2. CLEAN UP YOUR HARD DISK
Now that you’ve organized your files and folders and cleaned up your desktop, you can organize the data itself. Windows XP includes two utilities—Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter—that help you free up more space on your hard drive and help your computer work more efficiently. Find additional ways to clean up your hard drive by reading 4 ways to speed up your computer.
- Disk Cleanup compresses your old files with the intention of recovering additional storage space.
- Disk Defragmenter scans your hard drive and consolidates files that may be scattered across the disk (the more you have stored on your hard drive, the more likely this is to happen, and the longer it can take to open and access files you select).
You won’t want to run Disk Defragmenter as often as Disk Cleanup. As a general rule, use Disk Cleanup monthly or quarterly and run Disk Defragmenter once every six months or so.
To find both programs, click Start, point to All Programs, then point to Accessories, and then choose System Tools. You can click Disk Cleanup and Disk Defragmenter in the System Tools menu.
Justin