Brief description
The Disk Cleanup tool helps you free up space on your hard disk by searching your disk for files that you can safely delete. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. Use Disk Cleanup to perform any of the following tasks to free up space on your hard disk:
- Remove temporary Internet files.
- Remove downloaded programAn organized list of instructions that, when executed, causes the computer to behave in a predetermined manner. Without programs, computers are useless. files. For example, ActiveX controls and Java applets that are downloaded from the Internet.
- Empty the Recycle Bin.
- Remove Windows temporary files.
- Remove optional Windows components that you are not using.
- Remove installed programsAn organized list of instructions that, when executed, causes the computer to behave in a predetermined manner. Without programs, computers are useless. that you no longer use.
Steps to performing a Disk Cleanup
Step 1) To access Disk Cleanup, go to Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Cleanup.
Step 2) Pick the option you want to perform this function on.
Step 3) A windowAn enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen. will calculate how much space that can be cleared away from your computer A programmable electronic machine that responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and execute a prerecorded list of instructions. .
Note: This process may take a while depending on your computer's A programmable electronic machine that responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and execute a prerecorded list of instructions. speed and the size of the drive/partition.
Step 4) When the calculation has finished, you will have a window that shows categories of files and the approximate amount of space that can be cleared from this process.
Optional steps
If you feel that you need Disk Cleanup to clean out more files, then when in the category windowAn enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen. (described in Step 4), click the top tab that says More options. This will allow you to clean up categories called Windows Components, System Restore points.
- Windows Functions: This will bring you to a windowAn enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen. with all windowAn enclosed, rectangular area on a display screen. components (such as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, Windows Messenger, MSN explorer, etc). Click remove if you would like to clean up those locations.
- System Restore: Will clean up all but recent restore points. You can save a lot of space by clicking this if you often create restore points.