How to Remove Unnecessary Computer Files
If your computer is running low on space, you may find that its performance will begin to suffer as well. That is because when your operating system begins to run low on physical memory it will use hard drive space to mimic the effects of more RAM. When there is not sufficient hard drive space available, this extra memory cannot be created--and your computer will run more slowly. Clearing up space on your hard drive by removing files you no longer need can help a great deal.
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Instructions
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Log on to your computer and click on the "Start" button. Choose "Search" from the menu and click on "All Files and Folders." If you are working with Windows Vista, click on the "Search" box on your computer's Start menu.
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Type "~*.*" in the search box and click "OK" to start your search. Your computer will find any files that begin with the tilde character. Your operating system may create these files as temporary backups, but they can be safely deleted from your computer.
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Wait for the search to be complete. Then highlight the first file on the list. Hold your "Shift" key down, then highlight the last file on the list. This will highlight all of the files found during your search.
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Right-click on the list of files and choose "Delete" from the menu. This will remove all of the files from your computer. After the files have been removed, right-click on the "Recycle Bin" icon to permanently delete them.
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Repeat the process, searching instead for "*.tmp" files. This will find all the temporary files that are stored on your computer. Highlight all of the files found by your computer, right-click and choose "Delete" from the menu. You can also safely delete files with a "*.bak" and ".~mp" extension.
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Tips & Warnings
Use Windows' Disk Cleanup Wizard program periodically to remove unneeded files.
