Temporary Files: Computers naturally
create many different temporary files,
which are typically stored for your
advantage. However, these temporary
files on your computer (as the following
sections discuss) can stack up, which
can contribute to poor PC performance.
Internet
Cache: Web browsers (for example
Internet Explorer) typically create
temporary files, often referred to as
Internet Cache, during web browsing.
These temporary files usually aren’t
needed after you are finished surfing
the web, and can take up large amounts
of space on your hard drive. Therefore
these files, if not removed
periodically, may contribute to poor PC
performance. If you are curious, you can
view Internet Explorer’s cache: 1. Open
Internet Explorer, 2. Open Internet
Options from the Tools menu,4. Click
View Files..., 3. Click Settings...
under the Temporary Internet Files
section, 4. Click View Files...
Recycle
Bin: Remember, files are not
actually removed from the hard drive
when you delete them the first time. For
instance, deleting files for the first
time actually sends them to the Recycle
Bin.
Then from
there you can either permanently remove
them from your computer, or in case you
figured out that they should not have
been deleted, you can restore them. You
can easily view the content of your
Recycle Bin:
1. Go to
your desktop.
2.
Double-click the Recycle Bin,
3. The
Recycle Bin will appear Windows
Temporary Files
The Windows
operating system and other applications
create temporary files for various
reasons, such as during software
installations. These temporary files,
however, are typically not needed after
the application exits or when Windows is
shut down.
In many
cases, the applications do not always
clean up after themselves and leave
behind a stack of files, which will use
up some of your computer’s valuable disk
space.
Getting
Out of Date: Microsoft releases
periodic updates for Windows to ensure
your PC is protected from the latest
known security holes and programming
bugs or errors. In addition, many of
these updates will help increase your
PC’s performance. Therefore you
shouldn’t let Windows get out of date;
otherwise you’ll compromise the security
and performance of your PC.
Unused
Files and Programs: Unused programs
and files are one of the biggest
contributors to wasted disk space and
can cause a reduction in your PC’s
performance. As a general rule of thumb,
the less disk space you use of your hard
drive, the better overall PC performance
you’ll experience. Therefore, it’s best
to remove software programs that aren’t
used and files that you don’t need
anymore. Unnecessary Startup Programs
Many software programs may add
themselves (with or without your
knowledge) to your Startup folder, which
may cause your PC to take longer to
start up. computing power from other
applications you are using and will
overall bog down your PC.
Invalid
Registry Entries: The registry
contains information that Windows
continually references during operation,
such as profiles for each user, the
applications installed on the computer
and the types of documents that each can
create, property sheet settings for
folders and application icons, what
hardware exists on the system, and the
ports that are being used. There are
many specific registry keys that can
slow a computer’s performance.
These are
typically invalid keys containing
information about COM and ActiveX
objects. These objects are parts of
programs, and when you remove the
programs, these keys sometimes still
exist. However, if these registry keys
aren’t removed they can contribute to
slower PC performance. Here are some
common areas of the registry that may
contain invalid keys:
•
Invalid
Class IDs (CLSID)
•
Invalid
Program Identifiers (ProgID)
•
Invalid
Type Libraries (TypeLib)
•
Invalid
Interfaces
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