How to Clean Unwanted Stuff off a Hard Drive

Uninstall and delete programs and files from your computer's hard drive.

When your hard drive becomes cluttered with programs and files, you can clear them from your hard drive by moving them to your Recycle Bin on your Windows PC or the Trash bin on your Macintosh computer. Once the files have been moved, it is important to empty the Trash/Recycle Bin to regain your hard drive space. For programs on your PC, you must use the Add/Remove Programs tool to uninstall programs.

Instructions

Delete Files From Your PC

1. Click the "Start" button on the taskbar of your desktop, and select "All Programs" and "Windows Explorer" from the pop-up menu.

2. Locate the file you want to delete, and right-click the file. Select "Delete" from the shortcut menu, and click "Yes" on the pop-up window to confirm you wish to delete the file. For multiple files, hold down the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and click the files to highlight them. Alternatively, click and drag the files to the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and click "Yes" on the pop-up window.

3. Double-click the "Recycle Bin" on your desktop to open the Recycle Bin window, and select "Empty Recycle Bin" at the top of the Recycle Bin toolbar. Click "Yes" on the pop-up window to confirm you wish to empty the Recycle Bin.

Uninstall Programs on Your Windows PC

1. Click the "Start" button on your desktop taskbar, and click the "Control Panel" tab in the pop-up window.

2. Click the "Remove a Program" link underneath the Programs section in the Control Panel window. Locate the program file you wish to uninstall, and click it once to highlight it.

3. Click the "Uninstall" button at the top of the program list, and follow the onscreen instructions to delete the program from your computer. Click the "Restart" button on the pop-up window if it appears after the uninstallation finishes to finalize the program removal.

Remove Files and Applications From Your Mac

1. Click the "Finder" icon at the far left of the screen's dock, and locate the files you wish to remove from your hard drive. For applications, click the "Applications" tab in the Finder's sidebar.

2. Drag and drop the file or application icon onto the Trash icon on the dock to remove the file from your computer. Enter your system administrator password in the System Administrator pop-up window when removing applications to authorize the removal. Alternatively, right-click the file or application and click "Move to Trash" on the shortcut menu.

3. Click the "Trash" icon on your dock, and click "Finder" on the menu in the upper-left corner of the screen. Select "Secure Empty Trash" to permanently remove all files from the Trash bin.

References

• "Macs For Dummies"; Edward C. Baig; 2008
• Apple: Pro - Tips - Really Empty the Trash
• "PCs For Dummies"; Dan Gookin; 2007
• Microsoft: Permanently Delete Files from the Recycle Bin