Clean it up!

So you say your computer is running slower. Maybe it is just tired from all the internet surfing, or perhaps it needs a nap. No, what is happening is the system is clogged up. Think of the Interstate at 3am. It's not congested and you can usually cruise at the speed limit with no problems at all. Now think of Friday rush hour on the same stretch of Interstate. There is a noticeable difference. We have to realize that there is nothing wrong with the road or with the cars on the road. There are just too many cars traveling the same path to get to their destinations.

Your computer is the same way. Almost every program you install wants to be used, therefore it adds itself to your start up so it can be running in the background, even if you don't use it regularly. Another problem is junk files that accumulate and clutter everything up making it take longer for the computer to find and access the files you need. Uninstalling unused programs can free up space but often leave files that aren't deleted and registry entries that don't do anything, thereby taking up space and causing the computer to 'look' at unnecessary information on it's way to what you want it to do. Computer memory and speed operate just like your car on the Interstate. When the road is clear the going is good, but when the road is congested it is slow and frustrating. The idea is to "clear the road" so you can get to where you are going.

Today we will look at three ways to "clear the road" and make your computer operate at full capacity. The first is to clear the junk files. I recommend that you don't keep a long history in your internet browser (which is firefox, right?), or keep cookies forever. Delete that stuff every now and then. A setting in firefox will allow the cookies to be deleted every time you close the browser and another setting that doesn't remember history at all. These options are not for everyone and you should decide whats best for you. The second thing we need to do is to clean the registry. The registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. Basically it tells programs how to operate and stores user preferences (that is a very basic definition). Imagine a dictionary that wasn't alphabetized and had recipes interspersed among the definitions. Now try to find a word's definition. Wouldn't be easy would it? Now take all the recipes out and put it in alphabetical order and it becomes very quick and simple to find what you are looking for. The third is to put all our files back together in order to access them quickly. So how do we accomplish these tasks easily and effectively? We will use three simple programs that are safe and thorough enough for even the most stubborn computer. Note: if the computer is old and outdated, then nothing will help it. Most software today is bigger and requires more computing power than just a few years ago. Nothing will make it work beyond what it was designed to do, but we can make it work to the best of it's ability.

First up is CCleaner. Download and install, always remembering to do a custom install and never install any toolbars or 'extras'. This was originally called "Crap Cleaner" but the name was a little beyond what people deemed 'reliable software'. It is a fast, easy to use tool that will really keep things in order. CCleaner offers a file cleaner, a registry cleaner, an uninstall manager (better that windows add/remove), and a start up manager. The file cleaner is simple to use and thorough enough to be effective without deleting anything important. Simply analyze, double check what it found, just to be safe, and click 'run cleaner'. In a few seconds you will have freed up a good amount of space. The registry cleaner scans for issues and lists them before doing anything to the registry. When you click 'fix selected issues' it gives the option to back up the registry, which is a good idea just in case. After that, click yes to back up, then 'fix all selected issues'. It should be done in a couple of seconds. While this tool is effective at cleaning the registry, it is not a deep registry cleaner. We will see that in the next piece of software. On to the uninstall manager. I feel like this is better that windows add/remove because it doesn't 'hide' programs. Most anything that is installed can be uninstalled, and that is a good thing considering all the bloatware that most computers are sold with. You just have to get rid of that junk because most of it is either useless or trial versions of software the company wants you to buy. There is not much more to explain with that feature. Now to the start up manager. This has to be the best tool I found for speeding up the boot process and freeing up memory. Remember that almost every program you install will want to be on the start up list. Well not every one is needed every day, so why not open certain programs only when you need them? Click on tools, then start up and a list of all programs in the start up will appear. Carefully examine the entries and google anything unfamiliar. Once you know what you need to start up with your computer you can turn the others off. Do this by simply clicking the entry and clicking 'disable'. Just like magic it doesn't start up when you reboot. I only start up my wireless, my Comodo firewall, and my touch pad (laptop). Nothing else unless I need it and only when I need it. On to something more in depth.

For a deeper registry cleaning I recommend Comodo Registry Cleaner. This is different than the Comodo System Cleaner, which I found to be oversized and practically worthless. Follow the link, download and install. I can't say it enough so do a custom install and accept no toolbars or extras. After installation, open the cleaner and go to Miscellaneous, then to Settings. Only two boxes are necessary to check and those are 'create backup...' and 'prompt for restore point...'. Uncheck the other boxes. Go to the Summary tab and click 'Scan My Registry', read the warning and click 'ok'. The cleaner will do the rest and prompt you when it is done. This only takes a few minutes but it is very detailed. When complete it will show you the errors it found. Notice that all will be selected except for 'unsafe entries'. Normally these are nothing to worry about, but google them if you are unsure. I usually delete the unsafe entries as I have never found anything that would be a mistake to delete. Click 'clean registry' and it will prompt to create a restore point. Click either yes to create the restore point or no to bypass that option and the cleaner will instantly start cleaning the registry. Usually this takes less than a minute and when it is finished you can close Comodo Registry Cleaner and go about your computing with a clean registry.

Last but not least is Defraggler. Defraggler is a small and fast file and disk defragmenter, which essentially means it takes files that are in pieces (fragmented) and puts them back together in the same location, making it easier and faster to find what you need. Download and install Defraggler (and remember our install rules), then double click to open. Click Analyze to get the status of your file system. Notice how many files are fragmented and what percentage. Now just click Defrag and let it do it's thing. I normally just leave the computer alone until it is done, which can take a while due to large hard drives or a high percentage of fragmentation. Once it is complete you will have your files together where they belong and your free space optimized and ready for more information to be stored.

I recommend downloading and installing all three of these applications before running anything. After installing, run CCleaner. Do any uninstalling first, then check the start up manager and make any changes. Next clean the files and last clean the registry. At this point I recommend rebooting since only those programs you allow in the start up will be running for the next steps. Start Comodo Registry cleaner and follow the instructions above. Last, run defraggler until it is complete. I usually do another reboot just to start fresh, but it isn't totally necessary. After these steps you should have a computer that runs like it did when it was new! Do these steps every two or three weeks depending on your needs.

I would like to hear from you what you would like me to post next time. Follow us on Facebook and leave your ideas in the comments section of this post or on the Facebook group wall. I will take tomorrow off since it is a day of rest and worship and start back Monday, so have a great weekend.