Find out what you should clean, when, and how
Dump programs you don't need, archive data, and bring order to your desktop
Here's a handy household hint - getting control of all the clutter on your PC will make it run faster and more efficiently. This book is like a closet full of cleaning tools that help you organize your data and e-mail, archive the stuff you do need to keep, toss old cookies, tune up your file system, and much more.
Discover how to
- Create a cleaning schedule
- Find out what programs you have
- Clear out your root directory
- Control your Web cache files
- Manage Windows updates
- Get serious about system security
Acomputer is nothing but a tool. It’s bigger than a hammer (well, most hammers), heavier than a screwdriver, and generally less noisy than a chain saw — but it’s nonetheless a tool. You can do more stuff with a computer than you can with a hammer and a screwdriver, but hammers and screwdrivers are simpler to use and easier to clean up. (Chain saws are another story; things can get messy really fast — although I’ve seen some really amazing things done with them.)
Your computer does get messy; have no doubt about it. Programs load and unload, files pop into existence and then slither off to unknown parts of your hard drive, and spyware tries to adhere itself to your operating system. Every day, your system changes as information is added and new demands are placed on old programs.
All these things add to the unique clutter that comes to define and weigh down your system. You can redefine your system and free your system, all by identifying and removing the clutter. Cleaning Windows Vista For Dummies shows you how.