarks folder in your web browser. Delete the sites you no longer visit, and organize what's leftover in folders. Try designating a folder for each family member, or go with broad categories like health, news and food.

3. Check the hidden nooks and crannies
Once a year or so, spend a little bit of time doing a bit of deep cleaning on your computer. Here are the basics.

• Clean your hard drive  Your computer stores information in little bits and pieces all over the place. You can help your computer clean itself up by running a defrag program which helps your computer reorganize itself properly. Start by going to the Windows Start menu. Select All Programs, then choose Accessories. Click System Tools, Defragmenter. With one click, your computer will put "its stuff" away properly.

• Sift through the spyware
  If you and your kids go online a lot, chances are, you've picked up some spyware and adware along the way. These programs track your actions and inundate you with those annoying pop-up windows, so you want to get rid of them. To do this, download a reputable spyware removal program and run it regularly.

• Freshen things up
    Once you've cleaned your computer, go ahead and update your most-used software programs or operating system. To update programs, you can use the Tools menu in Internet Explorer to launch Windows Update. Or select Software Update from the Apple menu on a Mac. It will find and install updates -- including security updates -- automatically for you.

Finally, when you're done spring cleaning, it's time to take out the trash. Under the Finder or Properties menu, empty the trash in one click. You'll see that with a little spring cleaning, your computer will work more efficiently -- and so will you.