1.
Empty deleted items from Microsoft Outlook and/or
Outlook Express.
a.
In Outlook click on Tools.
b.
Click on “Empty Deleted Items” Folder.
c.
Click Yes to empty deleted items folder.
2.
Clean up temporary files and cookies in Internet
Explorer.
a.
Open Internet Explorer.
b.
Click on Tools.
c.
Click on Internet Options.
d.
Click on Delete Cookies – click OK.
e.
Click on Delete Files – select delete all off line
content, click OK.
f.
Click Clear
History – click Yes.
g.
Click OK to exit Internet Options.
h.
Close out of Internet Explorer.
3.
Clear Documents List.
a.
Click on Start.
b.
Go to Control Panel.
c.
Double click Taskbar & Start Menu. (You may need to switch to classic view).
d.
Choose the Start Menu Tab.
e.
Click the Customize button.
f.
To clear the
number of programs in the Start Menu click the Clear List button.
g.
Choose the Advanced tab.
h.
Click the Clear List button.
i.
Click OK to exit
out of this box.
j.
Click Apply an
then OK to exit out of Task Bar & Start Menu Properties.
k.
Close out of the Control Panel.
4. Run Disk Clean up from System Tools.
a.
Click on Start.
b.
Click on All Programs.
c.
Highlight Accessories.
d.
Hightlight System Tools.
e.
Highlight and click Disk Clean Up.
f.
Click OK.
g.
Click OK.
h.
Click Yes.
5.
Empty Recycle Bin.
a.
Double Click Recycle Bin on the desktop.
b.
Click on Empty Recycle Bin.
c.
Click Yes.
d.
Close out of Recycle Bin.
6.
Run Error Checking – only if you computer possibly
has a virus or is EXTREMELY cantankerous..
a.
Double click My Computer on the desktop.
b.
Right click C drive.
c.
Click on Properties.
d.
Select Tools tab.
e.
Select Check Now under Error Checking.
f.
Check Scan for and
attempt recovery of bad sectors.
g.
Click Start.
h.
Click OK.
i.
Close out of
Properties.
j.
Close out of My
Computer.
7.
Defragment computer from System Tools.
a.
Click on Start.
b.
Click All Programs.
c.
Highlight Accessories.
d.
Highlight System Tools.
e.
Highlight Disk Defragmenter.
f.
Select a hard
drive to Analyze, click the Analyze button.
g.
Click Defragment – especially if you have
several bars of red (see screenshot below).
h.
When finished click on Yes and close out of Disk
Defragmenter.
Do this anytime your
computer seems to slow down, at least once a month.