Clean Computer Clutter to Improve Performance
By Bob Rankin
Are you running out of space on your hard drive? Does it take forever to do backups? Maybe you’re getting that annoying LOW DISK SPACE message. Don’t ignore it, or your computer could soon begin to malfunction. Here are some free tools to clean up your hard drive and make sure your computer is running smoothly…
Clean Computer Clutter for Better Performance
Digital clutter can clog your hard drive, slowing down normal operations and making it difficult to find the information you need. Unnecessary files accumulate every time you use a computer. It’s good practice to clean out computer clutter every once in a while.
Of course it’s a problem if you have no room to store your music, photos, or videos on your hard drive, but low disk space can also adversely affect the performance of your computer. When your operating system runs out of RAM memory, it will try to create virtual memory by grabbing a chunk of hard drive space. If there is not enough space available, your applications may fail, or you may not be able to open large files.
Even worse, when you run low on disk space, Windows will begin to delete System Restore points, or even switch off the System Restore feature entirely. If you’re not sure why that might be a problem, see my article Time Travel With System Restore.
Computer housecleaning should really start the day you turn on a new PC. Most computers come loaded with unnecessary and often unwanted programs. The software developers pay computer OEMs to install their trialware on new PCs, hoping that new buyers will try and purchase some. Among experienced users, such programs are known as “crapware”.
PC-Decrapifier is a free specialized uninstaller utility that scans any PC (new or used) for known crapware. One click is all it takes to uninstall all the crapware that PC-Decrapifier finds. The program also displays a list of all other applications on your system; you can check off any that you wish remove and PC-Crapifier will launch the standard Windows uninstaller. Just make sure and double check that it doesn’t remove any apps you DO want to keep.
NOTE: Don’t be fooled by sneaky “Download” ads that sometimes appear on the PCDecrapifier.com website. Click the BLUE “Download Now” button, or you could end up with the wrong program.
Some programs cannot be uninstalled by Windows, for various reasons. Others uninstall only partially, leaving behind folders and files that clutter your computer. Revo Uninstaller is an advanced uninstaller that removes even the most stubborn program. AppZapper (http://appzapper.com) is a similar program for Mac users.
Excerpt shared with permission from Bob Rankin.
