How to Clean Out Extra Files From My Computer

Free up hard drive space by deleting extra files.

Computers store a number of different files on the hard drives. When you browse the web, for instance, your computer creates temporary files that remember your browsing history, searches and frequently visited websites to make your surfing experience faster. Over time, your computer's hard drive can become cluttered with extra files. Extra files should occasionally be deleted to free up hard drive space---removing them has no negative impact. Computers already have the tools to remove temporary files.

Instructions

1. Navigate to the file cleaning program. Press "Start," then select "Program Files." In the "Program Files" menu, click "Accessories," then "System Tools." Select "Disk Cleanup." A dialog box will open.

2. Select the hard drive you want to clean. From the open dialog box, click "Files from all users on this computer" and then "OK." Choose "C Drive" from the drop-down menu that appears and click "OK." Your computer will analyze the C drive for extra files to remove.

3. Finalize the cleaning process. The removable files will be divided into different categories, such as temporary Internet files, Recycle Bin files and programs you no longer use. Click the check box next to each category you wish to delete. If you do not know what is contained within a particular category, leave the settings at the default. Click "OK." Close the drive cleanup program once the progress bar is full and the task is completed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have multiple user accounts on one computer, you can select "My Files Only" from the dialog box to only remove extra files from your account.

• Clean out the extra files on your computer every few weeks to keep your hard drive uncluttered.

• If you are removing files from categories other than the default, carefully read the description of the file categories. Once you click "OK" and finalize the process, the files will be lost.

References

• Microsoft: Disk Cleanup Information

Resources

• Microsoft: Computer Optimization