Cleaning Up Your Disk

Like any storage place (think closets, garages, and basements), eventually the clutter starts to overwhelm you, and you need to get rid of stuff you don't need. The same is true for your hard disk(s). You should periodically clean out files you don't need. To help with this task, you can clean up some temporary files, empty your Recycle Bin, and find some other hidden nooks and crannies of Windows that take up storage space.

Windows XP makes it easy to get rid of files you don't need with the Disk Cleanup Wizard. When you use this wizard, Windows XP recommends some files for deletion, as well as lists the disk space you'll gain. You can select from the list of items suggested for deletion and then have Windows XP remove these items to regain that disk space.

To clean up files using the Windows XP Disk Cleanup Wizard, follow these steps:

1.	Open the My Computer window by double-clicking this icon on your desktop or by clicking Start and then clicking My Computer.
2.	Right-click the disk you want to check and then select Properties. You'll see the General tab of the Properties dialog box for that disk (refer to Figure 18.1). From this tab, you can view the total capacity of the disk drive, the used space, and the free space.
3.	To clean up files, click the Disk Cleanup button. The Disk Cleanup tab displays suggested files for deletion (see Figure 18.2). Any items that are checked will be deleted. For instance, notice that in Figure 18.2, temporary files take up quite a bit of space. You can regain this space by removing these files. Figure 18.2. You can select which files are removed using Disk Cleanup.
4.	Check the items you want to delete. Uncheck items you do not want to delete.
5.	Click OK.
6.	Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes. The files are permanently deleted and that disk space regained.

For access to additional cleanup options, click the More Options tab in the Disk Cleanup dialog box. From here, you can select to remove optional Windows components, to remove programs you don't use, or to remove all but the last restore point (see Figure 18.3).

Figure 18.3. If you want to gain more space, use the More Options button to display other space-gaining options.

caution

One of the first places Windows looks for space is in the Recycle Bin. Before you permanently delete those files, take a quick peek to make sure that the Recycle Bin doesn't contain any files you need. To view a particular file, select the item in the list and then click the View Files button. By doing so, you can confirm that the file can be deleted.

For instance, if you are running out of room, you can remove programs you do not need. For more information on adding and removing programs, see Chapter 14, "Setting Up Programs." You can also remove Windows components that you do not use. For information on this process, see Chapter 20, "Upgrading Windows." For information on what a system restore point is, see Chapter 17, "Securing Your PC."