System Cleanup
for Beginners
Ami Kastner

Does your computer seem to lag when it boots up? Are there times when you are trying to accomplish things, and it is just not moving fast enough? There is an endless amount of factors that can contribute to the speed of a machine, and many times as machines begin to get outdated, there is additional hardware that can be installed. However, there are some things that you can do on your own that can help keep your machine a little cleaner, free up some resources, and maybe just speed it up a little.

1. Run Antispyware Programs. We all know about spyware and adware by now, but by regularly running programs such as Ad-Aware SE Personal and Spybot Search and Destroy you can keep unwanted spyware and adware off of your machine. For more information on antispyware programs, visit www.drakehs.com, click on News Archives, and look for the Spyware/Adware Guide from October 2004.
2. Run Antivirus Programs. Make sure your antivirus is scheduled to do scans on a regular basis. Always run the updates to ensure you have the latest version of your antivirus program. Preventative maintenance is one of the best ways to keep a system running well.
3. Disk Cleanup. Run a Disk Cleanup on a regular basis. This enables you to keep your machine clear of unnecessary files.
4. Disk Defragmenter. Run the Disk Defragmenter after the Disk Cleanup. The disk defragmenter is designed to make your computer run faster and more efficiently by making more disk space available and by making it available in larger chunks. Both the Disk Cleanup and the Disk Defragmenter are found by going to Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools.
5. Remove Unnecessary Items Out Of Startup. Many machines have unnecessary items in their startup. These items take up more resources which take systems longer to boot. Many of these items are found in the lower right-hand corner next to the clock. Quicktime, instant messenger programs, printer software, and digital camera software programs are all programs that most users can disable from their startup. Many of these programs can be disabled by right-clicking on the icon by clock and finding the preferences to not have it launch at startup. Another location for removing items from startup is Start >> All Programs >> Startup. Right-click on the item and hit Delete to remove the program from startup. In some cases there may be additional configuration to completely remove these items from startup, but that is for more advanced users.

There are many other tips and tricks for cleaning up disk space, removing programs from startup, and increasing speed without having to spend a lot of money on additional hardware. For more information, please contact Drake Hardware & Software at 319.752.1155.